On the evolution of agile software team work arrangements

The IT industry has undergone a significant transformation over the past years, and many companies and software teams have been experimenting with different policies and work arrangements. In this multiple-case study, we explore the evolution of organizational policies and the work arrangements of 28 agile teams, and report on their effects, based on interviews with seven individuals in leadership and support roles, from six companies. Our findings reveal the emergence of a dynamic and evolving spectrum of work arrangements and organizational policies, reflecting an increased flexibility in accommodating diverse work schedules and locations. We identified complex and interrelated impacts at the organizational, leadership, and team levels. At the organizational level, underutilized office spaces pose new challenges for resource management and strategic planning. At the leadership level, managers and team leaders reported diminished visibility and awareness of team activities under certain arrangements. At the team level, policies reshaped the physical and virtual workspace, influencing creativity, communication patterns, and coordination demands, with some arrangements requiring enhanced mechanisms for coordination. Our findings further substantiate concerns raised by both scholars and managers about the impacts of evolving organizational policies and work arrangements.