The spatial organization of hybrid Scrum meetings: A multimodal conversation analysis study

Abstract

Bridging the physical distance between remote locations, video mediated interaction has long been an integral part of workplace activities. Hybrid meetings are instances of video-mediated interaction combining in-person and virtual attendance with some of the participants being co-located, and others joining from remote locations with real-time streaming. This study sets out to explore the ways in which participants co-construct space across multiple sites by coordinating their presence and participation in hybrid daily Scrum meetings. We draw on multimodal conversation analysis to closely examine video recorded data from hybrid Scrum meetings of a software development team. Our analysis shows how participants orient to multiple spaces and their efforts in establishing and maintaining visibility and audibility. The findings have implications for an understanding of hybrid interactions in workplace meetings informing future designs of meetings and collaborative technologies for hybrid collaboration.