The pragmatics of hybridity: A grounded theory of method integration in software engineering projects

Abstract

Hybrid project management is becoming a dominant delivery mode in software engineering, yet the mechanisms through which organisations enact and sustain hybrid practices remain insufficiently theorised. Existing accounts often imply a linear or prescriptive integration of governance and agile methods, overlooking the negotiated, context-dependent nature of hybrid work. This study advances a process-based explanation of hybrid delivery by developing the grounded theory of contingent hybridity, derived through a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) study within a multinational IT firm. Drawing on interviews, observations, and project artefacts, the findings show that hybridisation is not simply the coexistence of plan-driven project governance and agile routines, but an emergent socio-technical process shaped by practitioners’ interpretive work and situated adaptation. Four interdependent mechanisms structure this process: structural anchoring, through which governance frameworks provide stability and legitimacy; adaptive enactment, whereby agile practices are tailored and embedded within formal controls; boundary work, involving translators and hybrid ceremonies that reconcile divergent organisational logics; and role hybridisation, in which practitioners fluidly shift between control-oriented and delivery-focused responsibilities. The analysis demonstrates that hybrid practices vary across roles and project phases, with effective integration depending less on adherence to prescribed templates and more on ongoing, context-sensitive negotiation. These insights refine theoretical understandings of hybrid project management by moving beyond static typologies toward a dynamic, practice-centred perspective and offer actionable guidance for organisations seeking to balance agility and control in complex, regulated environments.