Background: Trust is crucial for teams to function well, especially in collaborative settings. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged traditional trust-building methods due to remote work. Hybrid work models emerged, blending remote and in-office collaboration. Balancing remote and in-office work remains essential post-pandemic, recognizing benefits for both managers and employees.

Purpose: This thesis explores the impact of hybrid work on trust within agile software development (ASD) teams. Research questions delve into the impact of hybrid work on trust across agile methodologies and explore communication methods fostering trust in agile teams in hybrid settings. Findings aim to guide agile teams and managers in optimizing remote work solutions for collaborative environments.

Methodology: This study employs a qualitative approach conducting semi-structured interviews with 16 participants chosen through purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was employed to identify themes regarding hybrid work policies, trust dynamics, and communication methods in hybrid setups. Ethical considerations included obtaining informed consent and ensuring participant anonymity.

Results and analysis: Findings show a preference for at least two days per week in the office. Trust aspects of ability and integrity were regarded as more important than benevolence for trustworthiness by most of the participants. The impact of hybrid work was revealed to be mostly on the aspect of benevolence. Scrum and Kanban agile methodologies exhibited varied responses to hybrid work's influence on trust based on their underlying principles. Participants recognized the challenges of remote work, preferring on-site communication for convenience while utilizing Microsoft Teams messaging for remote interactions. Adaptive strategies like breakout rooms were used to foster collaboration and transparency.

Conclusions: Hybrid work poses challenges like communication barriers and difficulties in interpreting non-verbal cues, but it also offers benefits such as flexibility and opportunities for relationship building. Participants valued ability and integrity highly for trustworthiness, emphasizing effective task completion and transparency. Although benevolence was seen as less critical, it was the most impacted by hybrid work due to difficulties in reading non-verbal cues and emotions remotely. Transparent communication and proactive support are essential to improving perceptions of benevolence. Effective communication methods, including digital tools and adaptive strategies, are crucial for mitigating misunderstandings and fostering trust in hybrid environments. Different agile methodologies show varying impacts of hybrid work on trust, with communication and workflow management adaptations playing key roles in maintaining trust dynamics.

Recommendations for future research: Subsequent investigations should include diverse cultural contexts examining factors like organizational culture and leadership styles. Longitudinal studies and research into leadership development and communication training could offer strategies to enhance trust in agile teams in hybrid settings.