Multiple presences: studying hybrid meetings in remote collaborations

Purpose This paper aims to examine “presences” that are practiced and intermingle during so-called hybrid meetings in the context of remote collaborations. It seeks to understand the preconditions and effects of different forms of presence for interactions and situations and to show that hybridity is constituted through everyday practices rather than through technological configurations alone. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a practice-theoretical perspective and draws on ethnographic data (observations, interviews and written reflections). The analysis utilizes the comparison of three technologically different “hybrid meeting” settings (videoconferencing, telepresence robots (TPRs) and TPRs enhanced with virtual reality) to describe interactions and situations in detail, focusing on how presences are enacted, framed and coordinated. Findings The analysis reveals three key insights. First, presences vary gradually across analytically distinct yet practically intertwined dimensions, figuring as forms of presence such as “focused copresence.” Second, practices rather than technologies alone shape presences and situations. Third, situations like “hybrid meetings” are marked by mutually coordinated doings, including the doing of presence and the framing of forms of presence. Consequently, meetings can be understood as grand situations in which multiple presences are dynamically enacted, and hybridity emerges as an outcome of practice. Originality/value The paper reconceptualizes “hybrid meetings” by shifting the analytical focus from technologically induced hybridity to practical enactments of presence and accomplishments in situ, shedding new light on social interactions and social situations. It contributes to microsociological debates on (co)presence and advances research on remote work by offering a practice-based understanding of so-called hybrid meetings.