Öppet seminarium vid Score
The Impact of Remote Work on Organizational Dynamics
The objective of the seminar is to present the research project that I intend to develop during my visiting period at Score in the spring 2025.
As part of my involvement in the EU Horizon project "REMAKING", I plan to research how remote work and other related approaches to organizing work are reshaping traditional organizational practices and boundaries. The presentation aims to outline potential lines of inquiry into how remote work is redefining organizational identity, shifting boundaries, and transforming collaborative dynamics in response to significant changes in work environments.
The growing body of research on remote work, developed over several decades, generally revolves around three main questions. First, studies have investigated the feasibility of remote work based on the characteristics of specific tasks or occupations. The second focus has been on the impact of remote work on productivity, particularly in roles that require minimal coordination, such as call-center operators and patent examiners. More recently, research has expanded to explore the effects of remote work on collaborative activities, especially in the context of the rapid shift prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, a third well-established line of research has examined remote work from the employee's perspective, focusing on the challenges and benefits of flexible work arrangements and telecommuting. Recent studies in this area highlight various advantages of remote work for employees, such as greater flexibility in choosing where to live, structuring daily routines, reducing commutes, and overall improvements in well-being.
However, the potential of remote work to challenge traditional organizational structures, redefine what constitutes an organization, and reshape organizational boundaries has not been fully explored. To address these gaps, the lines of research I intend to develop revolve around understanding how remote work is transforming organizational boundaries, identity, and collaborative dynamics in hybrid work environments. By examining how traditional organizational boundaries are being reshaped, I aim to investigate the ways in which virtual and physical spaces intersect, and how this impacts work processes, communication, and the distribution of power within organizations. Additionally, I intend to explore how organizational identity evolves in remote settings, where employees may feel less connected to a physical workplace and more reliant on digital spaces to create a sense of belonging.
A significant aspect of this research focuses on the concept of partial organizations —examining how organizations in hybrid work environments may function with looser structures, less formal authority, and blurred membership criteria, resulting in new organizational forms that challenge traditional definitions. Lastly, I intend to explore in-depth the impact of remote work on social and collaborative dynamics, focusing on how virtual tools and hybrid interactions influence teamwork, innovation, and overall employee relationships. These lines of inquiry are designed to contribute to a deeper understanding of how remote work redefines the essence of organizations amidst the evolving landscape of work.
