Information technology (IT) has enabled organizations to implement significant, beneficial traits of virtual organizations into their own structure such as the ability to work remotely. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the business world was forced to shift towards a virtual environment where remote working has become the new norm. Thus, this study seeks to contribute to the understanding of motivation and self-efficacy for workers in this relatively new environment. This is guided by three main research questions: (1) What are the aspects of intrinsic motivations that employees feel affect employee motivation in a remote work environment?, (2) How do employees perceive incentives and other extrinsic motivators within the remote work environment?, and (3) In which possible ways does an employee believe self-efficacy has altered due to remote work? Self-determination theory (SDT) and self-efficacy were utilized as the main theoretical tools to examine the motivation of remote workers within the engineering industry along with inductive reasoning. Data for this qualitative study was gathered through the conduction of seven semi-structured interviews on two engineering companies, which are identified as Sim Co. and Mech Co. It was found that extrinsic motivators within the more autonomy supportive environment—that is remote work—will not be as influential and prominent from the individual’s perspective. Hence, supporting an individual’s perceived locus of causality (PLOC) and intrinsic motivators will be much more beneficial to motivate remote workers. It was also observed that project burnout and personal disinterest continues to conflict with remote workers as the separation between work and personal life may be an issue for the individual. Vicarious experience and physiological and emotional states were primarily affected for the interviewees during the transition to remote work. This led to a change in self-efficacy for the individual along with competence and autonomy. This research has concluded: (1) remote employee motivation is influenced more by intrinsic motivations rather than extrinsic motivations similar to the in-office environment, and (2) self-efficacy judgment was affected in two components by remote work一vicarious experience and physiological and emotional states.

The project began with a simple question: In a future where the Internet has the ability to connect everything digitally, will the need to move physically still exist? To answer this question, we need to reconsider the far-reaching effect that online service has brought to our everyday lives. And based on the current trend of Internet development, the author focuses to predict the challenges and opportunities for people’s daily life brought by the future internetization trend.Instead of designing another vehicle which moves from A to B , the author rethinks the mobility as a unit of service connection in 15-minutes urban life circle in 2035. Redesigning the form and boundaries of the mobility based on the future working and living needs, this project envisions such a mobility to inspire more sparks and discussions about the subject. _Inspiration Inspired by the idea of merging the architecture principles and mobility interior design, the author aims for creating a mobility which enables people to work from anywhere in future cities.With help of Internet and new technologies, population density starts to act as a solid base for boosting of urban life services. And this emerging industry is deeply reshaping the urban lifestyle in the future, which has shown the urban people have new needs to get emotionally attached and have face-to-face teamwork from time to time.The aim of this project is to reconsider the core of mobility - not as a simple transportation platform anymore, but as a mobile space for multi-using. _Process Starting M mobile service, Volvo is a Scandinavian tech-driven brand which envisions a future to enable more people to move freely, meaningfully and sustainably.In order to design a mobility to ease people’s everyday life which also aligns with Volvo value, the author took a speculative approach based on research about the Volvo brand and relevant social trends. And the author starts interviews with people to gather more detailed info and pain-points after desktop research. Based on that, the author included the design opportunities of this project and step into the design process, which includes loops of ideation, sketching, modelling and evaluating with in Volvo team. These steps were not in linear order as the author as the project aims for really challenging the traditional structure and boundaries of the vehicle. _Result The result of this project is Volvo M-office and Volvo Working hub, which together form a systemic workspace solution beyond the concept of vehicle design.The design principle of the project is based on the prediction and research about future working method in urban area. The mobility is designed a open-able mobile space which can interact with other mobilities and facilities.Volvo M-office provides a flexible way of anywhere office life, With the mobility the people can choose the working locations they want, so as to connect the leisure time and working time in a smart way. In addition the mobility will also help the user to rebuild the work-life balance and emotional window in the context of Internetization future.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur chefer leder och motiverar sina medarbetare när de arbetar på distans. Undersökningen består av sex kvalitativa intervjuer med utvalda chefer där samtliga har gemensamt att deras medarbetare arbetar i olika grad på distans. Analysen grundar sig i att finna samband, likheter och skillnader mellan de olika respondenternas svar för att se hur de anpassar sitt arbetssätt utefter dessa förutsättningar. Begrepp som diskuteras för att bidra med kunskap är motivation utifrån Maslows behovshieraki samt Herzbergs tvåfaktorsteori, ledarskapsstilar som tillitsbaserat, transformativt och auktoritärt ledarskap. Även distansarbete som begrepp och hur detta kan påverka motivation och ledarskap samt den hållbarhet i form av social hållbarhet som organisationer behöver ha i åtanke för de hållbarhetsmål som FN tagit fram. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att chefens arbete med att motivera sina medarbetare inte behöver skilja sig från när medarbetarna arbetade fysiskt på arbetsplatsen. Det som utmärker sig är att kommunikationen är viktigare och behöver ta en större del av chefers arbete i anspråk. De chefer som inkluderas i studien visar likheter i deras sätt att leda i undersökningen och har därför många likande tankar i hur de arbetar med sitt ledarskap för att motivera sina medarbetare. Gemensamma nämnare var önskan om att inte detaljstyra, vikten av kommunikation och att ledarskap kan påverka medarbetarens motivation. Författaren tillägger slutligen att det krävs mer resurser till kommunikation vid distansarbete och mer resurser för medarbetarnas välmående för att uppnå en social hållbarhet. / The purpose of the study was to investigate how managers lead and motivate their employees when working remotely. The study consisted of six qualitative interviews with selected managers, all of whom had employees working remotely in different constellations. The analysis aimed to find connections, similarities, and differences among the respondents' answers to understand how they adapt their work approach based on these circumstances. Concepts discussed to contribute to knowledge include motivation based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's two-factor theory, leadership styles such as trust-based, transformative, and authoritarian. Remote work as a concept and how it can affect motivation and leadership, as well as the social sustainability organizations need to consider for the sustainability goals set by the United Nations, are also discussed. The results of the study indicate that the managers' work in motivating their employees does not necessarily differ from when the employees worked at the office. What stands out is that communication is more important and requires a larger portion of the manager's work. The managers included in the study are similar in their leadership styles and, therefore, share many similar thoughts on how they work with their leadership to motivate their employees. The common denominators were the desire not to micromanage, the importance of communication, and the recognition that leadership can influence employee motivation. Finally, the author of the study adds that more resources are needed for communication and for the wellbeing of the employees to achieve social sustainability.

Introduction: Ever since the transition to digital ways of working startedspreading across organizations and industries in the late 1970s, remoteworking has been a topic of interest. With the development of information andcommunications technology, virtual realities are now receiving more attentionwith a broader view of potential application areas. The application of virtualrealities is expanding. Hence, the concept of Metaverse has received a greatdeal of attention. Metaverse is a virtual reality idea where people create avatarsthat exist in a three-dimensional virtual world. While the use of virtual realitiesis expanding on new ways of working, users’ attitudes toward thesetechnological developments are important to consider as it can either increasethe benefits of working from home or highlight the negative aspects evenmore. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the attitudes towards the useof virtual realities for remote working in the case of employees withinorganizations in Sweden. The aim is to further provide an understanding as towhat organizations need to consider following the increased use of virtualrealities. Research Questions: What are the attitudes of employees towards the use ofvirtual realities for remote working? How can organizations adapt to theimplementation of virtual realities for remote working to continuously ensurea positive work environment for its employees?  Methodology: In order to reach the purpose of this study and answer theresearch questions, a qualitative research approach was deemed appropriatefor this study to understand the “what” and “how” aspects of the use of virtualrealities for remote work. Semi-structured interviews were chosen as the datacollection method where the respondents were employees within organizationsin Sweden. Conclusion: The key takeaways are that attitudes toward virtual realities forremote working are complex. The main themes discussed around remoteworking were control and freedom to decide over one’s work and the loss ofcomradery with colleagues and social isolation. New technology, such asMetaverse, has to ensure it continues providing employees with control overtheir work but solves the issues of social isolation while still not eliminatingphysical interactions between colleagues completely. Management has todeeply consider the needs of the individual employee before implementingnew technology, gathering an understanding of what is expected and neededby their specific employees to better ensure successful implementation.

Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap kring om fysisk distans påverkar valet av ledarskapsstil när Siemens ställer om från kontorsbaserad verksamhet till hemarbetsbaserad verksamhet. Följande frågeställningar ligger till grund för att besvara studiens syfte: Har kontextförändring en signifikant påverkan på interaktionen mellan ledare och följare? Finns det aspekter av ledarskapet som blir extra framträdande som följd av kontextförändringen där distansarbete nu är normen? Kan man utifrån Full Range Leadership-modellen eller via ledarskapsstilarna ideologisk och pragmatisk, autentisk, betjänande, etisk, delad/distribuerad samt spirituell finna grund för att kontextförändringen ger upphov till förändring av ledarskapsstil? I uppsatsen antas en kvalitativ undersökningsansats, där fallet Siemens används för datainsamling i syfte att undersöka kontextens (dvs. distansarbetets) betydelse och påverkan på ledarskapet för bolaget (en fallstudie). Basen för datainsamlingen var sex stycken intervjuer av semi-strukturerad karaktär. Situationen är avgörande för var tonvikten i ledarskapet ligger, men jag vill inte påstå att ledarskapsstilen skiftar från en till en annan som en effekt av förändring i kontext. Empirin pekar istället på att det behövs en annan stil än de i FRLM-modellen. Då denna modell förutsätter ledarskap utan fysisk distans är den inte tillräcklig för att beskriva en lämplig ledarskapsstil för distansarbete. Jag lyfter därför fram en ny sammansättning egenskaper/beteenden som är bättre lämpade för distansarbete. Denna sammansättning består av: karisma, förmåga att motivera, intellektuell stimulans, individuell hänsyn, vara sig själv, självmedvetenhet och delat ledarskap. / The purpose of this paper is to highlight and develop knowledge on how physical distance affects leadership practice at Siemens when the organization changes from an office-based environment to a remote work environment. The following questions are the foundation in terms of answering the purpose: Do the change in context and the change to a remote work climate significantly affect the interaction between leader and follower? Are there aspects of leadership that get special attention as consequence of the context change? Is it possible through the Full Range Leadership Modell or through ideological and pragmatic, authentic, servant, ethical, shared/distributed or spiritual leadership styles to find a connection between change in context and leadership style? This study has a qualitative approach and uses Siemens as the base for the analysis in order to evaluate the contextual significance for the leadership within the company. The context is vital in terms of where in the leadership the focus is. But I won’t go as far as to suggest that a change in context by default changes the leadership style from one to another. The data gathered suggests that there is need of a new leadership style, that differs from those in the FRLM-model. Since that model rests on the assumption that there is no physical distance between leader and follower, it is not sufficient to point towards a fitting leadership style for remote working. Therefore, I bring forward a new set of skills/behaviors which are better suited for leading over a distance. These are: charisma, the ability to motivate, intellectual stimuli, individual consideration, be yourself, self-awareness and shared leadership.

The overall development of the digitalization of workplaces has led to an increase in telework. Additionally, the recent Covid-19 pandemic along with following societal lockdowns and social distancing rules has led to a significant escalation of teleworking since workers had to relocate from their offices to their homes. However, this study examines a team working distributed even before the start of the pandemic, and who will continue working remotely following the pandemic. The team is distributed throughout the Nordic, with respondents located within Sweden.  The purpose of this study is to investigate an organization's use of information and communication technology (ICT) to handle telework. Furthermore, the study aims to make visible how the organization handles aspects of teleworking and the challenges posed by ICT, as well as to develop suggestions for improvements to support the organization. As well as investigate whether the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the organization's work processes during teleworking. For this study, a qualitative research method was applied, and individual experiences were gathered through interviews. The data was examined and analyzed in light of recent research and literature relating to the subject. The study finds that the respondents do not face any major challenges with working remotely and they have a good communication tone and trust in each other. The organization also provides their employees with technical support, IT-equipment, education, and other support to manage teleworking. Furthermore, the study concludes that the team leader has his own strategies for promoting teleworking cohesion within the team. The Covid-19 pandemic did not cause major changes in circumstances for the team due to their experience of teleworking. Lastly, the study presents the organization with suggestions for improvement regarding the studied areas related to previous research. We hope that our findings will assist the organization and others in order to provide the best working conditions for their employees.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka de förhoppningar som kontorsanställda hade om hur ett framtida arbetsliv, enligt deras mening, bör te sig efter det att de har blivit tvingade att arbeta på distans. Studien genomfördes med kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med bekvämlighetsurval kombinerat med snöbollsurval vilket resulterade i tolv intervjudeltagare (n=12). De kom från flera olika verksamheter och hälften var kvinnor och hälften var män. Data från intervjuerna bearbetades med en tematisk analys och resulterade i fyra teman vilka var: 1) frihet i arbetslivet, 2) stöd från arbetsgivare, 3) socialt behov samt 4) attraktiv arbetsgivare. Slutsatsen av studien var att det viktigaste för alla deltagare var att ha en valfrihet gällande var de utförde sitt arbete och de hade en förhoppning att fortsättningsvis kunna ha någon form av hybridlösning. Flera deltagare hoppades även att deras arbetsgivare skulle ta ett större arbetsmiljöansvar vid distansarbete. Vidare uttryckte några deltagare en förhoppning att framöver fortsätta kunna utföra affärsresor för att få det fysiska mötet med kollegor och samarbetsparter från andra orter och länder. / The purpose of this study was to explore the wishes of office employees who have been distance working as prompted by the Covid-19 Pandemic. More specifically, we wanted to find out what wishes that the participants had for their future work life after the pandemic. The qualitative study was designed based on semi-structured interviews. A convenience sample, using a snowball strategy, was selected resulting in 12 participants (n=12) divided equally between men and women. Data was analysed with a thematic analysis resulting in four main themes: 1) a freedom of choice, 2) employer support experience, 3) social needs and 4) employer attractiveness. Overall, participants expressed wishes for choosing their own workplace and have some form of hybrid solution. The participants also hoped that the employer would take a greater work environment responsibility. Some participants wished for the opportunity to still have business trips to get the physical meeting with colleagues and partners from other cities in Sweden and other countries.

Aim: This thesis aims to investigate the varying needs and perceptions of employees in different positions within a single organization in Brazil with regard to flexiblework arrangements. Methodology: The study selected eight employees from diverse positions within the organization through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The datacollection process employed a semi-structured interview approach, using an interview guide exploring the perception and needs of the employees regarding flexible work arrangements. The primary objective of the interviews was to offer valuable insights into employees' experiences and viewpoints, which aids in understanding the workforce's needs and requirements. Findings: The analysis found that employees across the different hierarchies in the organization exhibited a shared inclination towards remote work due to its advantages. However, the choices made by the employees were influenced by the team and managerial dynamics, client demands, and peak periods of activity. The findings disclosed that the advantages of flexible working arrangements are multifaceted encompassing work-life balance, quality of life, and cost savings. Conversely, challenges in the form of limited communication and relationship building opportunities, hierarchical complexities, and the high commuting costs incurred by hybrid workers were identified. The findings, therefore, emphasized the importance of fostering support, collaboration, and a positive work environment. Conclusion: Overall, the organization actively promotes adaptability to remote work, offering incentives and the necessary equipment to facilitate work-from-home arrangements. This research, therefore, underscores the need to embrace remote work and advocate for an enabling environment that addresses the diverse needs and challenges encountered by employees engaging in flexible work practices.

Digitaliseringen har skapat nya sätt att arbeta som suddar ut de tidigare begränsningarna vad gäller tid och plats. En sådan arbetsform är distansarbete som ökat drastiskt under de senaste två åren eftersom företag, på grund av Coronapandemins restriktioner, tvingats övergå till en virtuell verksamhet. En fysisk arbetsplats har dock visat sig vara viktig för exempelvis företagskulturen och kulturen i sin tur är en viktig del i företag eftersom den kan vara en konkurrensfördel och påverka prestationer. Detta väckte ett intresse om i vilken utsträckning företagskulturen påverkas av distansarbete eftersom det sociala samspelet mellan kollegor försvinner till stor del. Företag kan även kategoriseras i olika kulturtyper, vilket väckte ett fördjupat intresse som mynnade ut i studiens syfte - att undersöka i vilken utsträckning företagskultur påverkas av distansarbete med utgångspunkt i de fyra kulturtyperna Klan, Adhocrati, Hierarki och Marknad. För att besvara syftet har en kvantitativ enkätundersökning genomförts där ett antal hypoteser prövats med statistiska test. Enkäten utformades med hjälp av Cameron och Quinns (2011) mätinstrument, innehållande olika frågor som fastställer en kulturtyp, och riktade sig till anställda som hade arbetat på distans i någon utsträckning under de senaste två åren. Med hjälp av den data som framkom av enkätundersökningen kunde en kulturtyp och distansarbetets genomsnittliga påverkan på kulturen fastställas för varje respondent. För att undersöka om det fanns skillnader i påverkan mellan de olika kulturtyperna utfördes ett ANOVA-test med ett tillhörande Post hoc-test för att ta reda på mellan vilka kulturtyper det eventuellt fanns en skillnad. De statistiska testerna visar att det finns signifikanta skillnader i vilken utsträckning distansarbetet påverkar de olika kulturtyperna. Det framkom att klankulturen försvagas mer än alla de andra samt att marknadskulturen försvagas mer än den hierarkiska kulturen. Därmed visar studien att distansarbete inte passar alla kulturtyper i samma utsträckning och att det därför kan vara en fördel för företag, som planerar att fortsätta med distansarbete, att granska sin kultur för att förstå sina förutsättningar. / Digitalization has created new ways of working that blur the previous limitations in terms of time and place. One such form of work is teleworking, which has increased drastically in the past two years as companies, due to the corona pandemic restrictions, have been forced to switch to virtual operations. However, a physical workplace has proven to be important for, for example, corporate culture and culture in turn is an important part of companies because it can be a competitive advantage and affect performance. This evoked interest in the extent to which the corporate culture is affected by teleworking as the social interaction between colleagues largely disappears. Companies can also be categorized into different types of culture, which evoked an in-depth interest that resulted in the purpose of the study – to investigate the extent to which corporate culture is affected by telework based on the four types of culture: Clan, Adhocracy, Hierarchy and Market. To answer the purpose, a quantitative survey has been conducted where several hypotheses have been tested with statistical tests. The survey was designed using Cameron and Quinn's (2011) measuring instrument, containing various questions that determine a culture type, and was directed to employees who had worked remotely to some extent during the past two years. With the data that emerged from the survey, a culture type, and the average impact of telework on culture could be determined for each respondent. To investigate whether there were differences in influence between the different types of culture, an ANOVA test was performed with an associated Post Hoc test to find out between which culture types there may have been a difference. The statistical tests show that there are significant differences in the extent to which telework affects the different culture types. It was shown that clan culture is weakened to a greater extent than the other types and that market culture is more weakened than the hierarchical culture. Thus, the study shows that telework does not suit all culture types to the same extent and therefore, it can be an advantage for companies to examine their culture to understand what conditions they have regarding teleworking.

Studiens syfte är att undersöka utmaningarna som organisationskulturen inom ett mindre företag kan stå inför i samband med övergången från fysisk arbetsplats till hybridarbetsplats. Studien antog en mixad metod där 16 semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes samt en enkät baserad på intervjuerna. Intervjuerna analyserades tematiskt och enkäten med klusteranalys. Studien kommer fram till att övergången till hybridarbete inverkar på företagskulturen genom att öka flexibilitet och autonomi hos medarbetarna men det kräver en större tillit från ledningen. Ledarskap, kommunikation och samarbete kan även komma att påverkas. Konsultbolag tenderar vara mindre känsliga för förändringar och att ett tillitsfullt ledarskap och en stark öppen företagskultur är viktigt för en hållbar övergång till hybridarbete. / The purpose of this study is to study the challenges that the organizational culture of an SME may experience during the transition from a conventional workplace to a hybrid workplace. The study used a mixed-method approach where 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted, followed by a questionnaire with 30 responses. The interviews were analyzed thematically and the questionnaire with cluster analysis. The study concludes that the shift to hybrid work impacts organizational culture by increasing employee flexibility and autonomy, but it requires higher levels of trust from management. Leadership, communication, and collaboration may also be affected. Consulting agencies tend to be less sensitive to change and that trustful leadership and a strong open organizational culture are important for a sustainable transition to hybrid work.