Detta är en kvalitativ studie om distansarbetets påverkan på bankanställdas produktivitet. För att förstå dess påverkan har nio personer från Swedbank, Citibank, Danske Bank och Nordea intervjuats. Studien baseras på underliggande faktorer till produktivitet och finner att distansarbete har en positiv påverkan på produktivitet. Respondenternas förbättring av tidseffektivitet, möjlighet att strukturera deras arbete och kvaliteten var de drivande faktorerna i förbättringen av produktiviteten. Flexibiliteten som distansarbetet medförde var en viktig faktor, då möjligheten att kunna jobba hemifrån när det behövs var mer värdefull än att kunna jobba hemifrån hela tiden. Även om en positiv påverkan upptäcktes är respondenternas upplevelser starkt kopplade till deras personliga preferenser och tidigare upplevelser inom deras specifika bank.

Background Following the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing (a purposeful physical gap between individuals) was adopted as a sound preventative approach, necessitating remote working. Information Computer Technologies enables, to a large extent, employees to operate practically anywhere and at any time. This shift in working mode from proximity to remote has resulted in a significant and abrupt shift in how businesses operate. Furthermore, teleworking was inevitable, but the pandemic has made it mandatory. International NonGovernmental Organizations were among the organizations that have shifted partially or totally to remote work within their local teams. These organizations have a key, but not visited, role in the societies and have partnerships with business organizations. Yet, they are forgotten about researching the remote work phenomena evolved by the pandemic. Aim Our research aims to shed light on the elements of the remote work in the INGOs, including enablers and inhibitors of this phenomenon concerning INGOs management and leadership, as well as the opportunities and the challenges created as a result of it.  Methodology A phenomenological study to compose the expressions of the INGOs managers in working totally remotely in response to COVID/19. This study is conducted using an exploratory qualitative approach by interviewing five managers of Norwegian INGOs  Findings The research exposes areas in managing remote work, such as age in employees' isolation in virtual teams. The INGOs managers have very human-centered perspectives on managing work remotely. The deep human perspective is driven by the vision and goals of INGOs of helping people. The inputs of the INGOs leaders focused on the importance of trust, social relations, freedom, and the well-being of employees.  Contribution From a more helicopter view, the research is an inspiration for learning from INGOs in relation to research in remote work. Up to our research capacity, this research is the first to explore the phenomena of remote work in INGOs in general and certainly in Norway. Practically. Our research might encourage INGO managers to recognize the need to acknowledge the unique characteristics of remote work. Ultimately, the research might help them identify capacitybuilding training for managers and emerging leaders to lead their teams better and include remote work requirements in the proposals for the donors. The organization plans to assign funds for this purpose.  Limitations Cultural limitations as the study were conducted in one country. Limitations related to the data collection as the sample size is small and covers the managers' perception only. Not to mention the age of the managers, which should have an impact on their perspectives. As well as the superficial knowledge and consideration of management issues and remote leadership in INGOs led to difficulty in getting their perceptions. The limitations related to qualitative research and online interviews.

Thesis advisor: Mark Kazarosian / In November of 2020, the Life Works Here Initiative was launched in Northwest Arkansas targeting the relocation of highly educated remote workers - especially in the sectors of tech and STEAM, science, technology, engineering, the arts and math - to find young talent to pipeline for the future and fill demand gaps in high-tech, high-wage industries and jobs. This paper will investigate characteristics that may have impacted an individual's descision to move into Arkansas following the implementation of the Life Works Here initiative using panel data on migration decision. I found that the characteristic of being a female on average decreases the probability of migrating to Arkansas by -.0001739 percentage points, relative to males, ceteris paribus. I also found that older aged individuals initially increase in the probability of moving into Arkansas until 41.732 years of age, where they will then decrease the probability of relocating to Arkansas. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Economics.

Previous research has highlighted key taxonomic factors that have been found to influence human performance on vigilance tasks. However, previous literature has focused on research conducted in laboratory settings but has not examined vigilance tasks in remote environments. The present dissertation addresses this gap in the literature by examining human performance on a remote vigilance task, as well as workload and stress associated with the task. Qualitative data were collected to further understand the environment and distractions that participants experienced. Across three experiments, 372 participants were asked to complete a vigilance task and answer surveys pertaining to stress, workload, and ambient distractions. Experiment one manipulated the taxonomic factors of event rate and signal discrimination. Next, experiment two manipulated the taxonomic factors of event rate and source complexity. Finally, experiment three manipulated the taxonomic factors of event rate and task type. Across all three experiments, results identified significant differences in performance for the low and high event rate conditions, which are consistent with previous findings. Furthermore, signal discrimination type, source complexity, and task type (i.e., sensory vs. cognitive) resulted in significant differences between groups on measures of performance. All three experiments reported changes in perceived stress and increases in perceived workload. Ambient distractions, when they occurred, did impact performance, but only for experiment two. Overall, this study provides further support for several facets of the vigilance taxonomy and attempts to understand the impact of remote environments and ambient distractions on vigilance performance. Thus, these findings are advancing our understanding of the vigilance taxonomy and how environmental effects may influence human performance.

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the global economy, as governments imposed restrictions on mobility and social distancing. As a consequence many businesses shifted their daily activities to remote channels. The urgent shift meant a lack in organizational and workforce readiness to integrate the change in daily routines. Hence, as the majority of organizations adapt remote practices, it is critical to address the fundamental and contextual consequences within the current framework.  Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the shift in organizational hierarchy as a consequence of the implementation of remote work in regards to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Methodology: A quantitative research design was applied, where primary data was collected through surveys. The sample size consisted of 47 participants that were currently employed in Sweden and had experienced a shift to remote work during the pandemic (2020-2022). Moreover, the participants have been employed during the period 2017-2022, as the intention was to compare the perceptions before and after the pandemic.  Findings: The findings revealed that no significant change in hierarchical structure had occurred due to the shift to remote work. Empirical evidence proposed a significant decrease in response times between different departments; nonetheless, the following is not evident enough to support a shift in hierarchical structure. There was an evident shift in one out of six leadership styles, as adaptation of task-oriented leadership decreased. The shift was further explained by a task-oriented approach exemplifying autocratic characteristics, that in turn malfunctioned in times of urgency. Finally, there has been a decrease in satisfaction concerning work environment and social interactions with colleagues. Overall, the study lacked empirical evidence that indicated a prominent shift in hierarchical structures or leadership style.  Implications for future research: The current study found implications on diminishing satisfaction related to the work environment perceptions. Thus, suggestions for future research include a focus on investigating the causations of the aforementioned issues. The underlying reasons for the shift from task-oriented leadership could be further explored, as previous research argues for its benefits in the context of leading virtual teams. Finally, there is development potential in exploring the shift of perceptions from different employment configurations, which might be influential in the context of hierarchical reflections.

<p dir="ltr">Organizational newcomers strive to adjust when they start new jobs, yet little is known about how remote and hybrid work structures influence this process. Previous research has adopted variable-centered approaches to explore the frequency with which newcomers engage in dozens of proactive behaviors in traditional, face-to-face work environments. The current study builds upon this work to capture the socialization process in modern work environments. Adopting a person-centered approach, this study 1.) identifies profiles of newcomers’ perceptions of their work environments, 2.) identifies profiles of newcomer proactive behaviors, 3.) examines the effect of virtuality on these two sets of profiles, and 4.) explores which behavior profiles are associated with the most favorable changes in adjustment.</p><p dir="ltr">A sample of 464 organizational newcomers responded to a survey about their environment perceptions, the frequency with which they engaged in a variety of proactive behaviors, and their feelings of adjustment. Latent profile enumeration resulted in three environment profiles (Average Environment, Peer-Centric Environment, and Favorable Environment) and seven behavior profiles (Low Frequency Seeker, Moderate Frequency Seeker, High Frequency Seeker, Direct Solo Seekers, Typical Limit Testers, Social Limit Testers, and Balanced Limit Testers). While the hypothesized virtual environment and behavior profiles were not found, one environment profile (Average Environment) and two behavior profiles (Low Frequency Seekers; Direct Solo Seekers) were significantly and positively associated with virtuality. Further, newcomers in the Average Environment profile tended to be Low Frequency Seekers, while newcomers in the Favorable Environment profile tended to be Moderate or High Frequency Seekers. Additionally, the Direct Solo Seekers were more likely to perceive their environment as Favorable, relative to the Low Frequency Seekers.</p><p dir="ltr">A total of 173 of the newcomers completed a follow-up survey about their feelings of adjustment. Significant differences across behavior profiles in changes in adjustment (while controlling for newcomer tenure) demonstrate the complex dynamics of the newcomer adjustment process. Specifically, the two highly virtual behavior profiles – Low Frequency Seekers and Direct Solo Seekers – showed different relationships with outcomes over time, suggesting that some behavioral repertoires are more effective than others for adjusting in virtual environments. Supplemental analyses further showed that the behavior profiles offered incremental validity over a main effects model of proactive behaviors in predicting feelings of social acceptance. Additionally, supplemental analyses demonstrated that jointly accounting for environment and behavior profiles can meaningfully explain differences in adjustment across newcomers. Collectively, this study shows the utility of using person-centered approaches for understanding how configurations of environment perceptions and proactive behaviors shape newcomers’ experiences in modern work environments.</p>

Distansarbete är något som blivit allt mer förekommande på många företag. Covid-19 har varit en stor bidragande faktor till att nya lösningar varit nödvändiga i och med att medarbetare inte längre fick vistas fysiskt på sin arbetsplats. Tidigare studier har visat att distansarbete kommer med en rad svårigheter. Sociala sammanhang är grundläggande för skapandet av individens sociala identitet på arbetsplatsen. När arbetet sker på distans går dessa sammanhang och interaktioner med kollegor förlorade i stor utsträckning. Syftet med följande studie var därför att undersöka hur medarbetare på ett kontor upplever och hanterar de möjligheter och begränsningar som distansarbete kan medföra i relation till upprätthållande av deras sociala identitet på arbetsplatsen. Vidare ämnar studien undersöka vilka eventuella strategier som tillämpas i samma avseende.  Vid insamlingen av det empiriska materialet genomfördes kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med åtta personer som arbetar på ett företag där arbetet till stor del sker på distans. För att förstå det fenomen som studerats och för att analysera resultatet i relation till frågeställningarna har Tajfel och Turners teori om social identitet tillämpats. Resultatet visade att det fanns både upplevda för- och nackdelar med distansarbete. När det kom till upprätthållande av social identitet på arbetsplatsen framkom resultat som pekade på att den sociala isoleringen var ett stort problem. Centrala resultat som framkom var att känslan av tillhörighet, förmågan att samarbeta samt det kollektiva lärandet drabbades till följd av de utmaningar som distansarbetet fört med sig. Dock framkom det att informanterna upplevde att det finns förbättringspotential i hur arbetet bedrivs och vilka strategier som tillämpas för att upprätthålla den sociala identiteten.

<p>COVID-19 forced mass transitions to remote working across industries, significantly so in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). ICT divisions were significantly tested as the provided service and support for remote work/learning. The purpose of this research is to characterize successful ICT practices in support of remote work/learning within HEIs. </p> <p><br></p> <p>This study investigates the current literature on HEIs, remote work ICT support, and Critical Success Factors (CSFs). Gaps in the current knowledge inform investigation into the factors of successful support as identified by HEI ICT professionals. A narrative literature review is conducted to explore the research on HEIs, remote work ICT support, and CSFs. Thereafter, subject matter experts are interviewed through a semi-structured interview approach. Content analysis is employed to characterize successful ICT support to remote work within HEIs. </p> <p><br></p> <p>While ICT support took on many different approaches in HEIs across North America, several themes emerged as consistent to providing successful ICT support to remote learning. The characteristics of successful support to remote work/learning are organized under the following themes: leadership qualities, customer emphasis, RW ICT tools, organizational factors, and combating digital inequity. This study offers practitioners areas of consideration to examine their plans and policies. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Future research is proposed to include studies on other emergency events, the impacts of covid lockdown on future policies, military education, and demographic specific research. Remote work practices and strategies vary greatly by industry and organizational structure. This research focuses on HEIs thus generalizability may be limited. </p>

In the light of a post-pandemic world, the concept of hybrid work environments has become significantly more important since the way of working has changed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Not being dependent upon a set office spot to conduct one´s work-related tasks has created both positive and negative consequences for both the individuals and the organizations. In conjunctions with the increased importance of hybrid workplaces, we have seen an improved academic attention towards the area since scholars claim that the hybrid way of working is the future. Even though there has been an abundance of research conducted investigating the post-pandemic hybrid work environments, this thesis contributes to an area that according to us have been sparsely investigated through focusing on the effects on remote and/or hybrid workplaces and its employees due to the abruptness of the Covid-19 pandemic through the following research question:  “How has the abruptness of the Covid-19 pandemic affected remote and/or hybrid workplaces and employees?”  The research purpose of this study is to investigate how the abruptness of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected hybrid and/or remote workplace solutions and its employees. We deem to broaden the existing research whilst concurrently develop new theoretical knowledge and expand the overall understanding of the investigated area. The purpose of this study was fulfilled through conducting a qualitative study with seven semi-structured interviews with people that have worked within the same organization before, during, and after the pandemic to obtain their own personal experience regarding the effects of the implementation of hybrid work environments. Through applying a qualitative thematic analysis, the empirical findings were categorized into three overarching themes with following sub-themes that were identified as adequate and relevant to highlight.  The result of this thesis indicates that the abruptness of the Covid-19 pandemic affected the organizations and the employees in both a positive and negative way since the changes were perceived to be needed and appreciated but at the same time implemented in an abrupt fashion which worked as an epiphanic force for several cultural and psychosocial related issues for the employees. Lastly, our findings indicates that there is a need for further research within the investigated area to hopefully facilitate and aid the future organizations, managers, and employees who are planning of or are currently in the process of implementing hybrid work environments.

Purpose – Remote work and agile project management have become prominent features of the modern workplace, valued for their adaptability and responsiveness. The integration of remote work and the agile approach is seen as a relatively underexplored area, compared to remote work in connection to traditional project management approaches. This thesis aims to explore how the shift towards remote work impacts the application of agile principles in agile teams. Additionally, the paper seeks to contribute valuable insights to academia and industry, enhancing understanding of the relationship between remote work and agile principles for practical applications and scholarly discourse.  Design/methodology/approach – The study is constructed as a qualitative study. A survey with open-ended questions is used as part of the inductive reasoning approach to achieve the objectives of this study. It employs an analytical approach based on a thematic network for its analysis.  Findings – With insights from 10 primarily project manager respondents, the study revealed diverse experiences, including both challenges and benefits within the context of this subject area. Challenges in maintaining agile principles in a distributed work setting are seen to include communication barriers, lack of informal interactions and potential loss of team spirit. This while adaptation and effective communication through incorporating online tools were identified as key strategies for improving team performance.    Research limitations – The study's limitations, including a short timeframe, small sample size, restricted data collection and analysis. Methodological constraints, such as using a survey, limited deeper exploration of respondents' perspectives. Additionally, the qualitative approach chosen didn't allow quantification of the issue's magnitude.   Practical and Societal implications – This thesis offers practical implications aimed at individuals working with agile practices in remote settings, primarily project managers. Focusing on the importance of effective communication and support, it suggests solutions and strategies such as providing training opportunities and promoting a sense of community to enhance team performance and well-being. Societal implications underscore the need for maintaining social connections in the workplace to support work-life balance and mental health, to also benefit the economic aspects. By implementing these implications, agile project managers can address challenges and opportunities in remote agile work, aiming to improve team performance and contribute to societal well-being.