På grund av corona-pandemin har många företag behövt omvandla sin dagliga verksamhet tillen mer digitaliserad verksamhet för att öka den sociala distanseringen. Som ett resultat av dettaspelar digitala verktyg en betydande roll för organisationer att säkerställa att arbetstagarnauppnår sina önskade produktivitetsnivåer. Det finns tidigare forskning om företag somuppmuntrar sina anställda att arbeta hemifrån, men metoderna och resultaten brister i vissaaspekter som exempelvis varför och på vilket sätt en arbetare upplever förändringar i sinproduktivitet. För att undersöka upplevd produktivitet och bakomliggande faktorer kommer detgenomföras intervjuer med medarbetare från olika företag som blivit tvingade att arbetahemifrån. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka arbetstagarens upplevda produktivitet isamband med påtvingat distansarbete som ett resultat av COVID-19 pandemin, samt huraffordances utnyttjas och förändras. Dessutom syftar studien till att hitta utveckling- ochforskningsmöjligheter inom området på grund av den nya innebörden av distansarbete isamband med COVID-19 pandemin. Datan från de intervjuade arbetstagarna kommeranalyseras utifrån Research model to measure productivity of telecommuters, affordances ochsociomaterialitet. Studiens resultat visar att den upplevda produktiviteten är högre bland deintervjuade vid distansarbete, affordances har en påverkan på produktivitet, att det på distansuppstår en ökad dikotomi mellan över- och underordnade och att det i den sociomateriellapraktiken uppstår förändringar i övergången till distansarbete. / Due to the corona pandemic, many companies have had to transform their daily operations intoa more digitized business in order to increase social distancing. As a result, digital tools play asignificant role for organizations in ensuring that employees achieve their desired levels ofproductivity. There is previous research on companies that encourage their employees to workfrom home, but the methods and results are lacking in certain aspects such as why and in whatway a worker experiences changes in his productivity. To investigate perceived productivityand underlying factors, interviews will be conducted with employees from different companieswho have been forced to work from home. The purpose of this study is to examine theemployee's perceived productivity in connection with forced telework as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, as well as how affordances are utilized and changed. In addition, thestudy aims to find development and research opportunities in the field due to the new meaningof teleworking in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. The data from the interviewedemployees will be analyzed on the basis of the Research model to measure productivity oftelecommuters, affordances and socio-materiality. The study concludes that the perceivedproductivity is higher among those interviewed for teleworking, affordances have an impacton productivity, that at a distance there is an extended dichotomy between superiors andsubordinates and that in sociomaterial practice there are changes in the transition to telework.

Telecommuting, or working away from the office, has during the covid-19 pandemic proved both challenging and advantageous. The new prerequisites and lessons learned has led companies to adopt Hybrid Virtual Models (HVM), a combination between in office work and telecommuting. The purpose of this study has been to analyze this new way of working in order to provide practitioners with important insight into the implications and possibilities with HVM. The theoretical contribution consists of broadening scarce theoretical coverage by highlighting important aspects for its implementation and usage. Empirical data has been gathered using an abductive method and indicates that voluntary HVM leads to increased organizational performance in terms of less sick days and increased employer attractiveness as a result of being highly desired. Concluded in the study is that a balance between office work and flexible telecommuting is the best way to organize to meet the demands of the future. / Pandemin flyttade mycket av verksamheten från kontoret till anställdas hem. I takt med att restriktionerna lättas ställs företagen inför frågan hur de ska organisera sig givet de nya förutsättningarna. Distansarbete har visat vara både utmanande och fördelaktigt. Detta har lett till att företagen infört virtuella hybridmodeller (HVM). En kombination av arbete på kontoret och på distans. Studiens syfte har varit att analysera detta nya sätt att arbeta för att ge branschverksamma viktiga insikter om konsekvenser och möjligheter med hybridorganisering. Det teoretiska bidraget breddar det tidigare knapphändiga teoretiska underlaget genom att belysa aspekter för hybridarbetets genomförande och användning. Empirisk data har samlats in genom en abduktiv metod och visar att HVM tenderar att öka prestation på grund av färre sjukdagar och image av att vara en attraktiv arbetsgivare. Studien kommer fram till att en balans mellan kontorsarbete och distansarbete är det bästa sättet att organisera sig för att möta framtidens krav

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.

Once automatic vehicles are available, working from self-driving car (WFC) in the AV's mobile office will be a real option. It allows firms to socialize land costs for office space from the office lot to road infrastructure used by AV. Employees, in turn, can switch wasted commuting time into working hours and reduce daily time tied to working. We develop a microeconomic model of employer's offer and employees choice of WFC contracts and hours. Using data for Germany and the U.S., we perform Monte Carlo studies to assess whether WFC may become reality. Eventually, we study the impact of transport pricing on these choices. Our findings is, that WFC contracts are likely to be a standard feature of large cities given current wages, office, and current and expected travel costs. There is a clear decline of hours spent working in office. On average, WFC hours and distance traveled slightly exceed commuting figures.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had major impacts on public and private life. As organizations are forced to transition to remote work to reduce the spread of the virus, there is a need for researching how employees are affected. This study explores how municipal workers have experienced the transition, by conducting a survey involving five different Swedish municipalities. This study shows that, while overall productivity has generally either increased or remained at pre-transition levels, some aspects have suffered as a result of working from home. Social interactions among co-workers, information sharing, and community building are examples of where the employees felt that something has been lost. This study contributes to research being done on this phenomenon, and gives suggestions for practitioners.

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.

Pandemin har forcerat organisatoriska förändringar och flyttat delar av organisationen från kontoret till projektmedlemmars hem. Projektgrupper är till sin natur beroende av att samarbeta med övriga projektmedlemmar. Rekommendationen om att arbeta hemifrån kan därav hänföras till ytterligare utmaningar för projektmedlemmar samt ge upphov till nya möjligheter. Studiens syfte har varit att undersöka hur projektmedlemmar upplever omställningen från kontorsarbete till distansarbete. Detta undersöks genom en kvalitativ metod kopplat till projektmedlemmars upplevelse av motivation, kommunikation och samarbete. Via semistrukturerade intervjuer kommer studien fram till att projektmedlemmar har upplevt en skillnad i motivation, kommunikation och samarbete till följd av distansarbete men att den stora skillnad är hur projektmedlemmar motiveras, kommunicerar och samarbetar under pandemins distansarbete jämfört med innan. Studien visar att distansarbete tenderar att öka upplevd produktivitet samtidigt som fysisk interaktion blir lidande. Studien kommer således fram till att en balans mellan kontorsarbete och distansarbete är önskvärt för att möta framtidens krav. / The pandemic has forced organizational changes. Project groups are by nature dependent on working closely with other project members. The recommendations for working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic can therefore be attributed to further challenges for project members and encourage new opportunities. The purpose of the study has been to investigate how project members experience the transition from office work to telework. This is investigated through qualitative research linked to project members' experience of motivation, communication and collaboration. Through semi-structured interviews, the study concluded that project members have experienced a difference in motivation, communication and collaboration as a result of teleworking due to the adoption of new ways of working. The study shows that teleworking tends to increase perceived productivity in projects while physical interaction suffers. Concluded in the study is that a balance between office work and telework is desirable to meet future demands.

The combination of growth in gross domestic product, population, and employment in an area usually implies a growth in demand for workplace properties, somewhere employees can carry out work. This, in combination with a deindustrialization process where more and more people shift to jobs within the service sector has historically fuelled the demand for office space in most across the western world, not least in Sweden. During the year of 2020, due to the ongoing pandemic many employees have been forced or encouraged to work from home, telework. With so many employees teleworking and many organisations reconsidering where work should be carried out, the importance and future of offices is questioned. The aim of this thesis was to obtain a deeper understanding of how increased telework will affect the office space market. In doing so, four research questions were formulated assessing the effect of telework on the office space market, the drivers and obstacles towards increased telework, and finally the Corona pandemic effect on the future of telework. The approach of finding evidence to answer research questions was interviewing real estate professionals, employers and employees, conducting a survey, and performing an extensive literature review on previous work surrounding the topic. The result shows that telework will likely lead to decentralisation of offices, increased demand for flexibility, changes in requested office design and eventually a somewhat weakened demand for office space. Result further shows that the main drivers towards increased telework were found to be the event of a crisis, improved results, development of information and communication technology (ICT), and improved work-life balance. The main obstacles were found to be social isolation, loss of organisational culture, and teamwork suffering. Lastly, results show that the Corona pandemic has served as a catalyst for many to realise the potential of telework while simultaneously helping many to realise the importance of the office as a meeting place. In conclusion, the Corona pandemic has pushed the change towards increased telework and possibly, we need to reconsider what is implied with work in our society. / Kombinationen av tillväxt i bruttonationalprodukt, befolkning och antal arbetare i ett område medför vanligtvis en ökad efterfrågan på arbetsplatsfastigheter, någonstans arbetare kan utföra sitt arbete. Detta, i kombination med en avindustrialiseringsprocess där fler och fler människor jobbar inom tjänstesektorn har historiskt sett drivit på efterfrågan för kontor i de flesta länder i västvärlden, inte minst i Sverige. Under året 2020 har den pågående pandemin resulterat i att många arbetare tvingats eller uppmuntrats arbeta hemifrån, distansarbete. Med så många som arbetar på distans och då många organisationer ser över var arbete helst ska utföras, ifrågasätts betydelsen och framtiden av kontor. Syftet med detta arbete var att få en djupare förståelse för hur ökat distansarbete kan komma att påverka marknaden för kontorsyta. Därigenom formulerades fyra forskningsfrågor som granskar effekten av distansarbete på kontorsmarknaden, drivkrafterna och hindren för ökat distansarbete och slutligen Coronapandemins effekt på framtiden för distansarbete. Tillvägagångssättet för att hitta bevis som kan svara på forskningsfrågor var att intervjua yrkesverksamma inom fastighetsmarknaden, arbetsgivare, anställda, genomföra en enkätundersökning samt utföra en omfattande litteraturgranskning av tidigare arbete kring ämnet. Resultatet visar att distansarbete sannolikt kommer att leda till decentralisering av kontor, ökad efterfrågan på flexibilitet, förändringar i efterfrågad kontorsdesign och så småningom en något försvagad efterfrågan på kontor. Resultatet visar även att de viktigaste drivkrafterna mot ökat distansarbete är inträffandet av en kris, förbättrat resultat, utveckling av informations- och kommunikationsteknik och förbättrad balans mellan arbete och privatliv. De största hindren visade sig vara social isolering, försvagad organisationskultur och att samarbete kan gå förlorad. Slutligen visar resultatet att Coronapandemin har fungerat som en katalysator för många att inse potentialen med distansarbete samtidigt som många insett betydelsen av kontoret som mötesplats. Sammanfattningsvis har Coronapandemin drivit på förändringen mot ökat distansarbete och möjligtvis måste vi tänka om kring vad arbete betyder i vårt samhälle.

The problem is that traditional jobs have been office-based, with close supervision. In the Virtual Office (VO) situation managers have a resistance towards the managing of the workforce because they do not know how to manage virtual workers off-site, workers that they cannot see. They feel that managing virtual workers off-site places a huge burden on them. The biggest difference is the shift in management style from direct control to management of results. The biggest challenge for most organisations is to manage the workforce of the VO. The objectives of this research project are to determine how managers can manage a virtual workforce, improve communication and control the workforce. Comprehensive research has been done on the topic VO that includes articles from magazines, newspapers, Internet and textbooks. As sufficient reference resources are not available in South Africa the research was especially based on USA reference resources, due to the reported successful implementation of Virtual Offices in that country. Managers can effective management a virtual workforce by making use of MBO and not by monitoring activities. They can improve communication with the workforce by staying connected and they can control the workforce through feedback and support. This research has proved that the paradigm shift in the corporate world of work, any time, anywhere, in real space or in cyberspace is here to stay. Virtual workers and managers working away from the office is now a reality, and will become more common in the future. Companies who wait for the future to allow the VO to effectively take shape may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Now is the time for companies to create the conditions for the VO to emerge. / Business Management / M. Tech. (Business Administration)

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning