The research centres on the theme that, even though there are various drivers for a more virtual workplace, ranging from organisational, workforce and technology to environmental issues, it seems that progress in adopting virtual work on both individual and organisational level, is still low. The purpose of the research is to determine if there are specific mindsets required to make the implementation of a virtual workplace more successful, with the aim of making recommendations to organisations, managers, teams and individuals for improved implementation strategies. The research defined the target population as a large South African Information and Communication Technology (ICT) company, and its customers. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used. Data relating to needs, perceptions, practicality and readiness concerning the virtual workplace was collected on three levels, namely individual, team and organisational level. The quantitative research covered the objectives relating to the individual level through questionnaires which were sent out in the form of online surveys. The qualitative research covered the organisational level research through individual interviews with the IT/HR managers, while the team level research was covered through focus group interviews. The study found that various mindsets and needs do exist, and on an individual level the mindsets and needs are not restricted to specific generations. This could be of significance to HR and IT managers in general, who may need to take a wider target group into consideration when designing policies and standards for the organisation. Secondly the organisation itself emerged as an entity with a mindset or culture that transcends the individuals working for the organisation. To implement a virtual workplace would, therefore, require an overarching strategy and organisational change interventions to ensure that all the facets of a virtual workplace are addressed in a balanced way. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Virtual teams are defined as geographically dispersed teams who work together across time and space using information and communication technologies to accomplish one or more organisational tasks (Piccoli, Powell, & Ives, 2004). As virtual team members are physically distributed, they often need to work together as teams without ever meeting each other using only technology and electronic communication to collaborate, communicate and share information. Previous studies have shown that electronic tools are ineffective and do not aid in building trust and common understanding in a virtual team environment. This study challenges these previous findings and assesses the use of unified communication as a tool for leading virtual teams. Many organisations use different tools such as e-mail, instant messaging, IM presence, conference calls, voice calls and video calls. The concept around unified communications is the integration of data, voice and video into a single tool. Is unified communication an effective tool for leading virtual teams? This research paper defined the sample population as any team member working in a virtual team anywhere in the world. Data was collected from one large multinational with offices in 112 countries as well as virtual team members around the globe. The sampling technique used was based on non-probability (subjective) sampling. The sample size of 220 individuals, representing virtual team members was originally targeted for this research. Data was collected over a three month period with two hundred and thirteen (213) responses received from thirty seven (37) countries using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study found that effective communication is vital for the success of virtual teams. It found that even though communication tools are vital, a unified communication toolset was not necessary as only some components of a unified communication tool were used on a day to day basis. Some components in a unified tool were regarded as nice to have but not vital. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lmgibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

In a time when technology is an integral part of life, virtual workplaces are becoming more of a staple in organizations and will likely continue to do so as technology use increases (Cascio, 2000). Due to the rise in virtual workplaces, employees are interacting face-to-face less, and organizations are requiring more from them. Employees must perform behaviors that are outside of their formal job description. These positive behaviors are considered to be organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), which are employee behaviors that promote organizational effectiveness that are not part of an employee’s formal job description and are therefore not formally recognized by the organization’s reward system (Organ 1988, 1997). No research to date has examined whether employees can engage in OCBs through a virtual medium. This study worked to develop a model for assessing virtual OCBs using a four-factor traditional face-to-face measure as a starting point. Items were generated, categorized, and then analyzed using a confirmatory factor analysis. A three-factor model demonstrated the best fit, but because the items in the fourth factor demonstrated content validity, recommendations regarding model revisions are provided.

People who telecommute or work in virtual settings report higher satisfaction from increased flexibility and autonomy. However, relationships with leaders are more difficult to build, particularly as leadership in virtual workplaces tends to be less hierarchical. It is known that leader-member communication is an important aspect of employee job satisfaction and a significant problem exists for leaders who are ill-prepared to function in the leadership role required by a virtual workplace. The purpose of the quantitative study was to examine if employee job satisfaction predicts attitude toward virtual workplace setting and if this relationship is moderated by leader-member communication and leadership style. The theoretical frameworks that guided the study were the job demands-resources model and media richness theory. Relationships between variables were explored using correlation and multiple regression, while controlling for moderating variables. 145 of the 295 telecommuters fit the parameters. The findings revealed a significant relationship between attitude toward telecommuting and job satisfaction. The leader-member exchange and transformational leadership styles significantly and positively affected the relationship between attitude and job satisfaction, while passive avoidant leadership style significantly and negatively affected the relationship between attitude and job satisfaction. These findings can help leaders as they aim to improve communication for the growing number of employees who telecommute.

The prevalent enhancements in technologies alongside with globalization have given rise tomore flexible ways of operating, invoking the phenomena of working virtually. Telework is aform of a virtual workplace, where employees occasionally work on dispersed locations awayfrom the office. Previous research has found a positive correlation between job satisfaction andthe opportunity to telework much due to the flexibility the work arrangement offers. However,when delving deeper into the subject and employees’ understanding of the phenomenon,previous literature has found mixed perceptions among employees. In contrast to solelyexperiencing satisfaction in combination to telework some employees have reported it issuinga negative impact on their private life. Hence, the contradicting findings mentioned opened upfor additional research on the subject. This study aimed to contribute to the discourse by furtherexploring employees’ perceptions of telework; the opportunity to do so, and its impact on jobsatisfaction. The findings indicated that the employees perceived the opportunity to teleworkas providing additional value to the workplace. This as it primarily facilitated a better work andlife balance, as time could be managed more free- and efficiently. In conclusion, telework wassuggested to contribute to a higher level of job satisfaction.

The traditional workplace evolved over time, moving through different waves or phases of change. The phases, although prevalent in different stages in different countries, have been characterised by various technological developments. The virtual workplace evolved as part of the Information Age or Fifth Wave, bringing with it its own unique characteristics and requirements. These unique characteristics, such as the speed at which information is communicated, crossing of time and space boundaries, social networks and requirements, such as sustainable high speed internet connectivity, are evident in the relationship between people, processes and the virtual workplace. This study explored the manner in which virtual workers executed their activities through the use of technology, the type of business processes supporting them and the challenges experienced by them. The proposed framework for the management of people, processes and places in the virtual workplace was subsequently derived. The framework has as aim to represent the relationship between people, processes and places components in the virtual workplace and in doing so providing a management framework supporting the virtual workplace. The people, processes and places components have been incorporated in the management, technology and practice sections of the framework, thereby providing a framework based on the relationship between people, processes and places. This study also developed the Extended Hermeneutic Circle of Learning which was used as guideline for the research conducted as part of this thesis. The deeper understanding created through the use of this research guideline assisted in providing structure to the research, thus enabling the researcher to derive the proposed framework for the management of people, processes and placed in the virtual workplace. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Informatics / unrestricted

In recent years, the use of virtual work has increased due to digitalization and the effects of theCovid-19 pandemic. A growing number of companies have shifted to a hybrid model or anentirely virtual model of work. This trend toward virtual work has created a need for leaders tohave skills applicable to the complexities of communication and connection that can occur ina virtual environment. Since for many leaders and companies this environment may be new,they are presented with the challenge of developing leadership skills that can help them tonavigate their roles. Leadership development is an area that has been studied extensively butnot necessarily within the virtual context. Therefore, in order to face the challenges of virtualleadership, leadership development that considers the complexity of a virtual and globallydistributed context is needed. As such, this thesis aims to investigate whether virtual leadershipprograms can develop leaders, given this complex context, and if so, in what ways. This thesisis a qualitative case study, and the data has been collected with questionnaires from a companythat has completed virtual leadership program. Data were later analyzed in connection with atypology of development to determine how leaders in a virtual and globally distributed contextcan be developed. The findings show that the virtual leadership development program’sefficiency depends on how well different kinds of developments have been included in it.

The aim of the study was to examine employees' attitudes towards work shifting to the digital space and whether there will still be a need for the physical workplace in the future in relation to the development of information and communication technologies. For this study a survey was conducted to answer the following questions; how is the digital transformation of work affecting the workplace for employees in the Icelandic tech sector, what are the factors that affect the choice of workspace, and how can the choice of office space influence job satisfaction? Literature and theories about workplace development, digitalization, organizational communication and information, and communication technologies were used to gain a broader and deeper knowledge of the field. The study shows that it is likely that there are still some changes to take place in today's workplaces and that increased flexibility is one of those changes as 94.9% of participants in this research thought flexibility was an important feature for the organization to possess to be an attractive workplace. Face-to-face communication is more effective and there is still a need for the physical workplace according to the participants of this study. It is essential for organizations today to stay attractive and become more attractive in the eyes of current and future employees. The workplace needs to be a place where employees feel good and where they prefer to work so that face-to-face communication and relationships between co-workers and managers does not only take place in the digital environment. A balance between the physical and virtual office space needs to be the focus for organizations in the coming years. Subsequently, the results were compared with the theories and previous studies.

Arbetsmarknaden har påtagligt förändrats under den pågående covid-19-pandemin och en stor andel av den yrkesverksamma befolkningen har börjat arbeta hemifrån. Övervägande del av den svenska yrkesverksamma befolkningen vill se en hybridlösning av distansarbete efter pandemin. Därav väcktes intresset att undersöka vilka möjligheter och utmaningar arbetsgivare ser med en sådan lösning. Syftet med studien var att undersöka chefers inställning till fortsatt distansarbete i framtiden. Frågeställningar i studien var hur chefer upplever att leda på distans samt vilka möjligheter och utmaningar chefer ser med distansarbete i framtiden. I denna kvalitativa studie genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio chefer inom olika branscher. Intervjuerna analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys. Resultaten visar att synen på distansarbete har förändrats och att cheferna är positivt inställda till en hybridlösning i framtiden. Hur hybridlösningen helst ska vara utformad beror på faktorer som arbetsuppgifternas art, organisationens och medarbetenas behov samtförutsättningar. / The labor market has gone through changes during the ongoing covid-19 pandemic and a large amount of the working population has started work on remote from their homes. The majority of the Swedish working population wishes a hybrid solution of remote work after the pandemic. This aroused interest in examining what opportunities and challenges employers see with such a solution. The aim with this study was to investigate managers preferences about further remote work in the future. Questions at issue were how managers perceive management on remote and which possibilities and challenges they experience with remote work in the future. This qualitative study comprised semi-structured interviews with ten managers within different sectors. The interviews were analyzed by thematic analysis. The result shows that the perception of remote work has changed, and the managers are positive about a hybrid version in the future. How the design of the hybrid version should be composed depend on several factors as the nature of the task, the organizations’ and employees’ needs and conditions.

Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att kartlägga faktorer som påverkar arbetet med organisationskulturen när organisationen ställer om till en digital arbetsplats. Metod: En kvalitativ studie som behandlar fenomenet organisationskultur. Fenomenet behandlas med en deduktiv ansats i en tvärsnittsstudie, där datainsamlingen skett genom halvstrukturerade intervjuer.   Slutsats: Vi har kommit fram till att det finns två viktiga faktorer som bör genomsyra processen med att överföra organisationskulturen till den virtuella arbetsplatsen. Det första perspektivet vi identifierat är att relationerna som organisationskulturen skapar är viktiga för organisationen. Det betyder att det relationsbyggande som existerade på den fysiska arbetsplatsen fortsatt är en viktig process i organisationen trots distansen.  Ett andra perspektiv vi har identifierat är huruvida ledaren får en annan roll inom organisationen. När arbetet sker på en fysisk arbetsplats kan organisationskulturen fånga upp situationer som på en virtuell arbetsplats i stället behöver hanteras av ledaren. Detta eftersom kulturen inte har samma plats digitalt när gruppen är fysiskt åtskild. / Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to map factors that affect the work with the organizational culture when the organization switches to a digital workplace. Method: A qualitative study that deals with the phenomenon of organizational culture. The phenomenon is treated with a deductive approach in a cross-sectional study, where data collection took place through semi-structured interviews. Conclusion: We have come to the conclusion that there are two important factors that should permeate the process of transferring the organizational culture to the virtual workplace. The first perspective we have identified is that the relationships that the organizational culture creates are important for the organization. This means that the relationship building that existed in the physical workplace continues to be an important process in the organization despite the distance.  A second perspective we have identified is whether the leader gets a different role within the organization. When the work takes place in a physical workplace, the organizational culture can capture situations that in a virtual workplace instead need to be handled by the leader. This is because culture does not have the same place digitally when the group is physically separated.