This thesis seeks to understand how informal awareness, the presence and availability information of coworkers, can be provided in remote contexts through technology. Based on a workplace study, it was discovered that informal communication is an important part of work and is inadequately supported by current technology. Through research, it was suggested that information on presence and availability is that which facilitates informal communication. In order to design for this situation, this thesis features six interactive peripheral display prototypes which seek to provide informal awareness in an unobtrusive and effortless way to geographically distributed coworkers. Going beyond monitors, these prototypes seek to utilize natural human sensory-motor capabilities to ease perception and interaction. The results suggest such devices are appropriate at mediating awareness and have the potential to facilitate informal communication.

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.

Denna kandidatrapport behandlar resultatet av ett kandidatarbete i kursen TDDD96:Kandidatprojekt i programvarutvekling som ges av Linköpings universitet. Projektet heter TestCoverage Visualizer (TCV) och beställdes av Saab Aeronautics. Uppdraget handlade omatt skapa ett visualiseringsverktyg för resultaten av deras testfiler.Projektet genomfördes av åtta studenter under våren 2021. Gruppen använde sig avScrum vid utvecklingen och utvecklade i språken JavaScript och Python. Projektet resulterade i en webbapplikation med en backend och frontend samt en tillhörande parser sommed hjälp av reguljära uttryck kan parsa testfiler och sparade dem i databasen. Resultatenvisades grafiskt på frontend:en med hjälp av mätare och grafer.I kandidatrapporten inkluderades även individuella bidrag skrivna av respektive projektmedlem som fördjupar sig i något ämne eller område som har något med projektet attgöra.

The study evaluated if gamification could facilitate remote work with delimitations in digital remote meetings through a serious game. The serious game was developed based on previous research, and a conducted pre-study mainly examined remote work experience. It was investigated through exploratory research whether specific game elements could be more rewarding for remote meetings and as a parameter in combination with personality. The game was tested on a team of six persons who worked at the same company. These were exposed to four stages: comprising survey, playing the serious game, and group discussion. The main study indicated that game maps with prioritization marks and avatars had the most significant positive impact, while most negligible were scoring and competition. Discovery from the main study revealed concerns towards using and adapting gamification into a business context. Therefore, future studies are needed to create guidelines for the extended development of serious games when implemented in a serious context.

In light of the global shift to remote work that was prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic - the relevance and use of Electronic Performance Monitoring (EPM) significantly escalated across all sectors. However, the most recent comprehensive literature review on the topic by Ravid et al. (2020) pointed out significant gaps in how EPM is perceived by knowledge-based employees. In line with those defined gaps, we raised two research questions, regarding what the perceptions of knowledge-based workers are towards the implementation and dissemination of EPM techniques, and whether the workplace context (home/office) has an effect on knowledge-based worker’s perceptions towards it. In this paper, we take a critical approach relying on a theory-based typology of EPM characteristics and build on the organizational control theory by elaborating on the technology-mediated control concept. We follow the constructivist grounded theory approach developed by Charmaz (2008) and the data was collected via 20 semi-structured interviews. The key findings of this research showed similarities as well as differences in how knowledge-based employees perceive EPM in contrast to other types of workforce. While overall the perceptions on EPM are negative, they can to some extent be alleviated by introducing a justifiable purpose, being transparent, allowing control over monitoring, and setting clear limits. Moreover, we provided insights into the perceptions of knowledge-based workers in response to EPM within the context of working from home. In such a context, knowledge-based workers show more resistance to EPM techniques and higher expectations of privacy, transparency, and appropriate data handling. Lastly, the authors provided avenues for further research including cross-cultural perspective, access to data, and ethicality and legality of EPM.

Som konsekvens av COVID-19 så tvingades organisationer runtom världen att ställa om till distansarbete för att minska smittspridningen. Omställningen genomfördes i hög fart och i denna kontext så har vi utfört en kvalitativ studie hos en fallorganisation för att undersöka hur distansarbetet påverkat deras upplevda effektivitet genom att intervjua medarbetare på en storbank i Sverige. För studien har vi genomfört tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med kunskapsarbetare som jobbat med kunder på distans. Vår studie handlar om de här kunskapsarbetarnas upplevda effektivitet och utifrån svaren vi fått så identifierar vi faktorer som påverkat deras effektivitet som inkluderar bland annat: hemmiljön, organisationens stöd, intern och extern kommunikation, livssituation och kundrelationer. Analys genomfördes i form av en innehållsanalys av transkriptionerna från intervjuerna. Vi har kommit fram till att organisationen kan ha en positiv inverkan på kunskapsarbetarnas upplevda effektivitet vid distansarbete om rätt åtgärder tas, däribland har vi identifierat att det är viktigt att stödja sina medarbetare och att hjälpa dem att ordna en god arbetsmiljö när de distansarbetar för att kunna arbeta med hög upplevd effektivitet. / As a consequence of the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus organizations around the world have had to work remotely to reduce the spread of the virus. The change to working from home was made quickly and in this context we have conducted a qualitative study at an organization to investigate how remote work has changed the perceived efficiency of the knowledge workers at the organization. To gather answers to our research questions we have carried out ten semi-structured interviews with knowledge workers that have had to change to working remotely. All of them worked directly with customers. The interview material was analyzed by content analysis of the transcribed data. Our study centers around their perceived efficiency and the answers we have gathered surround factors such as: home environment, support from the organization, internal and external communication, family and customer relations. We have come to the conclusion that the organization and its actions can have a major positive impact on knowledge workers perceived efficiency during remote work. We have identified actions to take to enable efficiency such as: providing support for the employees and helping them create a good office environment at home.

In this thesis we aim to answer how the pandemic of Covid-19 served as a trigger for organizational digital transformation, as understanding this phenomenon and the implications of it could provide valuable knowledge regarding digital transformation. To answer this question, we applied semi-structured interviews at an IT-consultancies firm in northern Sweden. Drawing upon extent research from Wessel et al. (2021), Vial (2019) and Holmström (2021) to define digital transformation and explore its dimensions. Through our rigorous case study, we explore the implications of the pandemic for these dimensions. We found that the pandemic triggered organizational digital transformation, and that the way we view digital transformation needs more research, in a context where it is externally triggered. Whereas we found some proof for the tendencies we present, more research needs to be done to confirm our findings and highlight if these changes are rigid or temporary.

The pandemic has had significant effects on our society overall. This has meant organizations have been forced to rethink their structure and work arrangement. Our object of study is the imposed and fast changes to work arrangement, our case has been a municipal organization. Employees have been interviewed to give us insight into their experiences of working during these conditions and how they anticipate working in the future. Our results show that the organization has successfully adapted to these changes and become more of a distributed organization that relies heavily on Teams to perform its communication and collaboration tasks. The work arrangement has had positive effects on efficiency; however, this has affected their sociality and their groups have become smaller. The anticipated future seems to be more of a hybrid organization, which allows for both remote work and co-located work. These findings are relevant for organizations going through a similar transformation in order to get insight from our findings to help them in their process.

SAMMANFATTNING   Titel: Vad händer med kunskapen när medarbetarna arbetar på distans? En kvalitativ studie om distansarbetets påverkan på organisatoriskt lärande. Nivå: Examensarbete på Grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi  Författare: Maria Larsson Szöges och Sara Stranne Handledare: Jean Claude Mutiganda Datum: 2022 – Januari Syfte: Covid-19 pandemin har medfört att många organisationer har tvingats att övergå till distansarbete vilket ändrar förutsättningarna för organisationer och deras arbetssätt. Det är av yttersta vikt för organisationer att ständigt utvecklas och dra nytta av olika kompetenser som finns inom företaget. Därmed är organisatoriskt lärande väldigt viktigt för organisationers konkurrenskraft och överlevnad på lång sikt. Studiens syfte är att skapa förståelse för vilken påverkan det plötsliga införandet av distansarbete har på organisatoriskt lärande. Syftet besvaras med hjälp av forskningsfrågan: Hur påverkar distansarbete processerna i organisatoriskt lärande? Metod: Studien är utförd med hjälp av kvalitativ metod, där semistrukturerade intervjuer utförts. En fallstudie har utförts på en av Sveriges storbanker där tio medarbetare på ett bankkontor har intervjuats. Intervjuresultatet har analyserats med hjälp av tematisk analys som utgår från processerna i 4i framework. Resultat och slutsats: Resultatet visar att distansarbete påverkar delaktigheten och det informella lärande, vilket i sin tur har en påverkan på det organisatoriska lärandet. Slutsatsen är därför att det finns en påverkan på organisatoriskt lärande när medarbetarna arbetar på distans. Examensarbetets bidrag: Studiens teoretiska bidrag är att vi tydligt har sett att organisatoriskt lärande blir påverkat av distansarbete, men även att vissa delar inte blir påverkade. Med bakgrund av att distansarbete anses av tidigare forskning vara den nya arbetsnormen är studiens praktiska bidrag att dels uppmärksamma att distansarbete påverkar det organisatoriska lärandet. Samt att visa på faktorer som påverkar organisatoriskt lärande vid distansarbete och hur befintliga strukturer och forum behöver anpassas vid distansarbete.  Förslag till fortsatt forskning:  Ett förslag till fortsatt forskning är att utföra en longitudinell studie för att se hur organisatoriskt lärande påverkas på längre sikt av distansarbete.  Nyckelord: Organizational learning, 4i framework, distance work, telework, remote work / ABSTRACT   Title: What happens to knowledge when employees work remotely? A qualitative study of the impact of telework on organizational learning. Level: Student thesis, final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration Author: Maria Larsson Szöges and Sara Stranne Supervisor:  Jean Claude Mutiganda Date: 2022 - January Aim: The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that many organizations have been forced to switch to teleworking, which changes the conditions for organizations and their working methods. It is of outmost importance for organizations to constantly develop and benefit from the various competencies that exist within the company. Thus, organizational learning is very important for organizations' competitiveness and long-term survival. The purpose of the study is to create an understanding of the impact that the sudden introduction of telework has regarding organizational learning. The purpose is answered with the help of the research question: How does teleworking affect the processes in organizational learning? Method: The study is performed using a qualitative method, where semi-structured interviews are performed. A case study has been carried out at one of Sweden's major banks where ten employees at a bank branch have been interviewed. The interview results have been analyzed using thematic analysis based on the processes in the 4i framework. Result and Conclusions: The results show that telework affects participation and informal learning, which in turn has an impact on organizational learning. The conclusion is therefore that there is an impact on organizational learning when employees work remotely. Contribution of the thesis: The theoretical contribution of the study is that we have clearly seen that organizational learning is affected by distance work, but also that certain parts are not affected. Given that teleworking is considered by previous research to be the new work norm, the study's practical contribution is to draw attention to the fact that teleworking affects organizational learning. And to show factors that affect organizational learning in telework and how existing structures and forums need to be adapted in telework. Suggestions for future research: A proposal for further research is to carry out a longitudinal study to see how organizational learning is affected in the longer term by teleworking. Key words:  Organizational learning, 4i framework, distance work, telework, remote work

Under de senaste åren har distansarbete, mycket tack vare Covid-19-pandemin, blivit ett högaktuellt arbetssätt. Distansarbete skapar nya möjligheter samt nya utmaningar i arbetslivet och kan av många upplevas effektivt och smidigt ur ett rent produktivitetsperspektiv. Det finns motstridig information angående distansarbete, då många individer uppgav att de ville fortsätta med distansarbete efter pandemin, samtidigt som andelen distansarbetare stadigt har sjunkit efter pandemins slut. En potentiell negativ aspekt av distansarbete är att det riskerar att minska mängden arbetsrelaterade sociala utbyten för individen, vilket kan vara problematiskt då dessa sociala utbyten är viktiga för individens sociala välbefinnande. Syftet med studien är att skapa en djupare förståelse för hur anställda upplever sitt sociala välbefinnande i relation till distansarbete och tillgång till organisatoriskt stöd gällande teknisk support. Studien har antagit ett socialpsykologiskt angreppssätt och använt sig av de teoretiska utgångspunkterna socialt välbefinnande och teknostress. Tio respondenter deltog i studien och intervjuades genom kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer. Dessa intervjuer transkriberades sedan och tematiserades därefter. Resultatet visade att det fanns positiva och negativa aspekter av distansarbete relaterat till socialt välbefinnande. Respondenternas ställningstagande visade tydligt på att varken distansarbete eller arbete på plats var att föredra som arbetssätt utan att en blandning av båda var det bästa alternativet. Vidare visade resultatet att vissa aspekter ur det sociala välbefinnandet fungerade bättre genom distansarbete och vissa aspekter var svåra att uppnå genom enbart distansarbete. / In recent years remote work has become a highly relevant way of working, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Remote work creates new opportunities as well as new challenges in the workplace and can be perceived by many as efficient and smooth from a pure productivity perspective. There is conflicting information regarding remote work, as many individuals indicated that they would like to continue remote work after the pandemic, while the percentage of remote workers has steadily decreased after the end of the pandemic. One potential negative aspect of remote work is that it risks reducing the amount of work-related social exchanges for the individual, which can be problematic as these social exchanges are important for the individual's social well-being. The purpose of the study is to create a deeper understanding of how employees experience their social well-being in relation to remote work and access to organizational support regarding technical support. The study has adopted a social psychological approach and used the theoretical perspectives of social well-being and techno-stress. Ten respondents participated in the study and were interviewed through qualitative semi-structured interviews. These interviews were then transcribed and themed accordingly. The result showed that there were positive and negative aspects of remote work related to social well-being. The respondents' position clearly showed that neither remote work nor on-site work was preferred as a way of working, but that a mix of both was the best option. Furthermore, the results showed that some aspects of social well-being worked better through remote work and some aspects were difficult to achieve through remote work alone.