Amazon has declared that starting January 2025, it will terminate its remote work policy for office personnel, which defies the ongoing trend as the post-pandemic era has increasingly embraced digitalisation, signalling a significant shift towards teleworking. Before the health crisis of 2020, the concept of remote working was nearly unthinkable for numerous firms; however, it has grown significantly in its implementation. The Adecco Employment Opportunities and Satisfaction Monitor, a study conducted by The Adecco Group Institute, indicates that in 2023 alone, teleworking in Spain saw a 19% increase, with over 3 million individuals working from home—more than twice the figure before the Covid-19 outbreak.
Despite its significant growth and stabilisation post-pandemic, working remotely has yet to be uniformly accepted. Various companies have hesitated to adopt teleworking, confronted by challenges including the suitability of roles for remote work, the deployment of technological resources, and maintaining communication across team members. A major obstacle lies in the leadership teams, whose role is pivotal in deciding whether teleworking aligns with the company’s operational strategies. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) conducted a study involving 186 participants, predominantly over 45 years old and nearly 45% female, from various European countries to determine what influences managerial decisions regarding the adoption of teleworking in their organisations.
This study, accessible in open format, suggests that managers’ perspectives on teleworking can significantly influence its acceptance within companies. Conducted by Josep Lladós, Prof. Antoni Meseguer, Eva Rimbau, and Mar Sabadell of the UOC’s Faculty of Economics and Business and the Digital Business Research Group (DigiBiz), the research highlights the essential skills managers must possess to create an environment conducive to remote working and the factors that should be considered to facilitate this change.
The research underscores managers’ pivotal role in promoting teleworking, suggesting that their positive perceptions and belief in their ability to manage remote teams are crucial. Managers’ willingness to adopt teleworking largely stems from their belief in its utility and ease of implementation. A critical organisation of their perception is the expected impact on work performance, gauged through various indicators such as task completion, goal achievement, quality of output, and absenteeism rates. Though it’s challenging to measure the effects of teleworking on efficiency and productivity objectively, managers’ positive views on how remote working benefits these aspects play a significant role in their overall perception of its utility, as highlighted by Eva Rimbau.
The UOC study reveals that the adoption of teleworking depends not only on managers’ views of their employees and the perceived benefits or performance outcomes but also on their self-perception—their confidence in their ability to manage this type of work arrangement—and their relationship with their teams. Rimbau stresses the importance of managers trusting their employees and managing based on outcomes or objectives rather than physical presence or hours logged. This approach fosters a “virtuous circle” where increased trust leads to better outcomes and, conversely, employees are more proactive in taking on responsibilities to meet demands. This stress on trust can reassure managers about the effectiveness of remote team management.
The challenges of teleworking, such as lack of face-to-face interaction and coordination difficulties, are significant. Yet, managers’ confidence in their ability to lead and supervise remotely is crucial. Rimbau points out that managers must develop skills to effectively build, motivate, recognise, and hold accountable in remote work, utilising digital tools to improve effective communication and interaction. Leaders should strive to avoid professional isolation, encourage collaboration and trust, and adapt their leadership and supervisory practices to fit the digital context, ensuring they act not merely as bosses but as leaders who can nurture teamwork in any work scenario.
Furthermore, the readiness of managers to implement teleworking is influenced by external factors such as peer pressure, superior directives, and compatibility with the organisational knowledge that managers are more likely to adopt if senior management or leading firms in the industry advocate for teleworking. Another decisive factor is managers’ ability to lead change. The digital and knowledge intensity of a company’s activities significantly affects how easily teleworking can be broadly and successfully implemented. Technological barriers also play a role, underscoring the need for employees and the company to have the necessary resources and digitise their processes and workplace practices to adapt effectively to teleworking.
More information: Josep Llados-Masllore et al, Telework and new work practices: The role of managers, Human Resources Management and Services. DOI: 10.1007/s00394-023-03123-x
Journal information: Human Resources Management and Services Provided by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)