ABSTRACT
The chapter presents and discusses the results of two surveys addressed to coworking spaces managers in Italy, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 and 2021, respectively. The strategies coworking spaces have adopted to cope with the pandemic are described, and the determinants of the coworking resilience level (e.g., size, ownership, sector specialisation, hybridization) are presented. It is explored how the coworking spaces managers have kept the community alive and the perception of the interviewees about the future in the two years. The results of the survey in 2021 show that the average level of profitability and confidence in coworking performance returned to the pre-pandemic level. The pandemic has underlined a potential key role of CSs in enhancing work-life balance and promoting the socio-economic development of peripheral and rural areas. Besides, during the pandemic, Southern Italy has attracted remote workers (e.g., "southworkers”), and promoted the so-called ‘community garrisons', willing to host them and ‘retain' young people. © 2023, The Author(s).
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise of remote working worldwide and less central areas have become more and more attractive for these workers. Consequently, remote workers started working from home, in new working spaces, and from everywhere. These changes have affected workers' wellbeing, and cities, peripheral are rural areas. The chapter explores why people decided to keep working remotely even after the pandemic restrictions were cancelled. Furthermore, we give an empirical snapshot of the actual situation of remote workers and how this has and will change geographical patterns. The impact of remote working on wellbeing is described, according to the literature, and some thoughts on how remote working affects the future of coworking spaces and hybrid spaces are presented. © 2023, The Author(s).
ABSTRACT
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the shift to high-intensity remote work-three days or more a week-accelerated the digitalization of work processes and the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life through videoconferencing and the use of personal devices for work. This paper explores the relationships between high-intensity remote workers' information and communication technologies (ICT) privacy concerns, psychological climate for face time, and organizational affective commitment. Building on organizational support and social information processing theories, we argue that ICT privacy concerns and perceptions that an organization values physical presence in-office may undermine commitment to the organization. Based on a two-wave study of 1065 remote workers in a large multinational bank, we find that ICT privacy concerns and psychological climate for face time reinforce one another and are negatively associated with subsequent affective organizational commitment. © 2023 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Through the metaphor of the inhabited workspace, this chapter explores the practices of recreating the various workspaces deployed by remote workers. To do so, it draws on an exploratory qualitative study conducted in Montreal with 13 people who were already working remotely before the Covid-19 pandemic. After developing the concepts of remote work, space and materialization, the chapter explains the methodological approach in more detail. In France, since the 1980s, "teleworking” or "working from home” has been promoted by the public authorities as a way to reorganize the territory. Remote work covers a variety of experiences and trajectories. However, remote workers have one thing in common: the blurring of the boundaries between personal and professional life. The study shows that recreating an inhabitable workspace requires a combination of three boundaries: material, of course, and also temporal and virtual disconnection. These boundaries are characterized by their ephemeral and constantly renegotiated nature. © ISTE Ltd 2022.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to identify specific management practices that promote the psychological health of remote workers in the context of the COVID‐19 crisis. A two‐round Delphi study was conducted among 28 teleworkers and 22 managers. A list of 60 specific management practices was presented and participants had to identify whether each one could be used in the current remote working context and, if so, how useful it was to promote psychological health at work. Results indicate that most specific management practices usually used in a face‐to‐face setting can also be used in a remote context (85%). Practices that show consideration, establishing work structure, and allowing flexibility were also identified as the most useful to promote remote workers' psychological health during the pandemic. This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge about specific management practices, remote working, and crisis management. It also suggests specific practices that managers can adopt to promote the psychological health of their employees during a period of crisis, even while managing from a distance.Alternate :RésuméCet article a pour objectif d'identifier les pratiques de gestion favorisant la santé psychologique des télétravailleurs durant la crise de la COVID‐19. Une étude Delphi a été réalisée auprès de télétravailleur·euses et de gestionnaires (n = 50). Parmi 60 pratiques de gestion, les participant·es devant identifier celles qui s'appliquent en travail à distance et leur utilité afin de promouvoir la santé psychologique au travail, le cas échéant. Les résultats révèlent que les pratiques de gestion orientées vers la considération, la structure de travail et la flexibilité seraient les plus utiles pour promouvoir la santé psychologique. Cette étude suggère les pratiques de gestion à instaurer par les gestionnaires afin de favoriser la santé psychologique au travail dans un contexte de gestion à distance.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the workplace. It drove a mass social experiment in working from home. To mitigate the spread of the virus and protect employees, many companies shifted to remote work with video calls and instant messaging replacing in-person meetings. Several studies have shown that working from home boosted worker productivity, with the reduction in commuting time being the greatest contributing factor;thus, it will stick in the post-pandemic economy. In addition, studies have also shown that there is an increase in the number of people wanting to work remotely. However, choosing to work remotely can affect people's budgets. For instance, working from home reduces transportation costs but many remote workers have seen an increase in their energy bills. In addition, many remote workers paid for home office setup on their own. This study analyzes the overall benefit and disbenefit of working from home and performs an economic analysis of working from home for an individual. Copyright, American Society for Engineering Management, 2022.
ABSTRACT
Previous studies on remote work have not fully understood which roles are suitable for remote work. In our study, we performed the literature review method and developed a conceptual model inspired by transaction cost theory. Additionally, we believe remote work is an optional option in the context of hybrid work during COVID-19. Our conceptual model leads us to believe that remote workers incur some additional perceived costs in the remote work process. We analyze the following four different roles to understand their perceived costs of working remotely: CEO, product manager, database engineer, and administrative employee. We are expected to provide theoretical explanations for what factors influence remote workers' perceived transaction costs. © 2022 International Consortium for Electronic Business. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Cyberslacking is conducted by employees who are using their companies' equipment and network for personal purposes instead of working during work hours. Cyberslacking has a significant adverse effect on overall employee productivity., however, recently, due to COVID19 move to remote working also pose a cybersecurity risk to organizations networks and infrastructure. In this work-in-progress research study, we are developing, validating, and will empirically test a taxonomy to assess an organization's remote workers' risk level of cybersecurity threats. This study includes a three-phased developmental approach in developing the Remote Worker Cyberslacking Security Risk Taxonomy. In collaboration with cybersecurity Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) use the taxonomy to assess organization's remote workers' risk level of cybersecurity threats by using actual system indicators of productivity measures to estimate their cyberslacking along with assessing via organizational information the computer security posture of the remote device being used to access corporate resources. Anticipated results from 125 anonymous employees from one organization will then be assessed on the cybersecurity risk taxonomy where recommendation to the organization's cybersecurity leadership will be provided. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
As information and communications technologies continue to evolve, a growing number of global corporations can have their employees work simultaneously around the globe from multiple locations. There have been numerous historical studies on empathy and empathetic leaders, but there was a void regarding studies that examined empathetic communication from organizational leaders and its potential impact on increasing buy-in from geographically separated employees. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of individuals with substantial experience working in geographically dispersed organizations and understand if empathetic communication from their organizational leadership increased their buy-in to the organization. This study took on increased importance as the world continues to grapple with a global pandemic. This research study included interviewing eleven participants from diverse backgrounds to understand and analyze their lived experiences being geographically separated from their organizational leadership, and answer the research question: Does empathetic communication from organizational leaders increase buy-in from geographically separated employees? After data was collected and verified for accuracy, a thematic analysis was completed to examine any potential trends in the data. The results of this study illustrated five major themes, and a further seventeen subthemes, that supported a direct connection between empathetic communication from organizational leadership and employee buy-in to the organization. Most research participants explicitly stated that empathetic communication from organizational leadership drives increased buy-in to the organization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many organizations to abruptly introduce remote working, without an accurate analysis of organizational processes and employees' expectations about work flexibility. Thus, remote working has been implemented without a rational plan of interventions based on remote work- enabling technologies, managerial practices, and resources. This chapter aims at understanding the role of "supporting" structures and practices in driving the effective implementation of remote working in the post-COVID era. The authors rely on a case study of a multi-national IT company with a long experience with remote work arrangements, focusing on mobile work and virtual teams and looking at expectations and actions of remote workers in relation to organizational support. Findings revealed the importance to adopt a holistic approach to organizational support to remote working based on formal procedures, adequate evaluation systems, tools for self-management, blended training programs, supportive leadership style, along with a collaborative work environment and a remote culture. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced workers around the world to switch their working paradigms from on-site to video-mediated communication. Despite the advantages of videoconferencing, diverse circumstances have prevented people from focusing on their work. One of the most typical problems they face is that various surrounding factors distract them during their meetings. This study focuses on conditions in which remote workers are distracted by factors that disturb, interrupt, or restrict them during their meetings. We aim to explore the various problem situations and user needs. To understand users' pain points and needs, focus group interviews and participatory design workshops were conducted to learn about participants' troubled working experiences over the past two years and the solutions they expected. Our study provides a unified framework of distracting factors by which to understand causes of poor user experience and reveals valuable implications to improve videoconferencing experiences. © 2022 ACM.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the living and working habits of millions of people, with potentially important implications for their physical, mental, and social well-being. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on remote workers who were not directly affected by COVID-19. METHODS: This was a correlational cross-sectional study (with an additional qualitative component) of 184 remote workers surveyed during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. Standard measures of mental health (Kessler-6 Distress Scale), productivity (Brief Instrument to Assess Workers' Productivity During a Working Day), and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) were used, and respondents were further surveyed on changes to their dietary, exercise, smoking, drinking, and socialization habits to produce a well-being change index. RESULTS: The results revealed associations between sedentary behavior and poorer mental health (τ b=0.14) and between poorer mental health and low work productivity (τ b=-0.39). However, both positive and negative lifestyle changes were reported; a self-reported increase in well-being (with respect to diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, and socialization) since the start of the pandemic was associated with both better mental health (τ b=-0.14) and better work productivity (τ b=0.14). Of note, among respondents without a mental health diagnosis (137/184, 74.4%), we observed rates of moderate (76/137, 55.5%) and severe (17/137, 12.4%) psychological distress, which were markedly higher than those reported in large prepandemic studies; moreover, 70.1% (129/184) of our respondents reported more sedentary behavior, 41% (69/168) increased their alcohol consumption, and 38.6% (71/184) increased their overall food intake. However, 46% (75/163), 44.8% (39/87) and 51.8% (57/110) of respondents reported spending more time walking and engaging in more moderate and vigorous exercise, respectively. Qualitative analysis revealed many positive adaptations to lockdowns (eg, decreased commuting expenses, flexibility) but also a number of structural obstacles to remote working (eg, lack of support and high expectations from employers, childcare duties). CONCLUSIONS: These findings may be of practical importance for policy makers and employers in a world in which work involves long-term remote or hybrid employment arrangements; strategies to promote more sustainable remote working are discussed.
ABSTRACT
Coworking space is predominantly an urban phenomenon. Nevertheless, in the last few years, peripheral and rural areas are becoming attractive for this typology of new working spaces, but the literature on this topic is scant. The current paper aims to fill this gap by reviewing the studies on this issue and discussing the renewed role of coworking spaces in peripheral and rural areas during the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing on Italy. Moreover, a detailed and updated picture of the increasing number of coworking spaces in 2018-2020 in the Italian Inner Areas and rural areas is provided. Finally, some case studies of peripheral and rural coworking spaces are presented, followed by conclusions and further research. © 2021 FrancoAngeli. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Once the economic shutdown of the COVID-19 pandemic reversed and people started returning to work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, there was a pressing need for meeting spaces that support hybrid meetings. Since there was little expertise on hybridizing meetings on campus and a surge of fully remote workers, local technicians had to gain expertise quickly to implement workable solutions. Implementing various web conferencing systems and solutions in meeting rooms, performing rigorous testing, and rapid iteration provided necessary learning opportunities to build competencies in local support technicians. Additionally, the inevitable and unpredictable shift in meeting culture had to be closely observed and managed. As a result, the entire project involved a lean approach paired with cross-organizational collaboration and organizational change management. © 2022 ACM.
ABSTRACT
The Covid-19 pandemic caused major work disruptions and made remote working the only prevailing work arrangement for knowledge workers and organizations across the globe. The primary objective of this study is to identify the key drivers that impact the self-reported productivity and job motivation of remote working employees. The secondary objective is to identify the underlying factors that remote working employees perceive as important to increase the success of remote work. We adopt a mixed-methods approach through quantitative and qualitative research methods. Through the analysis of a self-administered questionnaire from 142 participants, we identified factors that impact the productivity and job motivation of remote workers and used these insights to create a conceptual framework. We then conducted Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to discover the factor structure of the large set of variables in our study. Based on our findings, an interactive application with three features was proposed. To validate the features and to gather feedback about the usability, we conducted focus group interviews using storyboards in phase two of the study. This paper helps in understanding the five factors that remote working employees perceive important to increase the success of remote working teams. Researchers predict that the post-pandemic work will be a hybrid mix of traditional in-office and remote work where the latter will be more prevalent. Consequently, the findings and factors determined in this research contribute to the knowledge of remote work and can benefit the HCI community for designing usable, meaningful products and services for remote and hybrid teams. © 2021 ACM.
ABSTRACT
Although the concept of remote employees is not new, companies increasingly find themselves dealing with remote workforce concerns and challenges. The recent event of the COVID-19 pandemic caused many employers to change the way their workforce operates by changing to a remote workforce model. While some companies were ill equipped to deal with this sudden, drastic change, many organizations found the change to be a positive one from the standpoint of overhead cost savings. The positive financial implications, however, were met with leadership, management and employee challenges. This paper explores the challenges and benefits of having a remote workforce and offers recommendations to leaders and managers on how best to support their employees in this growing type of organizational structure.
ABSTRACT
The background of "improving productivity for remote workers and students"is based on a worldwide survey conducted by AACSB. 79% of schools have suspended face-to-face activities (that is, for all students) and converted all face-to-face courses to online or other platforms. Only 21% of schools only convert courses involving students affected by travel restrictions into online education. In the face of COVID-19's failure to start school normally, the school's evolving online teaching and the decline in learning efficiency, the author decided to provide a solution for students who want to make breakthroughs in self-study, as well as teachers and remote workers who need feedback in online live broadcast Solution-Develop a plug-in that can help students and teachers improve the efficiency of learning online courses. The currently selected basic functions are human face concentration recognition and monitoring, scientific learning models based on multiple learning methods such as the Pomodoro Technique and Ebbinghaus curve, web page locking, personalized anthropomorphic AI companion reading growth reward mechanism, real-time note centre and so on. © 2021 ACM.