Deviating from the path

: a resilience and learning perspective on remote work adoption

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced and changed the work environment like no other event in modern history. Due to being unable to meet in person, companies worldwide needed to implement mandatory remote work, and much research is being dedicated to this topic today. However, no study has linked the topic with the basic assumption that remote work practices were adopted almost in a mandatory way, which has triggered a process of organisational learning, an essential component of organizational resilience against such unexpected adverse events. This thesis investigates challenges organisations have faced in adopting remote work to remain profitable during the pandemic. By interviewing managers and consultants, it suggests that leaders can be part of the problem or solution and that leaders’ behaviour is path dependent on prior remote work experience of their company. Also, this thesis gives insights into how companies introduced/adapted their remote work practices and what they have learned regarding their workforce. It finds that mandatory remote work has brought advantages such as efficiency gains or learning to use remote work for specific tasks or activities. However, it has also been found that interviewees warn about possible negative influences such as loss of innovation and loss of employees. This thesis concludes that taking an extended process approach considering organizational learning on remote work adoption during COVID-19 offers fruitful and generalizable insights into technology adoption in response to unexpected adversities.

Date of Award	24 Jan 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Ekin Ilseven (Supervisor)