He will study how we work at home.

Maps research on distance working

What are the pros and cons of working from home? Few researchers have previously been interested in this area. But then came the pandemic. – In one year, interest has doubled, including in psychology, management and of course IT”, Aleksandre Asatiani explains. He is leading a project that will map the last 20 years of research on distance working.

Aleksandre Asatiani, senior lecturer at the Department of Applied IT, Division of Informatics, has been researching distance working for six years, a field that has significantly expanded in the past year. He is now leading a one-year project, which will investigate publications on distance working from the period 1999–2021. Its focus will be on management, information systems, work psychology, human-computer interaction and computer science. – The aim is to get a 360-degree perspective on how to create digital work environments that are sustainable from both the employer’s and the employee’s perspective. Among other things, we are interested in how digitalization affects individuals, their relationships in the workplace and their family situation.

The study will be completed by the autumn, but Aleksandre Asatiani has already identified some trends.

– Previously, there was a perception that distance working is only suitable for certain industries. Now we have proof that quite a few people can work from home. The resistance that existed before, both among managers and employees has been changed to a greater openness towards distance working, which can be an alternative in many professions.

Digital technology can simplify working life in many ways, Aleksandre Asatiani points out. – Now that we are used to digital meetings, we will probably have them more often, and not just to avoid longer trips. A quick catch up via teams can be effective even if colleagues live in the same city. At the same time, personal meetings will probably be valued higher than they are today.

Hybrid meetings can also become more common, where some participants are on site and others are at a distance. – Distance meetings can increase equality in a workplace in many ways. It could allow more people to participate in meetings, even those who for some reason have difficulty physically attending. Digital meetings usually have a stricter focus on the task, and not so much on the personal characteristics of the participants. It can make it easier for employees who risk discrimination because they are in some way different. But digital meetings can of course also be problematic: those who have already met in the kitchen whilst making a cup of coffee, may have had time to discuss the issues that are then raised at the meeting and thus have an edge over colleagues who participate at a distance. It is also easier to withhold information and,

The aim is to get a 360-degree perspective on how to create digital work environments that are sustainable from both the employer’s and the employee’s perspective.

ALEKSANDRE ASATIANI

for example, have meetings behind the backs of certain colleagues, if you do not meet physically very often. These will be important issues for managers to keep track of.

Previous studies have assumed that only one family member works remotely from home. This has not been the case during the pandemic. – That perhaps an entire family work and study at a distance creates new challenges, both technically and when it comes to separate rooms to work in. Another interesting question is about how a workplace can create a common culture and sense of belonging when employees rarely meet.

Different employees may have different needs and wishes. Some may have good reasons for wanting to work remotely with flexible working hours. At the same time, others may need specific times in the office, just like before the pandemic.

– It can be difficult for an employer to find a balance that works for everyone. Even if, for example, you accept greater flexibility, the employees may still have to have a meeting at ten o’clock every morning, and then the working day is ostensibly controlled by this. Some managers may have greater confidence in their employees and let them decide a significant amount for themselves, but others may want to exercise greater control. There are examples of companies that install monitoring programs on employees’ computers, which can make them feel even more controlled at home than when they are in the office.

The aim of Aleksandre Asatiani’s study is to develop models of sustainable remote workplaces. – The pandemic has put us in a special situation where we learned a lot about how to work remotely. The question now is how much of this we can benefit from in our subsequent working life. It should work year after year, not just as an emergency solution in a difficult situation.

Text: Eva Lundgren Photo: Peter Larsson Translation: Ann Nilsen

Facts

Working from home as a sustainable work environment is a research project funded by Forte. The research leader is Aleksandre Asatiani, senior lecturer at the Department of Applied IT, Division of Informatics.

Aleksandre Asatiani believes that hybrid meetings will be more common.