Notes on co-location and work from home in Product Development
General studies
Post-COVID remote working and its impact on people, productivity, and the planet: an exploratory scoping review
Study published in International Journal of Human Resource Management which can be found here
Context of the study
The study “Post-COVID remote working and its impact on people, productivity, and the planet: an exploratory scoping review” examines the widespread shift to remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for individuals, organizational productivity, and environmental sustainability. It explores how remote work has influenced employee well-being, work-life balance, and efficiency while also assessing broader economic and ecological effects, such as reduced commuting and carbon emissions. By reviewing existing literature, the study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the benefits, challenges, and long-term viability of remote work in a post-pandemic world.
Main conclusions
The study concludes that remote work, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has had significant and multifaceted effects on people, productivity, and the environment. From a human perspective, remote work has provided employees with greater flexibility, improved work-life balance, and reduced commuting stress. However, challenges such as digital fatigue, blurred work-life boundaries, and social isolation have also emerged, impacting mental health and overall job satisfaction. In terms of productivity, the findings suggest mixed results—while some employees and organizations have reported increased efficiency and focus, others have struggled with collaboration, communication barriers, and performance monitoring.
From an environmental and societal standpoint, remote work has contributed to reduced carbon emissions and decreased urban congestion due to fewer commuters. However, it has also raised concerns about energy consumption at home and the digital divide, which disproportionately affects lower-income workers without access to reliable technology. The study emphasizes the need for organizations to adopt hybrid models that balance the benefits of remote work with the necessity of in-person interactions. It also highlights the importance of policies that support employee well-being, sustainable work practices, and technological inclusivity to ensure a more effective and equitable remote work landscape in the post-pandemic era.
Effects on team work
Remote working has significantly reshaped team dynamics by altering how communication, collaboration, and trust are built and maintained. Teams have experienced a shift from spontaneous, in-person interactions to more structured and technology-mediated communication, often leading to an increase in virtual meetings and emails. While this has enabled continued collaboration across distances, it has also contributed to digital fatigue and feelings of isolation. The absence of face-to-face engagement has made it harder to foster informal social connections and team cohesion, which are critical for creativity and trust. However, some teams have adapted by developing new norms around digital communication, establishing clearer expectations, and leveraging virtual tools more effectively, showing that with intentional effort, strong team dynamics can still be cultivated in remote or hybrid settings.
Remote working and work-life balance
This chapter by Cath Sullivan, published in the “Handbook of Work and Quality of Life,” explores the complex relationship between remote working and the balance between professional and personal life. link
Context of the study
The study delves into the dual nature of remote work’s impact on work-life balance. Historically, research has presented conflicting evidence; some studies suggest that working from home can blur the lines between family and work, increasing pressure and conflict. Conversely, other research indicates that the flexibility and control over schedules afforded by remote work can enhance work-life balance. The chapter aims to synthesize these differing perspectives and examine the nuanced ways in which remote work redefines the boundaries between an individual’s job and their personal time.
Main conclusions
A primary conclusion is that while remote working can offer greater flexibility, it may also reinforce traditional gender inequities, as the domestic sphere often places disproportionate responsibilities on women. The effectiveness of remote work in improving work-life balance is highly dependent on the presence of organizational support systems. Without such support, especially during stressful transitions like a pandemic, the benefits can be negated.
The research underscores that the blending of personal and professional lives is not universally positive. For some, it leads to increased negotiation and pressure within the family unit. Therefore, the outcome of remote work on work-life balance is not a simple positive or negative but is influenced by individual circumstances, gender roles, and the level of support provided by the employer.
Effects on team work
This chapter focuses primarily on the individual’s work-life balance and does not delve deeply into the effects of remote working on team dynamics. The main theme is the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life, rather than interactions between colleagues.
Investigating the role of remote working on employees’ performance and well-being: an evidence-based systematic review
This systematic review by Bruna Ferrara, Martina Pansini, and Clara De Vincenzi, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, analyzes 20 peer-reviewed papers to understand how remote work affects employee performance and well-being. link
Context of the study
The study was initiated to synthesize the mixed and varied findings on the consequences of remote working. With the rise of technology-enabled work outside traditional office spaces, assumptions about its benefits—like increased flexibility, autonomy, and reduced stress—have become common. However, potential drawbacks, such as social isolation, poor ergonomics, and a weakened sense of belonging, also exist. This review systematically examines the evidence from 2010 to 2021 to provide a clearer, evidence-based picture of remote work’s multifaceted impact.
Main conclusions
The review found that remote working has varied and often contradictory effects. On the positive side, several studies reported higher levels of job satisfaction, work engagement, and motivation among teleworkers. It was also linked to improved health outcomes, such as decreased stress, depression, and strain, contributing positively to work-life balance. Some research indicated that the increased life satisfaction from teleworking could partially mediate a positive relationship with productivity.
However, the findings are not entirely positive. One study noted a negative correlation, where a higher intensity of remote work led to increased strain and lower job satisfaction. The review highlights that while remote work can be beneficial for well-being and perceived performance, these outcomes are not guaranteed and can be influenced by various factors. The paper suggests that managerial strategies are crucial in implementing remote work successfully to maximize benefits and mitigate drawbacks.
Effects on team work
The review touches upon the social aspects of work, noting that a significant drawback of remote arrangements is the potential for work isolation. This isolation can jeopardize an employee’s sense of belonging to their organization. Furthermore, it can compromise the social support that employees typically receive from their colleagues, which in turn increases the risk of stress and anxiety.
The advantages and disadvantages of remote working from the perspective of young employees
This study, published in Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Śląskiej, investigates the pros and cons of remote work as perceived by young employees. link
Context of the study
The research is set against the backdrop of the increasing adoption of remote work, particularly accelerated by global events. It focuses specifically on the experiences of the younger generation of employees, who may have different expectations, skills, and challenges compared to their more experienced counterparts. The study aims to provide a balanced view by systematically identifying and analyzing both the positive and negative aspects of this work model from their unique viewpoint.
Main conclusions
The main conclusions of the study highlight a significant dichotomy in the experiences of young employees. On one hand, they value the flexibility, autonomy, and the ability to achieve a better work-life balance that remote work can offer. The reduction in commuting time and costs is also seen as a major advantage. This group of employees is generally comfortable with the technology required for remote work, viewing it as an enabler of efficiency and independence.
Conversely, young employees report considerable disadvantages, primarily centered around social and professional development. Feelings of isolation from colleagues, exclusion from the informal company culture, and difficulties in networking and finding mentorship are significant concerns. There is also a fear that a lack of physical presence in the office could hinder their career progression and learning opportunities, which are often absorbed through observation and spontaneous interaction in a shared workspace.
Effects on team work
From the perspective of young employees, remote work has a detrimental effect on team dynamics. The lack of spontaneous, informal communication channels makes it harder to build strong relationships and a sense of camaraderie with team members. Collaboration can feel more transactional and less organic. This can lead to a weaker team identity and a reduced sense of belonging, which are particularly important for younger employees who are in the early stages of building their professional networks and social capital within an organization.
Remote working: A research overview
This book by Alan Felstead provides a comprehensive synthesis of research on remote working, prompted by the massive shift to home-based work during the coronavirus pandemic. link
Context of the study
The book was written to address the sudden and large-scale transition to remote work that overturned the long-standing separation of work and home life. It aims to review and consolidate the existing evidence on how this shift has impacted employees, organizations, and society. Felstead’s overview is designed to be an accessible introduction for a broad audience, including academics, students, policymakers, and anyone who has experienced remote work firsthand, looking towards a future where remote and hybrid models are more common.
Main conclusions
The overview distinguishes between different forms of off-site work, such as “homeworking,” “hybrid working,” and the broader term “remote working,” to analyze their distinct impacts. A key theme is that the defining characteristic of working from home is the direct overlap of working life and domestic life, which creates unique challenges and opportunities for maintaining work-life balance. The research suggests that while remote work offers flexibility, it also necessitates the careful management of spatial and temporal boundaries between professional and personal spheres.
The book synthesizes evidence showing that the consequences of remote work are not uniform. The impact varies depending on the degree of overlap between home and work, the nature of the job, and individual circumstances. Historically, homeworking was associated with low-paid manual labor, but it is now predominantly linked to office workers. This shift brings new considerations regarding productivity, well-being, and organizational management in a world where the workforce is often disparate for the first time.
Effects on team work
The overview highlights that a key characteristic of remote work is the geographical distance from coworkers. This distance fundamentally alters team dynamics. While not the central focus of every chapter, the book implicitly addresses teamwork by discussing the challenges of managing a disparate workforce and the reduced opportunities for the spontaneous, informal interactions that occur in a shared physical space. Sustaining a cohesive workplace culture becomes more difficult without the formal and informal socialization that on-site work provides.
Stress in remote work: two studies testing the Demand-Control-Person model
This article by Sara Jansen Perry, Cristina Rubino, and Emily M. Hunter, published in the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, investigates how personal traits and job characteristics interact to affect stress levels in remote workers. link
Context of the study
Despite the rising popularity of remote work, there remains uncertainty about its true impact on employee well-being. This research extends the Demand-Control-Person (DCP) model, which examines how job demands and control affect stress, by incorporating individual personality traits. The study specifically tests how the personal characteristic of emotional stability influences the effectiveness of job autonomy as a resource to protect employees from strain when working remotely.
Main conclusions
The research concludes that the relationship between remote work and stress is not straightforward and depends heavily on individual differences. The findings from two field studies show that employees with high emotional stability who also have high levels of job autonomy experience the least amount of strain and can even have a negative relationship between the extent of remote work and stress. These individuals are better positioned to satisfy their needs for autonomy and relatedness, which in turn reduces the likelihood of strain.
In contrast, employees with low emotional stability, even when they have high autonomy, are more susceptible to strain, and this strain can increase the more they work remotely. This suggests that simply providing autonomy is not a universal solution for mitigating stress in a remote environment. The study supports the idea that a combination of the right job resources (control) and the right personal resources (emotional stability) is necessary for remote work to be a positive experience for well-being.
Effects on team work
While the study’s primary focus is on individual stress and well-being, it touches on team dynamics through the lens of social support and relatedness. The research acknowledges that a potential disadvantage of remote work is the lack of socio-emotional support that comes from regular interaction with colleagues. The findings imply that for individuals more prone to stress (those with lower emotional stability), the reduced social connection inherent in remote work can exacerbate strain, as their need for relatedness is less likely to be met.
Organizational control in the context of remote working: A synthesis of empirical findings and a research agenda
This review by Tommasina Pianese, Luisa Errichiello, and João Vinícius de França Cunha, published in European Management Review, synthesizes findings from 131 studies to understand how organizational control functions when employees work remotely. link
Context of the study
The increasing prevalence of remote work has brought the issue of organizational control to the forefront. When employees are physically distant from the traditional office, companies must find new ways to influence their actions and ensure alignment with organizational goals and values. This study was conducted to create a comprehensive understanding of how control dynamics are affected by physical distance, as a cohesive overview on this specific topic was previously lacking.
Main conclusions
The synthesis reveals that remote work triggers a fundamental shift in control mechanisms, moving away from direct supervision towards management by objectives. This shift necessitates the adoption of supportive leadership styles that emphasize trust-based relationships. The study identifies five key “control domains” that are impacted: control systems (e.g., output monitoring), supervisory styles, trusting relationships, organizational identification, and the employee’s work identity. Technological tools become crucial, not just for monitoring but also for tracking progress towards objectives.
The findings underscore the need for organizations to consciously adapt their control strategies for a remote context. This includes not only formal controls like performance metrics but also indirect levers such as fostering a strong sense of organizational identification and trust to guide employee behavior. The research highlights a complex interplay between direct control, indirect influence, and the technological infrastructure that supports the remote work arrangement.
Effects on team work
The study addresses team dynamics by examining control within virtual teams. It notes that in remote settings, managers cannot rely on physical spaces as a means of exercising control, which is a key difference from co-located teams. The transition to remote work requires significant effort to adapt control practices to foster collaboration and alignment in a virtual environment. The research emphasizes the importance of trust and organizational identification as mechanisms to ensure team members work cohesively towards common goals, even when physically apart.
Systematically reviewing remote e-workers’ well-being at work: A multidimensional approach
This systematic literature review by Maria Charalampous, Christine Grant, Carlo Tramontano, and Evie Michailidis, published in the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, examines the association between remote e-working and well-being across five dimensions. link
Context of the study
The practice of remote e-working, defined as work done anytime and anywhere using technology, is growing. This review was undertaken to gain a deeper, more holistic understanding of how this work style affects the well-being of knowledge workers. The authors adopted a multidimensional framework, analyzing well-being through five distinct lenses: affective (feelings), cognitive (thoughts and functioning), social (relationships), professional (career development), and psychosomatic (physical health). The review synthesizes findings from 63 different studies to provide a comprehensive overview.
Main conclusions
The review’s findings indicate that our understanding of remote e-workers’ well-being is uneven. More is known about the affective, social, and professional dimensions than about the cognitive and psychosomatic aspects. While the overall picture of remote work’s impact on well-being is largely positive, the review clearly identifies significant negative aspects. These drawbacks are crucial for understanding the full experience of the remote e-worker.
A major negative conclusion is the prevalence of social and professional isolation. Remote workers often feel disconnected from their colleagues and the broader organization. Another key concern is the perceived threat to professional advancement; employees worry that being out of sight means being out of mind for promotions and development opportunities. The review suggests that these challenges must be addressed by organizations to effectively manage remote work policies.
Effects on team work
The study directly addresses the impact of remote work on team dynamics through its “social well-being” dimension. The most prominent finding in this area is the negative effect of social isolation. Working remotely can hinder the development of strong interpersonal relationships and a sense of community among colleagues. This lack of regular, informal social interaction can lead to feelings of loneliness and detachment, undermining the social fabric that is often a key component of a positive work environment and effective teamwork.
Rationalizing remote working concept and its implications on employee productivity
This paper by Revenio C. Jalagat, Jr. and Almalinda M. Jalagat aims to rationalize the concept of remote work and analyze its effects on employee productivity by reviewing secondary data and existing research. link
Context of the study
The study acknowledges that while remote working is a well-established practice in developed nations, it remains a relatively new and less understood concept in developing countries like the Sultanate of Oman. The paper seeks to clarify the concept by examining its various facets, including trends, advantages, and disadvantages. The core objective is to synthesize existing literature to understand the conflicting views on how remote work ultimately impacts the productivity of employees.
Main conclusions
The findings reveal a significant conflict in the existing literature regarding remote work’s impact on productivity. On one hand, many supporters and studies affirm that remote work enhances productivity. The advantages cited include increased flexibility, access to a global talent pool, cost savings for both the company and the employee, and a better working environment that allows employees to manage non-work demands more effectively.
On the other hand, the paper outlines several disadvantages that can negatively affect productivity. These include a lack of social interaction, which can be demotivating, and the challenges of maintaining discipline and focus outside of a traditional office structure. The authors conclude that the effect of remote work is not universally positive or negative but is shaped by a variety of factors. The paper suggests that organizations need to address the inherent issues and challenges to harness the potential productivity gains.
Effects on team work
The paper touches on team dynamics by highlighting the “lack of social interaction” as a primary disadvantage of remote work. This reduction in interpersonal contact can hinder collaboration and the informal exchange of ideas that often drives innovation and problem-solving in a team setting. The physical separation means that communication must be more deliberate, and the spontaneous camaraderie that builds team cohesion is often lost, which can indirectly affect overall team productivity.
Trends in remote work: A science mapping study
This study by Izabela Simon Rampasso, Monica Santana, Milena Pavan Serafim, and Thais Dibbern, published in the journal Work, performs a scientific mapping of research on remote work to identify prominent themes during the 2020-2021 period. link
Context of the study
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sudden and massive shift to remote work, which was quickly taken up as a major topic in academic literature. This study aimed to analyze this surge of research by mapping the key themes from 186 articles published in the Web of Science database between 2020 and 2021. By using Scimat software, the researchers sought to identify the “motor themes”—the most developed and important sub-topics—that drove the academic conversation on remote work during this critical period.
Main conclusions
The analysis identified three primary “motor themes” that are central to understanding remote work in the pandemic era: “job satisfaction,” “flexible work,” and “stress.” The themes of job satisfaction and flexible work were clearly evidenced by their high centrality and density in the research landscape, indicating they are well-developed and crucial areas of study. Although “stress” appeared less prominent based on the density index alone, a careful content analysis of the articles confirmed it as the third critical motor theme.
The study concludes that these three themes represent the most important areas of research in the field and should be well understood by both academics and managers. The findings emphasize that the opportunities for flexibility and potential for job satisfaction are counterbalanced by the significant challenge of managing stress. The research highlights the dual nature of remote work, offering autonomy and efficiency but also bringing risks of burnout, isolation, and the blurring of work-life boundaries.
Effects on team work
While the study’s main focus is on broad research themes, it indirectly touches on teamwork through the identified motor themes. The theme of “stress” is relevant, as increased pressure and the overlap of professional and personal lives can be exacerbated by the need to connect with distant colleagues. Furthermore, the report notes that sustaining a cohesive workplace culture is a significant challenge for a remote workforce due to the lack of both formal and informal opportunities for socialization and engagement that are naturally present in on-site work environments.
The moderating role of remote work in the relationship between organizational culture and OCB: case studies from the financial sector
This study by Zoltán Krajcsák and Anita Kozák, published in the Journal of Advances in Management Research, examines how remote work influences the connection between a company’s culture and its employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). link
Context of the study
The research aims to understand how the shift to remote working impacts employees’ willingness to engage in OCB—discretionary, helpful behaviors that are not part of their formal job requirements but contribute to the organization’s effectiveness. The study focuses on the financial sector and uses a qualitative approach, analyzing organizational documents and conducting semi-structured interviews with both managers and subordinates to explore this dynamic. The core question is whether remote work strengthens or weakens the influence of organizational culture on these positive employee behaviors.
Main conclusions
The study concludes that remote work acts as a significant moderator in the relationship between organizational culture and OCB. The findings suggest that a strong, supportive organizational culture becomes even more critical in a remote setting to encourage and sustain OCB. When employees are physically distant, the informal mechanisms that often foster helpful behaviors are absent, making the explicit values and norms of the culture paramount.
The research indicates that in organizations with a positive and trust-based culture, remote work can even enhance certain aspects of OCB, as employees feel empowered and trusted, leading to greater initiative. However, in cultures that are less supportive or more hierarchical, remote work can diminish OCB, as employees may feel disconnected and less motivated to go above and beyond their prescribed tasks. The study highlights that managing culture intentionally is key to maintaining a high level of OCB in a remote or hybrid workforce.
Effects on team work
This study directly relates to team dynamics by focusing on Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB), which includes behaviors like helping colleagues, being courteous, and supporting the team. The findings imply that remote work changes how these team-oriented behaviors manifest. Without the physical proximity that facilitates spontaneous help and support, the organization’s culture must provide the framework and motivation for team members to consciously engage in these cooperative actions. A culture that promotes psychological safety and trust is essential for team members to feel comfortable reaching out for help and offering support to their remote colleagues.