The New Management Imperatives: Culture, Connectedness, and Performance

Working remotely during the pandemic changed workplace culture for millions of employees and managers, fueling a desire for more flexible work arrangements. About 75 percent of companies now support hybrid work, meaning managers often oversee workers both in and out of the office. Two large-sample surveys on these new work models reveal three management challenges: creating a consistent culture that includes both hybrid and in-office employees, strengthening connections among staff regardless of their location, and implementing effective performance management for both groups. In the management literature, existing research on each of these topics is limited. This article recommends solutions to each of these challenges based on available evidence, while exploring related topics such as new-hire and virtual onboarding, strategies to combat loneliness at work, proximity bias, and employee monitoring. The article concludes with a set of research questions that emerge from the topics reviewed.