IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jscscx/v12y2023i9p497-d1232163.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rethinking the Unthinkable: A Delphi Study on Remote Work during COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Teresa Galanti

    (Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University Gabriele d’Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy)

  • Bruna Ferrara

    (Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy)

  • Paula Benevene

    (Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy)

  • Ilaria Buonomo

    (Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 pushed organizations towards the adoption of new ways of organizing the workplace, to contrast the diffusion of the virus as well as to ensure the production of goods and services. Many workers and employers were suddenly forced to switch to forms of remote work, quite often without any real preparation to successfully deal with these changes. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the point of view of Italian HR managers on the introduction of these new ways of working in Italian SMEs, to underline both the advantages and risks of remote work and to provide a shared list of best and worst practices related to remote work adoption. A Panel of 19 Italian experts of HR management was recruited in April 2022 to perform a Delphi study. They were asked to take part in an anonymous and asynchronous discussion started with stimulus questions, on their remote working experience during the pandemic. A mixed-methods approach was adopted for data collection and analysis. Results: Five principal themes emerged, related to both the positive and negative implications of the adoption of hybrid and remote work, namely: work-life balance, environmental sustainability, impact of working life on individual wellbeing and health, and technological improvement. The content analysis was realized with the use of the T-Lab software, stressing the risks of inaccurate planning and management of these new ways of work. Conclusions: This is the first application of a Delphi study in the Italian context on the impact of COVID-19 on work-life transformative processes. The results highlight the importance of clear communication, transparency, trust, and technology in successfully implementing remote and hybrid forms of work. By implementing these best practices, organizations can create a work environment that supports remote and hybrid work, fosters collaboration, and maintains productivity. The findings of this study can serve as a useful guide for organizations that are transitioning to remote or hybrid work models.

Suggested Citation

  • Teresa Galanti & Bruna Ferrara & Paula Benevene & Ilaria Buonomo, 2023. "Rethinking the Unthinkable: A Delphi Study on Remote Work during COVID-19 Pandemic," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-20, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:12:y:2023:i:9:p:497-:d:1232163
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/9/497/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/9/497/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Elvie Maria, 2019. "The Influence of Organizational Culture, Compensation and Interpersonal Communication in Employee performance Through Work Motivation as Mediation," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 9(5), pages 133-140.
    2. Clara De Vincenzi & Martina Pansini & Bruna Ferrara & Ilaria Buonomo & Paula Benevene, 2022. "Consequences of COVID-19 on Employees in Remote Working: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities An Evidence-Based Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-18, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xinxiong Wu & Chen Chen Yong & Su Teng Lee, 2022. "Addressing the COVID-19 Shock: The Potential Job Creation in China by the RCEP," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Weisbrod, Glen & Hensher, David A., 2023. "Improving transportation project evaluation by recognizing the role of spatial scale and context in measuring non-user economic benefits," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 80-89.
    3. Barbara Barbieri & Marina Mondo & Silvia De Simone & Roberta Pinna & Maura Galletta & Jessica Pileri & Diego Bellini, 2024. "Enhancing Productivity at Home: The Role of Smart Work and Organizational Support in the Public Sector," Societies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, April.
    4. Ilaria Buonomo & Bruna Ferrara & Martina Pansini & Paula Benevene, 2023. "Job Satisfaction and Perceived Structural Support in Remote Working Conditions—The Role of a Sense of Community at Work," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(13), pages 1-11, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:12:y:2023:i:9:p:497-:d:1232163. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.