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Remote Work and Post-Bureaucracy: Unintended Consequences of Work Design for Gender Inequality

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  • Kim de Laat

Abstract

In-depth interviews with IT employees ( N = 84) working under two types of work design—a post-bureaucratic work design labeled “agile,†and a bureaucratic work design labeled “waterfall†—are used to examine gendered patterns in the adoption of remote work. Interviews reveal an unintended consequence of the agile model: It promotes a physical orientation that induces on-site work. Agile is gender-inegalitarian, with more women than men working remotely despite its perceived unacceptability, and low numbers of employees working remotely overall. By contrast, workers within a waterfall work design express a digital orientation to work and feel empowered to work remotely. The waterfall model is associated with gender egalitarianism; most employees opt to work remotely, and men and women do so in even numbers. Findings suggest that when compared to the post-bureaucratic work design, the bureaucratic work design provides more flexibility. This article refines our understanding of barriers to remote work and provides a lens on the gender dynamics underlying work design.

Suggested Citation

  • Kim de Laat, 2023. "Remote Work and Post-Bureaucracy: Unintended Consequences of Work Design for Gender Inequality," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 76(1), pages 135-159, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:76:y:2023:i:1:p:135-159
    DOI: 10.1177/00197939221076134
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Vanessa M. Conzon & James C. Mellody, 2025. "Concerted Quantification: How Knowledge Workers Limit Overwork While Maintaining Client Satisfaction," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(5), pages 1834-1860, September.

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