Working in a post Covid-19 world: Towards a conceptual framework for distributed work

Abstract

Purpose: Against the backdrop of the increased prevalence of telework practices as a result of Covid-19, the purpose of the present article is to address the conceptual confusion, overlap and ambiguity characterising much of the published literature in this domain through the development of an integrated conceptual framework describing distributed work practices at various levels of organisations.Design/methodology/approach: To develop the framework, a collection of definitions for distributed work concepts were systematically selected and reviewed. These concepts include telework, remote work, distributed work and virtual work, as well as telecommuting, virtual teams, virtual organisations and distributed organisations. The reviewed definitions were systematically analysed to elicit the key principles underlying each concept, and then integrated to produce the conceptual framework.Findings: Our analysis suggests that virtuality and distributedness can be defined as distinct continua which, when combined, can be used to describe particular work settings. Additionally, we identify four factors which impact organisational policy in terms of virtuality and distributedness: interdependence of tasks, nature of work, technological environment and temporal distance.Practical implications: The framework offers managers a foundation for establishing distributed work policies and determining policy implications. Additionally, researchers conducting empirical investigations of distributed work practices can utilise the framework to differentiate between and describe particular work settings.Originality/value: The conceptual integration of virtuality, distributedness and organisational levels present a novel and important development. As organisations adapt to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the framework we propose serves as a useful artefact to support and inform their decision making.

Post-COVID-19 World Philosophy of Functioning: New Globalisation Challenges

“…A feature of the new crisis is not only that it creates an unprecedented philosophy of uncertainty, but also the fact that it hits jobs, changes the direction of production and delivery of goods, destroys entire sectors of the economy, in particular tourism, transport and even energy (due to the fall in oil demand). In just a month since the beginning of quarantine in the United States, about 22 million people reported their unemployment (Henry, Le Roux, & Parry, 2021;Kissinger, 2020;The Economist, 2020;Yang & Xuechen, 2020).…”

Applied Management Post-Covid19: Implications for Academic Managers in Private Higher Education, Beyond Crises

“…In attempting to develop a conceptual framework for post-COVID-19 managerial work, Henry et al (2021) carried out a systematic collection of aspects defining the work distribution concepts, including remote work, distributed work, telecommunicating, and virtual work teams, and distributed organisations. They then systematically analysed the reviewed definitions to extract each concept's fundamental principles (Henry et al, 2021). Their findings suggest that virtual work and new work distribution fit under distinct continuation modes described as particular work settings when combined.…”

“…As the blended teaching style began to show a dramatic increase, several studies investigated the new virtual mode in an attempt to understand its implications. Henry et al (2021) analysis suggest that a combination of virtual and redistributed work practices define a novel particular setting. They proposed a conceptual framework integrating virtual, distributed work practice, and organisational levels (Henry, le Roux and Parry, 2021).…”

“…Henry et al (2021) analysis suggest that a combination of virtual and redistributed work practices define a novel particular setting. They proposed a conceptual framework integrating virtual, distributed work practice, and organisational levels (Henry, le Roux and Parry, 2021).…”

Autorregulación y carga de trabajo en teletrabajo durante la pandemia COVID-19

“…El teletrabajo estaría esencialmente definido por la distancia espacial entre trabajadores y la actividad mediada por TIC, incorporando grados variados de interdependencia entre tareas, trabajos de distinta naturaleza, diversos entornos tecnológicos y distancias temporales, en donde la virtualidad y la distribución del trabajo entre distintos actores, podrían presentarse en distintos continuos (Henry et al, 2021). El paso desde el trabajo presencial al teletrabajo, ha implicado para los trabajadores, transitar desde una situación de distribución del trabajo basado en la diferenciación de roles, y secuencias temporales, a una en que se ha introducido además de una amplia distribución espacial de los trabajadores, una extensa mediación instrumental del trabajo basado en TIC (Ruiller et al, 2017).…”