Cronin, Bruce ORCID: 0000-0002-3776-8924, Gorgoni, Sara, Conaldi, Guido ORCID: 0000-0003-3552-7307, Piazza, Anna, Saint Hilaire, Antoinette and De Vita, Riccardo (2022) Productivity and innovation in remote work. A case study on the impact of organizational integration and communication on the performance of employees working from home. In: E-proceedings of the European Academy of Management 2022 Conference. ZHAW School of Management & Law, Winterthur, Switzerland, 15 - 17 June 2022. European Academy of Management (EURAM), Brussels, Belgium. (In Press)

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Abstract

A key challenge for HRM in the new widely digitised context is the facilitation of employee performance in the absence of many traditional enabling mechanisms. Direct observation of employee activity and normative alignment via team distribution of tasks are weakened by digital intermediation. Digital surveillance of remote work provides a clumsy alternative to observation, one that risks undermining the normative dimensions of HRM. Management by objectives, particularly team based, provides a tangible accountability mechanism for tangible outcomes, but less so for the intangible elements often associated with innovation.
The intangible elements of social interaction at work also sit less comfortably in a digitalised context than the allocation, coordination and delivery of tangible tasks, which may even be enhanced by a reduction in social distractions and physically inefficient activity such as the home-work commute. The differentiated impact of the digitalised context on different dimensions of work can be broadly categorised as different impacts on exploitation and exploration activity (March, 1991). Exploitation activity, well suited to individual tasks within a clear division of labour, is likely to enhanced by digitalised communications, which can facilitate speed and precision. Exploration activity, important for learning, creativity and innovation, however, is built on often informal and spontaneous social interaction, more difficult to facilitate via digitalised communications.
In this paper, we examine the challenge of facilitating employee performance in a digitalised context with respect to these two dimensions of exploitation and exploration. Utilising data from surveys of professional workers from four separate organisational subunits in 2021, we examine how their use of different digital media for these different activities impacted on their productivity, innovation and learning. The findings provide insight for HRM practice on how to facilitate formal and informal social interaction in a digitalised context.

Item Type:	Conference Proceedings
Title of Proceedings:	E-proceedings of the European Academy of Management 2022 Conference. ZHAW School of Management & Law, Winterthur, Switzerland, 15 - 17 June 2022.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	engagement; communications; social networks; remote work; informal networks; productivity; innovation; Covid-19
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business Faculty of Business > Department of International Business & Economics Faculty of Business > Networks and Urban Systems Centre (NUSC) Faculty of Business > Networks and Urban Systems Centre (NUSC) > Centre for Business Network Analysis (CBNA)
Last Modified:	20 Oct 2022 08:44
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/35885

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