Remote working during COVID-19 : insights from a Finnish IT company

Abstract

The thesis is a qualitative inductive case study and explores the experiences of remote workers in a Finnish IT company during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted in winter 2021 to explore individual perceptions of remote work and its advantages and disadvantages. The COVID-19 pandemic created a new and unique context and setting for remote work and the thesis intends to highlight how the employees of the case company perceived the abrupt change from office-based work to remote work and what implications it had for their general well-being and productivity at work. The job demands-resources theory is used as main theoretical lens to analyse the interplay between increased job demands (e.g. social isolation, blurred boundaries between work and personal life, the lack of ergonomic office set-ups) and resources (e.g. autonomy, flexibility, time saved from commuting). The thesis aims to contribute to the growing research area focusing on remote work and offers practical implications for supporting remote workers in a post-pandemic world. The key findings emphasize the need for organizational strategies to support remote workers, including measures for supporting virtual communication to decrease social isolation.