Remote work: Friend or foe? A narrative literature review
Medic, Ulla (2024)
Medic, Ulla
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202404035590
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202404035590
Tiivistelmä
The rapid development of technological capabilities and the increase in remote work have sparked a need for comprehensive understanding of their impact on individuals. With the help of research, it is possible to mitigate harmful aspects of remote work and promote the ones that increase well-being, as well as identify inequalities and emerging threats.
The objective of the thesis was to provide an overview of the effects of remote work on work well-being by exploring the potential benefits, threats, opportunities, and challenges. The aim was to provide a framework to build a deeper understanding of the effects of remote work on employees, with a particular focus on individual-level experience. The purpose was to collect information on strategies and operating models that promote the well-being of employees at the individual, organisational and societal level.
The research method is a narrative literature review, which synthesises current peer-reviewed academic literature. In January 2024, a comprehensive search was conducted across multiple online academic databases, including Cinahl Ultimate, Finna.fi, Medic and PubMed. The search strategy focused on studies and academic articles published in 2018 – 2024 that were related to the effects of remote work on work well-being. Following the selection process, ten relevant studies were selected for further analysis using the qualitative content analysis method.
The research results were diverse, and the effect of remote work appears to depend on the individual's experience and life situation, in addition to aspects related to the organisation and job demands. The findings suggest that remote work alone does not increase an individual's well-being, but also factors related to the population group, the individual, the job description, and the profession must be taken into account. However, to optimise remote work arrangements and promote the well-being, further research using causal and longitudinal designs on the effects of remote work on different groups of people is necessary. The thesis highlights that organisations must move beyond one-size-fits-all models and promote individual flexibility in designing remote work practices.
The objective of the thesis was to provide an overview of the effects of remote work on work well-being by exploring the potential benefits, threats, opportunities, and challenges. The aim was to provide a framework to build a deeper understanding of the effects of remote work on employees, with a particular focus on individual-level experience. The purpose was to collect information on strategies and operating models that promote the well-being of employees at the individual, organisational and societal level.
The research method is a narrative literature review, which synthesises current peer-reviewed academic literature. In January 2024, a comprehensive search was conducted across multiple online academic databases, including Cinahl Ultimate, Finna.fi, Medic and PubMed. The search strategy focused on studies and academic articles published in 2018 – 2024 that were related to the effects of remote work on work well-being. Following the selection process, ten relevant studies were selected for further analysis using the qualitative content analysis method.
The research results were diverse, and the effect of remote work appears to depend on the individual's experience and life situation, in addition to aspects related to the organisation and job demands. The findings suggest that remote work alone does not increase an individual's well-being, but also factors related to the population group, the individual, the job description, and the profession must be taken into account. However, to optimise remote work arrangements and promote the well-being, further research using causal and longitudinal designs on the effects of remote work on different groups of people is necessary. The thesis highlights that organisations must move beyond one-size-fits-all models and promote individual flexibility in designing remote work practices.