Adam Smith Business School

Anne McCarthy, Anne McCarthy Associates and Paul Hunter, University of Glasgow

'Post-Covid work arrangements: an exploration of the impact of future hybrid work patterns'
Tuesday 15 March, 10am - 11.15am
Room 206, Gilbert Scott Building (Main Building)

Register at business-events@glasgow.ac.uk

Abstract

The research aims to address the impact of alternative work arrangements on organisations and its employees. Questions concerning the characteristics of future hybrid work arrangements that recognise the benefits of working from home combined with the benefits of working onsite are prominent in media discourse. Exploring the possibilities and dynamics of post-Covid hybrid work arrangements on issues of employee engagement, satisfaction, motivation, and productivity are key to the future performance of national economies. There is considerable non-academic literature available that document accounts, opinions, and data of the impact of the pandemic on the UK workforce coupled with suggestions concerning ways in which organisations accommodate various patterns of work. Many of these publications lack robust empiricism and tend to offer superficial argument driven by the reflections and ideas of thought leaders. There are some academic studies available (e.g, Alipour et al, 2020; Bao et al, 2020; Bolisano et al, 2020) that draw interesting conclusions about the dynamics of working patterns during the pandemic. But there appears to be a lack of consideration, theoretically and practically, of what can be learned about hybrid and more imaginative ways of working post-Covid, which will form the focus of this study.

The research will explore avenues of possibility concerning future hybrid work arrangements and examine the potential impact these arrangements might have on job roles in terms of skill variety, work intensification, work-life balance, health and wellbeing, performance, and productivity. The research will also draw upon elements of organisational justice, organisational culture, and inclusion and diversity. These are important issues to consider for employees themselves, but also for line managers, senior management groups, and policymakers who face key decisions concerning the design of work patterns to optimise human capital in terms of boosting productivity whilst sustaining employee welfare. The project also aims to illuminate contextual dynamics of employees in various industries during the pandemic. The purpose of which is two-fold: (1) to inform understanding into future hybrid work arrangements by leveraging a diverse range of empirical insight, and (2) to interrogate effectiveness of existing theoretical knowledge into hybrid working and associated work arrangements.

Biography

Anne McCarthy

In her career Anne McCarthy has had extensive experience of leading change, seeing it as an opportunity to do interesting work and make a difference to people, teams and organisations. She has worked on change projects in a variety of settings from unionised environments to financial services and found that remarkably, the lessons are similar even when the context differs. Anne’s other specialty is in developing the capability of leaders. Having worked in association with a world renowned business school, she continues to grow her knowledge in this area and it is this combination of academic knowledge and practical experience that enable her to make a difference to the organisation she works with. Driven by a desire to share this knowledge, she set up Anne McCarthy Associates in 2019 to take her deep learning from these experiences and pass it on to other organisations, leaders and teams in overcoming the challenges of leading in the 21st century. Together with a diverse range of associates Anne is now working with leaders in organisations on a wide range of organisation development needs.

Paul Hunter

Paul Hunter is a Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour at Adam Smith Business School. Previously, he worked as a management consultant for a number of years in the areas of Employee Relations, Organisational Development and Socio-Technical Systems. In this capacity he has worked with a number of organisations. Paul is the course coordinator of two Human Resource Management courses in the Professional Pathways programme. Paul also coordinates several Research Methods courses across Adam Smith Business School.

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Further information: business-events@glasgow.ac.uk

First published: 4 March 2022