Hybrid Work Life: A Study of Understanding, Impact and Sensemaking

Abstract

Hybrid work is a topic that is widely discussed these days. Our everyday work life has seen some massive changes, primarily because of the Corona-pandemic. Because of restrictions and lockdowns many organizations have been forced to rethink how to structure and administer their employees’ work, with the aim of acknowledging rising public demand. Employees have gained an understanding that they appreciate the ability to work in a hybrid manner and are therefore asking for it to continue even after the pandemic. In this Master Thesis the aim is to gain knowledge about the hybrid work focusing on the employees’ experiences with it, and attitude towards it both now and before the pandemic. To gain this knowledge focus has been on their individual sensemaking processes on the subject based on the theory of especially Karl E. Weick. Based on a mindset influenced by the theory of social constructivism interviews have been conducted with employees from the Danish company Atea. Employees who are coworkers and work in two nearly identical teams, and with the same leader. The topics that they showed greatest interest in, are the topics that became central in the further work with the subject. The findings shows that the employees’ attitude and sensemaking towards hybrid work has changed since the Corona-pandemic, home-based work has been normalized, and most of the employees have gone from doing it only when it was necessary, to doing it once or twice a week. The benefits that the informants highlighted was especially the flexibility, autonomy and peace that followed the home-based work, sadly though my findings suggest that there are some challenges connected to hybrid work, especially when it comes to collaboration. Due to the individual albeit socially founded aspects of sensemaking, it isn’t possibly to give a definitive conclusion on the matter. However, my findings are seen as adequate to provide Atea and other companies with an idea about which subjects regarding hybrid work that is present in the minds of their employees, hence where focus could be given in the hopes of providing the best possible work environment for their employees while still having the trinity of individuals, work tasks and community in mind.