“You can’t use an old map to explore new worlds”: A systematic literature review on challenges leaders faced due to telework during COVID-19

This systematic literature review examines the impact of telework on organizational leadership approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic. While research on telework has primarily focused on employees' perspectives, this review highlights the challenges leaders faced in implementing changes in leadership behaviors during a crisis. The pandemic has highlighted numerus benefits of remote work, including increased flexibility and time management. Still, it is important to address the challenges that come with it to maintain productivity and well-being for both employees and leaders. The research was performed by conducting a systematic literature review on peer-reviewed papers from February 2020 to February 2023. 52 papers were identified that met the set criteria. The research emphasizes the importance of effective telework and identifies various leadership styles that were effective during the pandemic, including authentic, supportive, positive, empowering, organic, and participative leadership. The review also highlights the importance of clear and consistent communication, prioritizing support and enablement, and maintaining team cohesion and productivity. Positive findings show that telework can improve job performance with the right equipment, training, and leadership quality. The review concludes that softer, more supportive, and instructive leadership methods are more effective in implementing successful remote work during a crisis, which had a positive impact on trust, organizational behavior, employee commitment, and job satisfaction. Further research is needed on effective strategies for leaders to manage teleworkers during crises, effective communication strategies for remote teams, and the impact of telework on leaders’ well-being.

Author dc:creator

• Jóhanna Garðarsdóttir 1977-

Contributors dc:contributor

• Háskóli Íslands

• Stjórnun og stefnumótun

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1946/43961

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:skemman.is:1946/43961