The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of remote work, becoming the prevailing mode of operation for countless individuals. However, the widespread adoption of this practice does not imply a universally positive experience.
Undeniably, remote work presents several advantages, such as heightened flexibility, improved inclusivity for parents and individuals with disabilities, and enhanced work-life balance. Nevertheless, it is not without its challenges, particularly in the realms of collaboration, communication, and the overall work environment.
Making remote work
Recent research conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology has shed light on the factors that contribute to successful remote work arrangements. Drawing upon data from Glassdoor, a prominent employee review platform, the study discerned key elements that differentiate thriving remote work environments. Notably, companies that prioritized employees’ interests, fostered a sense of independence, promoted collaboration, and upheld flexible policies emerged as those most likely to cultivate robust remote workplaces.
“One of the biggest changes during the pandemic for all of us, for better or worse, was remote work,” the researchers explain. “The motivation for us in this research was to understand what makes some organizations more suitable for remote work and others not. We found that cultural aspects matter the most.”
Glassdoor proved to be an optimal dataset for the researchers due to its platform allowing employees to submit anonymous reviews, thereby facilitating the generation of more genuine feedback. While it is well-established that review sites tend to attract individuals with pronounced perspectives, this inherent bias inadvertently served the researchers’ purpose, as they sought out individuals harboring strong convictions pertaining about the corporate culture.
Ambivalence
“We are missing the people who are in the middle, but it also actually works in our favor because we really were interested in those positives and negatives,” the researchers explain. “We recognize the bias, but at the same time, it was still a pretty good data set for us to know the extremes of how people felt.”
In their quest to unravel the dynamics of remote work environments, the researchers undertook an extensive data collection endeavor, amassing a commendable corpus of over 140,000 reviews sourced from current employees within 52 prominent Fortune 500 companies.
This data was gathered during the period spanning March 2019 to March 2021, which coincided with the disruptive emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the notable entities included in this sample were Verizon, Walmart, and Salesforce. With a specific focus on the pros and cons section of Glassdoor reviews, the researchers proceeded to conduct a meticulous textual analysis.
To effectively mine insights from this wealth of information, the research team devised an algorithmic prediction task capable of discerning the cultural attributes present in companies prior to the pandemic that would foster favorable remote work environments.
A diverse approach
Their model harnessed a combination of statistical and deep learning methodologies, culminating in an impressive accuracy rate of 76% in correctly forecasting the existence of a company’s conducive remote work setting.
Drawing upon the principles of organizational behavior theory, the researchers adopted a comprehensive approach to dissecting company culture, delineating it into 41 distinct dimensions that were subsequently categorized into seven overarching subgroups.
These subgroups encompassed a wide range of facets, namely interests, work values, work activities, social skills, job structural characteristics, work styles, and interpersonal relationships.
Benefitting from a positive culture
Upon analysis, it became evident that companies exhibiting a positive culture for remote work excelled in three principal domains:
Firstly, organizations that fostered an environment wherein employees were empowered to pursue their own goals, interests, and work styles were perceived more favorably by their workforce. This emphasis on individual agency and autonomy emerged as a noteworthy attribute.
Secondly, companies that placed a premium on work values such as granting employees the freedom to make independent decisions while cultivating a collaborative atmosphere experienced heightened levels of employee satisfaction. This delicate balance between personal autonomy and collaborative endeavors emerged as a key determinant of remote work satisfaction.
Lastly, companies that demonstrated flexibility in terms of remote work arrangements and working hours were particularly adept at attracting and retaining talent. The ability to accommodate individual needs and preferences in a remote work setting emerged as a discernible advantage for organizations seeking to cultivate a conducive and engaging work environment.
A close link
In unraveling the intricate relationship between company culture and remote work, the researchers’ findings shed light on the salient factors that underpin successful remote work environments, providing valuable insights for organizations seeking to navigate the evolving landscape of work arrangements.
“We found these keywords in reviews like ‘work-life balance’ or ‘flexible work’ occurring frequently in the pros section of good companies,” they say.
In contrast, organizations plagued by toxic cultures often fall short in their endeavors to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Such companies tend to engender feelings of disrespect among their workforce and engage in unethical practices.
The findings of the study suggest that these outcomes are indicative of contrasting priorities among different generations of employees.
“There are a lot of reports of quiet quitting and the great resignation because millennials or Gen Z value culture a lot, in contrast to previous generations like Baby Boomers, for whom job satisfaction was largely about compensation,” the authors conclude. “Younger generations might say they’re OK with an average salary if they can have that flexibility in work hours, and that’s what makes these companies more favorable to remote work.”
