Out of sight and out of mind? A literature review of occupational safety and health leadership and management of distributed workers

Abstract

Distributed workers - those who work autonomously and remotely from their organization’s main locations for at least some of their work-time, are an important and growing proportion of the workforce that share common characteristics of temporal and spatial distance. Yet many leadership styles and management practices assume face-to-face interaction, potentially rendering them less helpful in trying to ensure good occupational safety and health (OSH) outcomes for distributed workers. We conducted a systematic literature review to examine the leadership and management of OSH for distributed workers. Twenty-three papers were identified. Eleven papers identified established leadership styles, including leader-member exchange, (safety-specific) transformational and considerate leadership. Twenty papers examined management. Findings from these 20 papers were interpreted as representing resources, deployed through management and utilized by managers to ensure OSH for distributed workers, including communication technologies, social support, and a good safety climate. Despite limited research in this area, findings indicate the importance of both leadership and management in ensuring OSH for distributed workers. Findings suggest a fertile area for future enquiry

E-Leadership and Teleworking in Times of COVID-19 and Beyond: What We Know and Where Do We Go

“…Telework, telecommuting, or working remotely is a wide-ranging concept that covers any paid work performed from a distance in any place different from the physical presence in the organization where employees meet organizational objectives through ICTs, sometimes managing their own time under less direct supervision (Wojcak et al, 2016). These employees usually work remotely with autonomy for at least a few days of their labor time (Nayani et al, 2018). However, Bentley (2014) highlighted the importance of delimiting the notion of telework to avoid confusion with employees who work for companies from outside, such as those who work in call centers or as freelance employees.…”

“…In other words, teleworking is more feasible and even improves the efficiency of the traditional role of management (i.e., planning, budgeting, control and establishing administrative procedures) than exerting effective leadership (i.e., influence others to achieve organizational goals) through electronic devices. According to Nayani et al (2018), both leadership and management are equally important in teleworking. However, adapting traditional leadership practices to a technologically mediated environment is more complicated (Pulley and Sessa, 2001).…”

“…E-leaders should develop effective communication skills, that is, select a suitable communication tool, provide relevant and contextual communication considering possible cultural differences, provide positive feedback to the teams, and recognize their performance. Nayani et al (2018) According to the authors, effective e-leadership is not only use of ICTs but also implies that when this media offers the best advantages, select the most appropriate one, based on the needs, using face-to-face communication channels where more appropriate, integrating distance and non-distance methods, according to the purposes.…”

“…The possibility of building effective teams consisting of people with different experiences, from diverse cultures and knowledge of different fields, regardless of the time and distance, is enormous. Nayani et al (2018) explained that although distributed workers are diverse, they share common work characteristics of temporospatial distance from coworkers, managers, and leaders. A virtual environment provides opportunities to interact and establish connections with people around the world (Cortellazzo et al, 2019).…”

Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Vicarious Traumatization: a Qualitative Review and Research Agenda

“…For example, technological advancements may provide increased risk for empathy-based stress, as well as increased opportunities for intervention. More occupational health research in recent years has been dedicated to studying the benefits and adverse effects of "telework" (e.g., Hartig et al 2007;Nayani et al 2017;Nijp et al 2016). Although the increased flexibility and connectivity afforded by technology can be advantageous for workers, the infiltration of "work life" into "non-work life" and the inability to "unplug" may pose threats as well, particularly when considering prolonged empathic engagement and the potential effects thereof.…”