Remote working, management control changes and employee responses during the COVID-19 crisis

Abstract

PurposeThe authors examine the impact of the sudden shift to remote working, triggered by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, on management control (MC) practices in professional service firms (PSFs). In addition, employee responses to these changes are explored.Design/methodology/approachThe authors carried out a field study of MC changes in PSFs in Italy, the first country in Europe that was severely impacted by COVID-19. Interviews with PSF employees form the primary data source. Pattern matching was used to identify similarities and differences and investigate how employees respond to the MC changes.FindingsAs a response to the shift to remote working, managers at PSFs made various MC-related changes. For instance, they increased the number of online meetings and made use of technologies to monitor employees from a distance. Employees reacted to this by engaging in “voluntary visibilizing practices”, i.e. by trying to make sure they got noted by their superiors, for instance by doing overtime. In addition, collected evidence suggests increased stress levels among employees, changes to employee autonomy, changed perceptions of hierarchies and a weakened sense of relatedness with others in the organization.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to examine the impact of the sudden shift to remote working on MC. In addition, this paper contributes by exploring employee responses to the MC-related changes. The findings add to the growing literature on MC and motivation, and the notion of voluntary visibilizing practices is mobilized to warn against over-commitment and self-exploitation.

Work-Related Mental Health Under COVID-19 Restrictions: A Mini Literature Review

“…Apart from the government mandates, teleworking, as a prominent measure initiated by many companies and organizations, also places strain upon employees' mental well-being ( 32 ).…”

“…As a working practice for some professionals to voluntary work offsite from the office, remote working initially attempts to provide flexible work-life arrangements ( 7 ). Compared to conventional telework, pandemic-induced remote working is mandatory in nature ( 33 ), and companies and organizations have never before enforced employees to work full time at home simultaneously in a global range ( 32 ). On the one hand, using telecommunication devices to complete work has significantly minimized the risk of spreading the virus through regular close contact with others ( 4 ).…”

“…Scholars report psychological symptoms induced by remote working during the pandemic ranging from stress, emotional distress, emotional exhaustion, and anxiety to depression ( 4 , 32 , 34 ). Employees' mental health issues are associated with their perceptions of the pros and cons of telework.…”

“…On top of that, the strict management control and monitor ( 32 ), deteriorated work engagement ( 37 ), and excessive job demand ( 34 ) can aggravate employees' mental health psychological symptoms during remote working. Also, employees in developed countries (i.e., Italy, Finland, Germany, U.S., Canada, Norway, U.K., and Australia) report similar positive (4/11 articles) and negative (3/11 articles) psychological impacts.…”

“…In contrast, clear and comprehensive workplace guidelines can reduce employees' psychological distress ( 22 ). Similarly, strict management control and excessive job demand during teleworking can lead to emotional exhaustion ( 34 ) and stress ( 32 ). Also, reduced work engagement during teleworking can cause employees' psychological distress ( 37 ).…”