Teleworking and management: preserving the human link
When research informs managerial practice.
According to the Nobel Prize in Economics (1974) Herbert Simon:
"An organization is much more than a knot of contracts. It is a place that gives meaning to the lives of its members, not a space where the pains we undergo are simply rewarded with a salary."
In a world of work transformed by digital technology and the hybridization of collaboration methods, one essential question remains: how can we preserve the human link at the heart of the organization?
A recent study published in 2024 in Management Revue by Liisa Mäkelä, Jussi Tanskanen, Samu Kemppinen, Aija Siiriäinen and Laura Urrila provides valuable insight: it's not the quantity of communication that reduces loneliness at work, but the quality of interpersonal relationships.
Carried out among 1,600 employees of a technology company, the research shows that new employees in hybrid mode often feel more isolated than their experienced colleagues. This finding highlights the crucial role of relational management - that which listens, supports and creates meaning.
At EMIS Business School, we share this conviction: tomorrow's management is measured not just in performance indicators, but in the quality of the relationship, the ability to listen and the shared reflection.
The human challenge of hybrid work
Since the spread of teleworking, companies have been redefining the way they work together.
But while technology brings people together, it can also isolate them. Videoconferencing replaces informal exchanges, instant messaging saturates the day, and the sense of belonging is weakened. The study by Mäkelä et al. shows that this paradox is very real: new employees in hybrid mode feel lonelier than their experienced colleagues, despite a high volume of communication.
The researchers remind us that the quantity of interactions is not enough to create a bond.
What reduces loneliness at work is the quality of human relationships - trust, support and recognition.
Informal exchanges, often neglected, are in fact essential spaces for socialization, learning and cohesion. These seemingly "non-productive" moments are, in practice, the invisible pillars of well-being and collective performance.
The key role of relationship management
The study stresses that managers play a decisive role in this dynamic.
Their mission is no longer simply to coordinate tasks, but to forge links:
- Managers need to incorporate moments of informal exchange (during or outside meetings) to maintain the social link.
- Onboarding programs should include mentors or "buddies" to facilitate integration in hybrid mode.
- It's advisable to plan the tasks of new employees in a collaborative way, to avoid the isolation associated with excessive autonomy.
- The supervisor's role is crucial: he or she must ensure regular follow-up, offer feedback and create a space for open dialogue. - Finally, encouraging a synchronized presence in the office reinforces spontaneous interaction and team cohesion.
These practices not only foster integration, but also trust and loyalty within the teams.
What this teaches us at EMIS
At EMIS Business School, we believe that management is learned not just from books, but from experience, reflection and relationships with others.
The work-study program offers a unique opportunity to act, observe, analyze and learn to create meaning in every professional interaction. Because in a digitalized world and in the age of teleworking, the most enduring skills are not technological, but human and reflexive.
Read the article:
Liisa Mäkelä, Jussi Tanskanen, Samu Kemppinen, Aija Siiriäinen, Laura Urrila. Determinants of Work Loneliness in Hybrid Work: A Comparison Study Between Newcomers and More Experienced Employees. Manag. Rev. 2024, 35(4), 469-502. https://doi.org/10.5771/0935-9915-2024-4-469