Att våga lita eller vilja styra? : En kvalitativ studie om ledares erfarenheter av kontroll och tillit i hybridarbete

Sammanfattning

Digitalisation has meant that work is no longer tied to physical workplaces, and remote work has increased significantly since the corona pandemic. During the pandemic, the concept of hybrid work developed which is a combination of remote work and on site work, placing new demands and challenges on leadership. Reduced physical presence requires ways to replace visibility, while micromanagement and control can have negative effects. Leaders need to promote trust while at the same time ensure work results. The purpose of this study is to highlight leaders' experiences of hybrid work, with a particular focus on how control and trust can be expressed in the leadership, and how these aspects relate to each other. Previous research shows that remote work creates both tensions and interactions between control and trust. The study’s theoretical framework is used to define the concepts of control and trust. A qualitative method was used in this study. The study analyses six semi-structured interviews with leaders who lead hybrid work teams. The results show that control is not described by leaders as micromanagement but rather as a form of overview and support. Check-ins and digital tools are used to create transparency in the work. Trust is described by leaders as relational, individual-based and dynamic. Control and trust interact in a conditional relationship where control is used to restore and maintain trust rather than replacing it. The balance between control and trust is changeable, which is particularly visible in a context that varies between physical presence and distance.