The future of leadership and how hybrid work environments are changing organizations

Recently, the Production Technology Center organized an inspiring event on how leadership and employeeship are affected in the new hybrid work environment - a topic that affects most industries. Karin Högberg from University West visited Innovatum Science Park and presented her research results from the LeadHybrid project. The project examines how digital and hybrid environments are changing organizations in industry.

A rapid transition

The pandemic drastically changed the world of work, forcing many organizations to quickly transition to remote working. As offices closed and social distancing became necessary, digital tools became indispensable to keep business running. Leaders and employees had to adapt to new ways of communicating and collaborating, which presented both challenges and opportunities. This transition has led to a reassessment of what a workplace is and how work can be done effectively at a distance. Now, four years after the outbreak of the pandemic, we live in a hybrid work environment that brings different challenges.

Insights from the LeadHybrid project

In light of these changes, Karin Högberg chose to focus her research on this topic. The project has followed mainly two companies in the industrial sector - Ericsson (telecom services) and Bosch Rexroth (automation, mobile applications and industrial hydraulics) - to study how digitalization and hybrid environments affect leadership and employeeship. Both companies face the challenge of balancing the workplace with new digital ways of working.

The research focuses on how organizations can create a sustainable culture of innovation and development. It also looks at how leaders and employees can navigate between physical and digital environments. Key insights include the need for leadership to adapt to changing needs, and for employees to be given opportunities for skills development.

Culture and belonging in hybrid organizations

The results show that organizational culture changes when physical presence is reduced. It requires new ways of creating belonging and sharing knowledge. Leaders must learn to build trust without monitoring. Challenges in maintaining a common culture and managing different subcultures were also highlighted. It is important to find effective ways to use physical meeting spaces and ensure that everyone feels included.

The event was attended by an engaged audience who contributed to deep discussions on how to put these insights into practice. It became clear that there is a great need to understand how organizations can foster a dynamic and flexible work environment that meets the demands of the future.

We would like to thank all participants and hope that these insights can inspire further development within your organizations.

To find out more about the LeadHybrid project, click here.