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Remote Work in an Irish post Covid-19 society: A Qualitative study of how organisations can use Remote Work as Retention Strategies

Queiroz de Oliveira Santos, Amanda (2021) Remote Work in an Irish post Covid-19 society: A Qualitative study of how organisations can use Remote Work as Retention Strategies. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

Remote working is a relatively new subject within the organisational scene and academic community. Until recently, the practice was adopted only by a limited number of organisations as a flexible working arrangement. There was a preconception linked to it since it was thought that most tasks could only be performed onsite, which was proved wrong when the world had to answer to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

Unquestionably, society will not revert to what it was before the pandemic. In this scenario, organisations will need to adapt to new requirements in order to retain and attract talents. This study proposes to analyse people’s experiences and perspectives about Remote Work (RW) during the lockdown in Ireland. Data was collected through a qualitative online questionnaire and analysed with Thematic Analysis. Experiences shared by participants from 6 different groups were compared to reach a better understanding.

The findings of this research aimed to assess if the practice could improve employees’ flexibility and work-life balance, analyse barriers and their possible resolutions and also investigate the respondents’ opinions regarding “The Right to Disconnect” and regarding the adoption of a Mixed Approach. By answering these questions, this study hoped to understand the employees’ perspectives and how organisations could adopt RW and use it as a retention practice.

The conclusion of the findings showed that people do want to continue working remotely in the future. Although they also find it essential for organisations to address disconnection barriers and the lack of interaction with colleagues. Some respondents mentioned preferring a Mixed Approach, alternating both remote and onsite, since it enables an increased contact with colleagues. It was also noted that, in this scenario, offering the employee the flexibility to choose whether to work remotely, onsite, or mix them, can have more efficiency in retaining employees.

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Human Resource Management > Employee Retention
H Social Sciences > HM Sociology > Groups and Organisations
D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain > Ireland
Divisions: School of Business > Master of Arts in Human Resource Management
Depositing User: Clara Chan
Date Deposited: 27 Jan 2022 11:26
Last Modified: 27 Jan 2022 11:26
URI: https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/5345

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