Adapting to a More Flexible Future: The Role of Human Resource Management in Virtual Work

Éditeurs invités

• Fabian Jintae Froese, University of Goettingen
• Sumita Raghuram, San José State University
• Bradford Bell, Cornell University
• Tobias Blay, University of Goettingen
• Agnes Bäker, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Synthèse

Virtual work has become increasingly prevalent as organizations adopt flexible arrangements including remote work, hybrid models, and globally distributed teams. This shift reflects broader changes driven by digital transformation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and evolving employee expectations. While virtual work offers organizations flexibility and cost savings, it also creates challenges requiring strategic Human Resource Management responses across three interconnected domains: altered employment relationships, changing work schedules, and flexible work locations.

Research on virtual work has primarily focused on individual employee perspectives, while organizational-level HRM strategies, policies, and interventions remain underexplored. This special issue seeks to bridge this gap by examining how HRM can strategically manage the flexibility inherent in virtual work environments. The issue welcomes empirical, conceptual, and interdisciplinary research from diverse contexts that explores HRM's role in shaping effective virtual work arrangements while addressing both opportunities and potential drawbacks.

Thèmes proposés

• The role of HRM in altered employment relationships and managing transitions from traditional to flexible virtual work arrangements
• HRM strategies for managing employer-employee expectations regarding job autonomy, performance evaluation, and career development in virtual settings
• Employee commitment and organizational identification in virtual work and mitigation strategies
• Talent acquisition, retention, and workforce stability in flexible virtual arrangements
• Fair compensation, benefits, and career development opportunities in virtual work
• Employment regulations and legal frameworks shaping HRM strategies for virtual work
• Downsides of altered employment relationships and organizational solutions
• Virtual onboarding and socialization processes for maintaining employer-employee relationships
• HRM support for balancing work schedule flexibility and productivity
• Challenges and best practices for managing hybrid work and flexible shift patterns
• Impact of scheduling flexibility on employees and organizations
• HRM mechanisms to mitigate burnout and overwork in remote settings
• Equity and fairness in workload distribution with varying work schedules
• Cultural and generational differences in work schedule preferences and HRM adaptation
• HRM management and support for non-office work settings including working from home and hybrid work
• HRM implications for virtual teams operating within or across national borders
• Ensuring equity across dispersed workforces and out-of-sight employees
• Mentoring and fair career progression for remote workers
• Performance monitoring and accountability challenges in location-independent work
• HRM policies for navigating tax, labor law, and compliance in cross-border virtual work
• Fostering belonging and organizational culture in predominantly remote settings
• Leveraging digital tools for virtual collaboration
• Impact of return-to-office policies on employee retention and motivation