Page 172 - WHERE WE WORK - Schlegelmilch

General discussion
In chapter 4, I used self-reported data on innovative work behaviors. I argue that self-report measures are appropriate in this case because employees’ awareness of these situational and more subtle influences is higher (Shalley et al., 2009) and based on more complete information (e.g., history, context, intention) than is accessible to the supervisor. Also, previous studies have found that self-reported measures of innovation correlate with supervisor ratings (Axtell et al., 2000). Also, I ran additional analysis to test for the likelihood of this bias in my data because all self-report data may be subjected to common method bias (Podsakoff et al., 2003). I encourage future research to use other research designs to complement our research. For example, data of analogue and digital interactions in combination with geo-location sensors in a workplace could help to understand worker behavior in these locations.
5.4 Implications for workers and organizations
As I am formulating these implications of my research for organizations and workers, the COVID-19 pandemic is holding the world in its grip. Its impact on the way we work is undeniable as the articles in Harvard Business Review or The New York Times attest to (Bernstein et al., 2020; Boland et al., 2020; Yoon, 2020). The sudden change towards full- time remote work for white collar workers has forced companies and workers alike to take part in the “largest work-from-home experiment” ever (Bernstein et al., 2020, p. 1). As most workers are getting accustomed to the ‘new normal’, many companies are asking whether they should return to the office once, hopefully, we have the virus under control.
My findings affirm that organizations and workers should take the physical workplace deliberately into account because it has implications for how digital work is conducted. Specifically, I suggest three key learnings: (a) redesign the way you work, (b) make places work for (remote) work, and (c) share places to foster weak ties. Hereafter, I will touch upon these three key learnings to provide guidance for workers and organizations as they move forward. I base these take-aways on my empirical work above as well
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