: Managing at a distance: The effect of telecommuting on the work roles of managers in the health care sector
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School of Business |
Bachelor's thesis
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Date
2021
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Mcode
Degree programme
(Mikkeli) Bachelor’s Program in International Business
Language
en
Pages
23 + 2
Series
Abstract
Objectives The main objective of this study was to examine how telecommuting has affected the work roles of managers in the private health care sector in Finland in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A literature review on the existing knowledge and theories about telecommuting was conducted in order to gain a theoretical and conceptual understanding of the underpinnings of telecommuting in the health care sector. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted by interviewing managers of a nationwide Finnish therapy clinic. Summary This study explores the impact of a sudden transition to telecommuting, in a field that has historically depended on face-to-face interactions with clients, namely the health care sector. The literature review provides an overview of the history of telecommuting and a consideration of the impact of the global health crisis of 2020-2021 on knowledge workers, particularly health care professionals. Moreover, a qualitative research study was conducted in order to gain insight into the experiences of how the transition to telecommuting had affected the work roles of managers in a Finnish nationwide therapy clinic. The findings of this research aim to reveal new, in-depth information about the implementation and experiences of telecommuting practices among health care professionals. Conclusions The findings of this study support the use of telecommuting as a medium to conduct client-facing and managerial work in the health care sector. However, telecommuters in the health care sector struggle to effectively interact with clients through information and communication technologies (ICT) and face the challenges of professional isolation and loneliness. The perceived benefits according to this research, on the other hand, include increased flexibility, enhanced opportunities for collaboration and an increased sense of accomplishment. Therefore, the effects of telecommuting on the work roles of managers in the health care sector are mixed. However, the benefits of telecommuting as a medium to conduct the work are considered by managers in the private Finnish health care sector to outweigh its disadvantages.Description
Thesis advisor
Black, KateKeywords
remote work, private health services, managers, organizational change