Why do managers want their workers to come back to the office? | AUT Modern Work Matters

Welcome to Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT) Research Matters! 🚀 AUT’s Research Matters video series is where AUT academics answer everyday questions about their fields of expertise. Get the answers to those questions you’ve always had – or maybe never knew to ask. Have you been encouraged back to the office after a few years of working from home? Have your workplace relationships or productivity been impacted by hybrid working? Rachel Morrison, Associate Professor at AUT Business School, is here to answer your questions about work and wellbeing. 00:00 Introduction 00:27 Covid made working from home a reality for many workers, but now there seems to be a move against working from home. Why? 01:37 What are the pitfalls of hybrid working? 02:43 If you’re given a choice between working in an office or in an open plan workspace, what do you choose and why? 03:09 Open plan seems to be the default for most offices. Is it just a way for organisations to save money? 03:23 Does everyone benefit from hybrid working? 05:10 I work with my best friend, but it can feel complicated in the office – is this normal? 06:55 Is hot-desking still a thing? 07:50 My colleague talks too much and too loudly in our open plan space. What can I do to change this? 08:30 What are the challenges for neurodivergent employees when it comes to open plan workspaces? 09:08 Is there evidence that biophilia – having elements of nature in the workplace – actually works? 09:31 What’s the key to being productive at work? 10:16 Is it true that women are better managers? 11:14 I’m a manager of a big, productive, hybrid team. How do I get them to come to work more? 📖 Read Rachel Morrison’s articles about modern working in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/nz/search?q=rachel+morrison 🔎 Learn more about Rachel Morrison https://academics.aut.ac.nz/rachel.morrison 📕 Read more research about modern working: Location Matters: Everyday Gender Discrimination in Remote and On-site Work (Organisation Science) [https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.16949] Framing remote work as anti-racist promotes solidarity among Asian Americans (Northwestern University) [https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/2qj9u_v2] A Comparison of Psychological and Work Outcomes in Open-Plan and Cellular Office Designs: A Systematic Review (Sage Open) [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2158244020988869] 🎓 Interested in studying at AUT Business School? https://www.aut.ac.nz/study/study-options/business