Prof. Dr. Petra Nieken, M.Sc. Tom Reuscher

For this seminar paper a video was published, which can be found using the following link:
https://youtu.be/El7ntf_wv1g

Home office and the possibility to work from home and therefore being more flexible than working at an office has become more and more popular over the past years. Employees work remotely, save time and because of a more self-determined time management it facilitates combining work and family life.

But besides the advantages for the employees, it also comes with a lot of challenges, especially for leaders. Employees work from home instead of all together in the office. This means that there is no daily personal contact, both between employees and between leaders and employees. Spontaneous conversations and joint, informative breaks, which are important for the working atmosphere, are eliminated. As a result, the ability to work together and the feeling of togetherness diminish. Furthermore, the integration of new employees is only possible with even more initiative on their part. The inhibition threshold to address problems and discuss them with superiors is usually higher digitally than in person. This makes it more difficult for management positions to maintain an overview of the working atmosphere and activities of their responsible department. In times of home office, the leaders have to put a lot of effort, time and individual initiative to lead their team. The core question derives from the problems listed:

How can the leader's interaction with employees be maintained to ensure a motivating work environment even in the home office?