Telework development before, during and after COVID-19, and its relevance for organizational change in the public sector

Abstract

Interest in, and implementation of telework, mainly working from home using ICT, has dramatically expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic due to government enforced lockdowns. This paper points to both earlier and current research as well as empirical evidence that telework reflects, and can be seen as a surrogate for, organisational change. The public sector has often lagged other sectors in implementing telework, but during the pandemic it has been forced to adopt teleworking practices and the necessary organisational changes in order to continue delivering its basic services. By surveying telework research starting in the mid-1990s up to the present, the paper outlines both similarities and differences in the telework and research themes identified. It offers explanations for these, and also looks towards the post-COVID future and how telework, and work in general, is likely to develop, taking public sector organisational change as the reference point. The paper thus addresses the following research questions: i) what are the common themes in research on telework in public sector organisations before and during the COVID pandemic; ii) how do disruptions impact the way individuals work in public sector organisations; iii) how can telework be understood as a surrogate for organisational change in public sector organisations; and iv) what are the future research topics on telework in public sector organisations?