Which hybrid work model is best for your business?

Which hybrid work model is best for your business?

Esther Tippmann (University of Galway), Pamela Sharkey Scott (Dublin City University), and Mark Gantly (University of Galway) discuss how businesses, including scaling businesses, leverage the rise of remote working to grow their business. In the article, published in the Harvard Business Review, they present four hybrid work models to be considered based on two factors: the core tasks and the importance of having employees in international markets.  

Our insights we wish to share with you:

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many organizations managed to successfully continue their operations with remote working. Now organisations are challenged to figure out their future organisational hybrid model. Many globally scaling businesses are leading the way as they are experimenting with new organisational models. Bringing together an organisation's task context (the balance between relational tasks, encompassing innovation and knowledge creation, and transactional tasks such as routinized exchanges) and its degree of internationalisation, international companies can consider four generic organisational models: large hubs, hubs and satellites, distributed, and global virtual.

What was the approach for the research?

To examine how leaders think about their organisational models, the challenges and opportunities as well as possibilities, 20 senior executives in different U.S. multinationals were interviewed. The multinationals included a mix of young, high-growth organisations and well-established global giants. Natively digital firms and firms that are fast-tracking their digital transformation, as well as businesses with physical product offerings were covered.

How might you benefit from these insights?

Leaders must choose the appropriate model for their organisation to capitalise on the opportunities that internationally distributed remote work has to offer. By better understanding the task context of the organisation's core activities and the competitive importance of having employees in international markets, firms can identify the most suitable generic organisational model for remote working at scale.

Link to the full article: https://hbr.org/2021/08/which-hybrid-work-model-is-best-for-your-business