A study by Dr Kieran Conroy of Queen's, Dr Stefan Jooss of the University of Queensland, and Professor Anthony McDonnell of University College Cork highlight how global workers transitioned from travel to virtual engagement and the long-term learnings from it.

The research records the experiences of managers and leaders engaged in cross-border work pre- and during Covid-19. It specifically focused on multinationals in the medical technology industry due to the unsettling nature of the pandemic on their supply chains and the significant demands on workers to increase the production of vaccines. The findings challenge the long-term assumption that global travel is the best way to effectively connect global workers and indicate the need for a more critical review of the effectiveness and well-being outcomes of global work approaches.

Speaking about the research, Dr Conroy, a Senior Lecturer at Queen's Management School, said: “Our research shows how the pandemic has transformed the future of work in multinational organisations.

"We focused on a variety of activities such as adjusting how workers build trust across their global teams and structure their daily tasks and schedules to manage increased workloads. It will come as no surprise that the pandemic was a highly disruptive event that created huge uncertainty for global workers, forcing them to reduce their dependence on travel and pivot to a virtual working world.

"What is helpful is that the study demonstrates how the future of work will unfold in global organisations in a post-pandemic setting. The findings will have implications for organisations that want to design their work in a more strategic way and for global workers that want to preserve successful careers in a sustainable way.

It will help global organisations to understand how to navigate complex work tasks so they avoid burnout and benefit from more sustainable careers in the long term. It also aids organisations in designing more effective structures and roles for individuals engaged in work that is demanding, hybrid, and international in nature.”

The full research paper can be found here.

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