Conforming to the new normal : a case study of leading virtual teams during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more companies are allowing their employees to work from home and consequently, impacts leadership. The purpose of this study is to investigate how managers in IT consultancies have experienced distance management during COVID-19 and what their key takeaways for the post-COVID-19 era are. The thesis has used a case study consisting of seven case companies, to answer the research question where the focus is on carefully selected managers as interview persons. Furthermore, with the help of a systematic literature review we have identified five main areas which are the basis for our theoretical framework. Throughout the study, the collected data is related to five main areas, which are: leadership, communication, trust, collaboration, and meetings. The key takeaways are the difficulties of leading a team over distance. Communication is more important than ever. How you best create a trustworthy workplace where the staff stands firm, trusts each other as well as maintain their cooperation at a distance are important and what approaches should be taken when it comes to virtual meetings. Lastly, this thesis contributes to the theoretical knowledge with the new framework and to the practical knowledge by providing guidelines for managers of virtual teams.