Empowering from a Distance : Exploring Leaders Ability to Motivate in Remote Work Settings

Abstract: It has become more common these days for organizations to give employees the opportunity to work remotely. This trend was accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced many organizations to allow remote work in order to comply with the recommendations set by authorities. Even after everyday life returned to normal, many companies chose to adopt a model that allows employees to work fully or partially away from the office. However, the attitude towards remote work is not entirely positive. It has brought about changes for organizations, especially for their leaders. There has been a debate about which leadership style is the best fit for the remote work model, and this thesis aims to investigate how leaders within the big banks in Sweden have been affected in their perceived ability to motivate employees during remote work. To accomplish this, the authors have applied a qualitative methodology, conducting interviews with two different groups: leaders and employees. The interview results have been analyzed and connected to the theoretical framework derived from research on remote leadership and employee motivation. The results show that an active and motivating leadership style, without being overly monitoring or passive, is preferred in a remote work setting for leaders' ability to motivate their followers in these companies. The thesis also reveals that respondents express a desire for the opportunity for remote work, even though they are somewhat negative towards working remotely.