Manager’s perspectiveof competencedevelopment andknowledge sharing whentelecommuting : How competence development & knowledgesharing interactions is affected by telecommutingduring the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the trends that occur in competence development and knowledge sharing during the Covid 19 pandemic. The focus was on the changes for office workers who now telework due to government restrictions on workplaces. To answer the research questions, a qualitative method was used in which semi-structured interviews were collected. Data was collected from five managers who work in offices where a remote work-from-home solution has been implemented regarding the pandemic and its limitations. The interviews were transcribed and then analysed to find themes and categories. Contributions were made to social exchange theory and the areas of competence development and knowledge management. The conclusion of the study revealed that there are tendencies that have affected competence development and knowledge sharing interactions. The trends are less effective training, a decrease in informal communication, and changes in knowledge sharing interactions. A suggestion for further research is to examine employees and how their effort to share knowledge changes when they work remotely. This is based on the interviews in this study, where there could be employees who are afraid of being recorded or fired, which could lead to an employee valuing knowledge more than before and preferring to keep it to themselves. This could eventually lead to a conflict of interest between employers and employees, meaning that employers want employees to share their knowledge.