New Work Arrangements — A Review of Concepts and Theories

Abstract

Much has changed since Frithjof Bergmann’s seminal thoughts on New Work (1994; 2004): For example, mobile devices as well as virtual communication and cooperation have entered the business world and have brought forth a new economy, agile work processes, new employment relationships, leadership styles, co-working tools, and an enhanced spatial and temporal flexibility (for a review, see Aroles et al., 2019). The present special issue on “New Work Arrangements” was initiated to revise and refine the underlying concepts and theories to account for these path-breaking developments. When we made our call for submissions in late 2019, our main observation was that research on work and leadership has been neglecting the pervasive presence of technology in organizational work (Orlikowski & Scott, 2017). We argued that these changes in work methods and organization are so profound that common theories and concepts need to be revisited to see if they still do justice to the changed situation. Shortly thereafter, the world was hit by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The corresponding restrictions on social contact and mobility catalysed, whether desired or not, the widespread use of virtual collaboration and communication tools, as well as flexible work arrangements that account for the various needs and duties of employees’ private lives (e.g., home-schooling). Much of what has been unthinkable in advance (e.g., video conferences instead of business trips, flexible forms of mobile work or home office) has proven beneficial for companies as well as employees. Hence, in the ‘new normal’ of the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis in Western industrialized nations, it seems clear that many of the new approaches will be maintained. Revisiting forms of New Work, as well as related challenges and opportunities, is now more important than ever.