Leading from afar: Hybrid leadarship for well-being

The project "Leading from afar: Hybrid Leadership for Well-being" explores how self-leadership and shared leadership in hybrid work environments can impact the health and well-being of employees in the public sector. In this project, hybrid work environments refer to workplaces that combine remote work and office work and are influenced by increased digitization of work. 

Previous research and project goal

In our previous research on the opportunities and challenges of hybrid work environments during the pandemic, in the Swedish public sector, we found an increased demand for self-leadership and shared leadership. The project aims to increase our understanding of how hybrid work environments and their requirements for self-leadership and shared leadership can have both positive and negative effects on the health and well-being of employees in the public sector. This is particularly important in the public sector where mental health diagnoses are the leading cause of long-term sick leave for both men and women.

Methods

In this project, researchers from RISE collaborate with four teams within Eskilstuna Municipality to support their development of self-leadership and shared leadership. This process includes participatory action research, where researchers actively participate and collaborate with participants to create change towards their own goals regarding self-leadership and shared leadership. Participatory design methods and artistic methods are used to support this developmental journey. 

To identify the teams' needs and evaluate the project's impact, quantitative data collection through surveys and qualitative studies, including photo elicitation studies, interviews, and observations, are conducted. Four control groups have also been included in the process. Their survey results will be compared to the results from the teams actively participating in the action research.

Self-leadership and shared leadership

By self-leadership, we mean increased autonomy for employees and influence over their own work, including greater involvement in decision-making at the team and organizational levels. With shared leadership, we refer to the idea that managers in hybrid work environments no longer have the opportunity for detailed control of their employees as in traditional hierarchical organizations. Instead, they need increased trust and to act more as coaches and facilitators who can create conditions for collectively developing purpose and shared work routines, as well as sharing decision-making with employees.