Quest for Meaningfulness and Adapting to the ‘New Normal’ in the Context of ‘Hybrid’ Work: A Qualitative Study

Description

Page: 461-466

Annvee Suri and Alka Bajpai (Department of Psychology, Delhi University, Delhi)

The COVID-19 pandemic experience led organizations and employees to adapt to newer forms of working and novel experiences in transacting work. Technological solutions supporting work from home (WFH) have also evolved to meet up with the demands of remote work. This has also led to a significant shift in the way organizations and employees approach work or believe that work can be transacted. The present study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of 10 human resource professionals through in-depth interviews wherein they compared office work pre-pandemic to office work through virtual mediums, reflecting upon nature of work engagement in office spaces vis a vis the virtual settings, balancing work and life commitments. Coding and thematic analysis suggest the emergence of an empathetic organization, the sanctity of office ‘space’ in facilitating work meaningfulness, and preference for hybrid work as the new normal. Some individual anchors of meaningfulness are also discussed. Data reveals a sense of a significant shift in employee expectations with a clear acknowledgment that hybrid work is the way to go. Implications for organizational policies and practices are discussed.