Introduction

In the Autumn 2019 worrying news started to flow from Chinese town Wuhan, how new type of virus has started to spread among the citizens. Neither individual persons nor Companies couldn’t imagine what to come. Covid-19 Pandemic came such in a pace that minority of the companies in Finland were prepared for the changes in modes of operations. The remote working recommendation was launched in the beginning of year 2020. Companies in knowledge intensive work were forced to take the digital leap, which was already about to come, but Pandemic accelerated it. Genuine need to digitize operations due to the remote working recommendations removed the biggest obstacles and resistance which would have been confronted without Pandemic. According to Talouselämä magazine (Talouselämä, 2020) Corona virus has been called as Black Swan of the economy, that anyone has not been able to be prepared for (Talouselämä, 2020).

Typically, an infrastructure project in the Case Company lasts about two years. There had been several projects executed abroad during the Covid-19 Pandemic times. All the projects had been managed to be constructed and commissioned despite of the Pandemic. Special effort and resiliency from project teams had been needed to cope over the exceptional times and occurred difficulties.

This article is based on the interviews of one Technology unit’s project management in the target company. It examined how the virtual leading has changed the project management practices enabling projects to cope during the Covid-19 Pandemic and how virtual leading was perceived to work according to leaders. Also, a Survey was conducted for case company’s employees (250) to examine how they have experienced remote leading and changes in modes of operations. The response rate was 44 %. Therefore the results are reliable.

Majority of the target organization’s employees have been working remotely more than 50% of their working time in between Spring 2020 and end of the Year 2021. Main tool in remote working has been Microsoft Teams, which has offered good enough communication and collaboration platform for projects to be able to survive during exceptional times. Employees have survived relatively well in remote working, and it suits well for about 85-90% of the employees. According to Melin (Melin, 2023) there are many good things linked to remote working, like more peaceful working environment and reduced number of disturbances. The case company’s employees had similar opinions and in addition they valued saved time and money because of reduced amount of commuting was needed during the pandemic. All of these are linked to well-being, which is essential factor for projects to cope, since the better employees feel the better is their performance.

One of the main findings of the study was that teleworking is not suitable for 10-15% of workers, either because of their personality or because they are used to working physically in the workplace with colleagues and need them.

Leaders’ perceptions of remote leadership

According to Melin (Melin, 2023) lack of trust has been one of the main impedes for the spreading of remote working. Project managers have realized that they must trust on the employees in remote working and concentrate on the end results. More follow-up and especially support by project management have been needed to ensure that all the tasks will be completed in time. Number of Teams meetings skyrocketed during the Covid-19 Pandemic, and everybody were occupied in the meetings during normal office hours. Other tasks were completed either during the meetings or outside the office hours. Passivity of the project team members in virtual meetings were complained by the leaders. According to Brutyan and Varis (Brutyan & Varis, 2023) it is more difficult to keep people active in the online meetings and be sure whether they are really present, and due to that it is important to keep people active by asking targeted questions and encourage them to put cameras on. On the other hand, the number of online meetings should also be kept to a minimum and only those who are really concerned should participate.

Project managers would have expected guidelines and training for virtual leading, how to confront different people virtually and get them to do given tasks effectively. Top management shall organize such a training to enable effective project execution even in exceptional circumstances.

Team members’ perceptions of remote leadership

Almost 70% of the target company’s employees have worked remotely more than 50% of their working time during Covid-19 pandemic. 60% of them have experienced that they have performed as well as usually and 35% of employees had a feeling that they have performed better than usually. Team members have perceived that they have been trusted well. Project management and direct supervisors got both relatively good evaluation that they have supported their subordinates or team members very well and main tool for communication has been a Teams call. According to Hansson (Hansson, 2014) Managers should contact their subordinates frequently, and it is also important to ask them “how they are feeling” -type of questions. The case company’s employees expected more frequent contact from their supervisors and more interest about their well-being during the remote working recommendation. Positive feedback wasn’t given frequently, and lack of empathy has been experienced a challenge in remote leading. According to Gratton (Gratton, 2021) tenure in company affects on the preferences, since people who have longer career in the company have created wide networks and it is easier to work remotely whereas people who have just started their career in the company are suffering lack of on-boarding, mentoring and coaching, which may be easier to arrange in office environment. In the case company the persons who have started their career in company just before Covid-19 pandemic or during it, have suffered the most. Support shall be arranged, and their special requirements and needs shall be taken into account.

Conclusions

Projects have been coping surprisingly well despite of Covid-19 Pandemic. Project teams have mainly worked hard, and resiliency of employees have been needed to enable projects to cope. Number of Teams meetings should be limited to allow everybody to have intensive working hours to complete the other work tasks during the normal office hours. In addition, the meeting organizer shall always carefully consider whom to invite in the meeting to keep meetings effective. Participants should be well prepared for the meeting and be more active. Leaders should pay more attention to confront people and be more interested in their wellbeing. Special requirements and needs of employees who have just started their career in the company shall be taken into account when arranging onboarding and mentoring to them.

References

Brutyan, A., & Varis, K. (2023, April 29). Collaboration Challenges of Hybrid Working Model. Retrieved from Turku University of Applied Sciences: Talk by Students: https://talkbystudents.turkuamk.fi/ict/collaboration-challenges-of-hybrid-working-model-in-knowledge-intensive-organizations/

Gratton, L. (2021). How to Do Hybrid Right. Harvard Business Review, 66-74.

Hansson, J. F. (2014). Etänä- Toimistoa ei tarvita – Remote, office not required. Helsinki: Kauppakamari.

Melin, H. (2023, April 23). Etätyö uutena normaalina. Retrieved from Tampereen yliopiston yhteiskuntatieteiden tiedekunnan verkkojulkaisu: https://www.tuni.fi/alustalehti/2020/04/24/etatyo-uutena-normaalina/

Talouselämä. (2020). 19 voittajaa / 19 Winners. Talouselämä 41/2020, 24-31.