Strategies for technology and culture integration for effective remote work

Purpose Remote work presents a significant opportunity to redefine the future of work and the workplace. This paper aims to examine how workplace culture and technology can be leveraged to make remote work a viable and long-term solution by using the theoretical lenses of social presence and social shaping of technology (SST). Design/methodology/approach Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 24 full-time employees working remotely and analysed using the Gioia method for qualitative analysis. Findings Technology and culture have enabled remote work and afforded benefits to remote workers. However, the new work environment raises new challenges for technology and culture to solve. The findings indicate that technology plays a key role in enhancing social presence, while organisational culture significantly influences how technology is used and developed. As most employees prefer hybrid work arrangements for the future, this study proposes strategies to address and mitigate the challenges associated with remote work. Originality/value This paper examines how two ubiquitous aspects of work, technology and organisational culture can be leveraged to answer the new challenges raised by remote work. This study suggests strategies to address the challenges associated with remote work, emphasising the need to enhance social presence and highlighting the role of organisational culture in the advancement of technology. This study proposes a conceptual framework for leveraging technology and culture to create an effective remote work environment.