Schübbe, Katharina

The rise of remote collaboration tools is transforming team collaboration. Despite its current limitations, Virtual Reality (VR) technology has the potential to overcome the challenges of traditional video calls and enhance remote meetings in the future. This study compares the effectiveness of VR and video calls (MS Teams) on team collaboration. A total of N = 90 participants were performing a problem-solving task, and N = 127 were conducting a creative task in both conditions (VR and video call). Measures of meeting evaluation, engagement, performance, and fatigue were assessed. The results reveal that video call collaboration is superior to enhancing performance. In comparison, VR offers significant benefits regarding comfort, social interaction, and engagement, particularly with creativity tasks. However, at the current stage of technical development, using VR, regardless of the task, is exhausting and causes fatigue. This research highlights the potential of VR as an effective tool for remote collaboration, emphasizing the importance of selecting the right platform based on the specific needs of the collaborative context.

The rapid evolution of remote and hybrid work arrangements has fundamentally reshaped leadership dynamics, presenting novel challenges and opportunities. As "new ways of working" increasingly become the norm, their impact on our professional lives promises to be long-lasting. This study delves into several critical areas centring around good leadership practices in increasingly digitalized and virtual settings: 1) the applicability of transformational and health-oriented leadership styles in remote and hybrid settings; 2) the impact of effective leadership on employee outcomes; 3) the dependency of leadership effectiveness in remote and hybrid environments on specific working conditions; 4) the benefits that leaders derive from employing healthy leadership styles; and lastly, 5) the distinctive challenges leaders face when managing teams remotely versus in traditional office settings. Our findings are drawn from data collected from two samples throughout Germany and across all sectors. Sample 1 consisted 1318 leaders 2180 employees surveyed in April 2021, sample 2 were 907 leaders and 2124 employees surveyed in September 2022. In our discussion, we outline practical implications for leaders and HR professionals, spotlighting strategies for integrating effective leadership practices within remote and hybrid work frameworks. This study not only highlights the evolving nature of leadership in the digital age but also offers insights into fostering a productive and supportive work environment, irrespective of the physical workspace.

Im Rahmen des dtec.bw-geförderten Projektes „Digital Leadership and Health“ wurde eine wissenschaftlich fundierte und praxisnahe Lern- und Feedback-Plattform entwickelt, die Führungskräfte in ihrer digitalen Führung unterstützt. Die „Digital Leadership Assistance Platform (DigiLAP)“ ist ein Online-Tool, in dem sich Führungskräfte bezüglich der Chancen und Risiken des digitalen und hybriden Arbeitens, Führens und Zusammenarbeitens selbstständig weiterbilden können. In verschiedenen Basis- und Vertiefungsmodulen vermittelt DigiLAP Informationen zu relevanten Themen wie Gesundheit im Arbeitskontext, Führung, Zusammenhalt im Team oder Zusammenarbeit in Meetings. Führungskräfte haben zudem die Möglichkeit, ihre Situation bezogen auf die verschiedenen Themenbereiche anhand von Selbstchecks zu überprüfen und ihre Einschätzung durch Team-Befragungen mit der Sichtweise ihrer Mitarbeitenden zu vergleichen. Im „Cockpit“ können die Führungskräfte die Befragungsergebnisse anhand eines Ampelsystems im Blick behalten und Entwicklungsverläufe beobachten. Passend zu den Ergebnissen werden konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen und Übungen vorgeschlagen, welche die Führungskräfte dazu befähigen sollen, sich und ihr Team in den kritischen Bereichen weiterzuentwickeln. In einer ersten Testphase wurde DigiLAP von Führungskräften und FachexpertInnen aus Wissenschaft und Praxis ausführlich getestet und anhand einer quantitativen Befragung (N = 30) sowie im Rahmen von Fokusgruppen (N = 18) evaluiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass DigiLAP ein hilfreiches Instrument zur Weiterentwicklung digitaler Führungskompetenzen darstellt, welches Führungskräfte durch die eigenständige Bearbeitung sowie Möglichkeit der individuellen Rückmeldung flexibel und maßgeschneidert unterstützt. Nach Abschluss der Testphase wird die Plattform online (kosten)frei zugänglich sein, wodurch Führungskräfte im deutschsprachigen Raum von DigiLAP profitieren können.

Leaders represent a high-demand group in organizations. The effects of leaders’ personal and workplace resources on their health and work–life balance have often slipped under the radar, as most studies are directed outwardly and focus on follower outcomes. With this study, we closed a gap in the research and investigated the positive effects of remote work, autonomy, and leaders’ core-self evaluations (CSE) on two important leader outcomes: health and work–life balance. We hypothesized that the relationship between remote work and the outcomes would be moderated by leaders’ CSE and their autonomy—in such a way that leaders with lower resources benefit more from remote work and achieve better health and work–life balance the more days they spend working from home. A sample of 367 leaders reported their frequency of working from home, their autonomy, and CSE. Their health and work–life balance were assessed five months later. Results showed a moderating effect of CSE on both outcomes, indicating that leaders with low CSE benefit more in terms of health and work–life balance. There was no moderating effect of autonomy. Leaders with high resources (autonomy and CSE) had overall higher levels of health and work–life balance regardless of work location. Practitioners in organizations should consider working from home as a resource for leaders, particularly if personal resources are lower.