Workers’ Psychophysical Health and Engagement in Hybrid Contexts: How to Build Sustainable Organizations amidst the Technological Revolution

Dear Colleagues,

The world of work is undergoing a profound transformation, sustained by rapid technological advancements and the widespread adoption of remote work practices (Chen and Huang, 2023). As organizations navigate this paradigm shift, they are progressively recognizing the critical need to prioritize the mental and physical well-being of their workforce, while simultaneously fostering sustainability. While offering flexibility and autonomy to employees, hybrid models also present unique challenges (Grant et al., 2021). Hybrid work models challenge traditional notions of organizational culture and identity, while structurally modifying the socio-technical aspects of the workflow. Ensuring equitable treatment and opportunities for both remote and in-person employees requires paying careful attention to employees’ wellbeing, performance evaluation, and career development (Smith and Jones, 2024).

This Special Issue plans to provide an overview of the most recent advances in workers’ mental and physical health within evolving business landscapes, including the emerging challenge of technostress. Specifically, it aims to investigate the impact of hybrid work on employee stress levels, burnout, and mental health, exploring factors such as blurred boundaries between work and home life, social isolation, effective leadership strategies for managing hybrid teams, and diverse approaches to performance management in hybrid work environments, including challenges related to evaluating productivity and providing feedback. Moreover, the Special Issue aims to understand how technology may systematically replace human thinking and inventive capabilities via pre-determined marketing templates for human living (Stiegler, 2015) and personal work formation.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Workers’ wellbeing
• Work-related health outcomes
• Technostress and the worker–technology relationship
• Digital transformation
• New forms of employment and hybrid models
• Decent work and sustainability
• Job design
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
• Mixed Human-Robot/Chatbot Teams

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

References

Chen, L., & Huang, Y. (2023). The Role of Technology in Facilitating Remote Work: Opportunities and Challenges. Information & Management, 60(1), 103410.

Grant, A. M., et al. (2021). Remote Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Employee Well-being and Productivity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(4), 518–529.

Smith, K., & Jones, R. (2024). Managing Hybrid Teams: Strategies for Equity and Inclusion. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 45(3), 289–304.

Stiegler, B. (2015). States of Shock: Stupidity and Knowledge in the 21st Century. New York, NY: Polity Publishers.

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Giorgi
Dr. Monica Thiel
Guest Editors

Georgia Libera Finstad
Guest Editor Assistant

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• occupational health
• technostress
• digital connectivity
• sustainability
• hybrid contexts
• human–technology interface