En diskursiv vändpunkt? – Distansledarskapets representation före och efter pandemin

Abstract

With the rise of digitalization and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, an increasing number of organizations have shifted from traditional work to more flexible and virtual work environments. This change has placed new demands on leadership, requiring leaders to adapt their methods to manage regardless of the work format. The aim of this study is to examine how discourses around leadership in hybrid and remote work contexts have changed before and after the pandemic by comparing bachelor's theses written before the pandemic (2013–2019) and after the pandemic (2024). The results of the study show that the pandemic led to few lasting changes in how remote leadership is portrayed, despite its societal impact. Most discourses were reconstructed post-pandemic, with the same positive and challenging aspects of remote work remaining central to strategic leadership. One change that the analysis highlighted concerns the perception of access to remote work. What was portrayed as a privilege before the pandemic is now described post-pandemic as an entitlement.