Background: The pandemic Covid-19 has led to large-scale changes globally; in the workplace setting, it has entailed a distinct increase in remote work. For individuals to deal with organizational changes in the workplace has historically been considered a significant challenge. Therefore, it is essential to understand how individuals cope with these changes and drive themselves while working remotely.
Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop a deeper understanding of how respondents in different organizations in Sweden coped with the change to remote work caused by Covid19 by viewing their coping strategies from a self-leadership perspective. In addition, the main affecting factors of this change process will be identified.
Method: | Ontology: Relativism | Epistemology: Social Constructionism | Research Approach: Inductive | Data Collection: 12 Semi-Structured Interviews | Sampling: Purposive / Convenience | Data Analysis: Thematic Analysis |
Conclusion: This study has developed a new terminology; Self-leadership coping strategies that showcase how the respondents of this study reacted, acted, and proactively coped with the change in the workplace setting due to Covid-19. Subsequently, challenging the passive view individuals have been assigned in previous literature and provided coping strategies in a new and highly relevant context. Additionally, three paradoxical affecting factors are presented and problematized.