The Rise of Digital Nomads

Sammanfattning: This thesis aims to explore the risk, opportunities and methods that managers identify as critical when considering managing digital nomads in corporate structures. In order to present an understanding of the role trust plays in a remote work structure. It discusses the importance for managers to build and maintain trust and identifies important methods to achieve it, in order to successfully incorporate digital nomads in companies. By highlighting the increasing contribution from digital nomads in corporate structures, this thesis problematizes the current lack of experience in managing highly independent remote workers together with the lack of academic research on the area. Therefore, a qualitative study with Swedish managers is carried out to deepen the understanding about how managers reason around remote work structures, with a specific focus on digital nomads. By these insights, this thesis identifies opportunities connected to becoming an attractive employer, attracting employees and prioritizing employee health, and identifies risks as difficulties in building close relationships, challenges finding a clear structure and issues related to policies. Further, the insights provide an understanding of important methods related to trust, as having an open-minded leadership style, providing regular check-ins, offering face-to-face interactions, and using cloud-based applications. This provides an understanding of the importance of reaching the second stage of trust in order to rely more on cultural controls when providing remote work opportunities. The conclusions from this thesis will help provide guidance to how managers can be the leading employers of the future.