Ledarskap på distans : En kvalitativ studie om hur ledarskapet har påverkats av covid-19

Sammanfattning: This work aims to give the reader a deeper understanding of the challenges that arise in the event of forced digital leadership at a distance, as well as what characterizes a good leader during change with an uncertain future where communication takes place at a distance. At the end of 2019, the world was shaken by the covid-19 virus, which was soon classified as a pandemic. To reduce the spread of infection, one of the consequences of the pandemic was that organizations were forced to work remotely. Major changes within organizations needed to take place and managers would now lead their employees digitally at a distance. In this study, six individuals who provide managerial positions / leading roles within different organizations participated in semi-structured interviews in order to answer the study's two research questions. The study has used a qualitative method with a research design in the form of a case study. The study draws on the following theories in leadership; Transformative leadership, Transactional leadership, Situational leadership, Virtual leadership and Leadership under stress. Based on the collected empirical material and the previously mentioned theoretical basis, the authors have created a picture of the challenges that exist in leading at a distance and what characterizes a good leader. The study concluded that one of the biggest challenges in digital leadership at a distance is the lack of body language, which in turn affects communication. There were also challenges socially as it was considered more difficult to hold more relaxed and informal conversations when communication takes place virtually. In the study, the authors also concluded that good leadership during change is characterized by trust and a focus on the leader to see each individual as one and to give that person the best conditions in order to perform.