Informell styrning på distans : En studie om den informella styrningens betydelse för beslutskvalité vid distansarbete i större organisationer

Sammanfattning: Covid-19 has affected large parts of the society. This has meant societal changes and organizations have had to adapt to the new situation. An adjustment as a result of covid-19 was that several organizations changed to teleworking. Teleworking means that the direct supervision and control over the organization's employees disappears, which means that organizations also need to adapt their control systems according to the new situation. Informal control systems are used for the purpose of influencing employees' values, norms and behaviors. This in turn affects how individuals perform and make decisions. Previous research highlights that informal control decreases during teleworking. This qualitative interview study aims to create an understanding of the relationship between informal control, decision quality and teleworking in larger organizations. The results indicate that goal- and trust-based control systems work well in relation to telework. It does not require direct monitoring of the employees' work. Teleworking leads to reduced social interaction and as a result, communication decreases. On the other hand, it has been shown that organizations with an open organizational culture have continued to communicate through digital tools, consultation and discussion about operational decisions has thus continued. Which is positive for the decision quality. The interviewees who worked at organizations that actively worked with clear values ​​​​describe that they are helpful in decision-making. Which creates goal consistency. Communication through digital tools becomes more concise, which is described as both time-efficient but also as a problem. This is because misunderstandings and misinterpretations can occur. Informal digital meetings, information meetings and other activities increase the overall picture of the organization and reduce misunderstandings. The conclusion is that informal control systems and an open organizational culture constitute important mechanism for optimal decision-making in teleworking. Especially when working with complex tasks where more discussion and consultation is required.