An Exploration of Organizational Culture in the Remote Work Environment: A Delphi Study

This study was an exploration of organizational culture in the remote work environment. A classical Delphi study was selected as the most appropriate research methodology available for this exploratory work. The subject matter, organizational culture and the remote work environment were identified as worthy of study given the well-recognized relationship of organizational culture to organizational success and the recent large-scale increase in the number of remote workers initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, the researcher led a diverse panel of experienced remote worker managers through a confidential consensus-building process of three rounds of online questionnaires. The results from the study were analyzed and interpreted in the context of Edgar Schein's three element model of organizational culture (artifacts, values, and assumptions) combined with social constructivist learning theory. It was determined that the remote work environment does present several key culturally relevant factors. A total of 97 survey factors were identified, 88 of which achieved consensus by round three. Several key themes were identified including the critical need for trust and to create the opportunity for informal interactions that aid in trust, relationship building and cultural diffusion. Additional focus areas for leadership and management were identified including new skill sets needed for the remote work environment, the importance of consistency, and establishing the norms or acceptable remote environment behaviors. Context or organizational culture type is also discussed. Effectively, if an organization transitions to a dominantly remote work environment, several cultural adaptations are necessary to encourage success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]