W ith so many people working from home or remotely during the pandemic for an extended time, it is logical to question if this environment has influenced the corporate culture. A new poll from AdapGility Consulting attempts to answer this question.
The results show a very mixed view of how culture has changed due to employees working from home, with about an equal amount of respondents saying that the culture of the organization has improved or that it has been diminished.
“How did working remotely affect the culture at your organization?”
– It is about the same 29%
– Improved 36%
– Deteriorated 35%
In a blog post on the topic, Wa’el Bibi of AdapGility Consulting explored the results and provided some insight on why different people saw remote work having such varied effects on the culture of the organization.
“Looking back at the basic components of corporate culture, we may assume that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed, to an extent, how people feel and think. It may have also changed our perspective on life, relationships, and values,” Bibi wrote. “The change could be positive or negative and it could be temporary or permanents! The change in the work environment/ place of work may also have an effect on mindsets and relationships.”
In other words the view on how remote work has affected the culture might be determined more by how individuals view remote work itself. To some it is provides a better work/life balance, cuts down on the time and cost of commuting, increases flexibility and lowers stress. To others, it can create a more difficult work environment by creating a feeling of isolation, lack of focus, and create more difficulties with communication and collaboration.
A separate study conducted by Quartz and Qualtrics found that 37 percent of respondents thought that the corporate culture has improved since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. That study also found mixed views on how employees view working from home. According to the results, 54 percent of respondents said they enjoyed working from home, while 19 percent said they disliked it. How individuals feel about working from home is likely to color how they view remote work’s impact on corporate culture.
Burned Out
Regardless of their views on how working from home has affected the culture of the organization, it is clear that the pandemic is taking a toll on American workers. According to the Qualtrics study, 47 percent of respondents report that they have felt “burned out” at some point since the beginning of the pandemic.
It is also clear that even when the pandemic is over, the work environment might not return to its pre-pandemic norms. One result is likely to be a lasting or permanent shift to workers spending more time remotely when possible. According to the Qualtrics study, 68 percent of respondents said they were interested in working from home some or all of the time going forward. 
Joseph McCafferty is editor & publisher of Internal Audit 360.