Remote control: Attitude monitoring and informal control in distributed teams

Abstract

Surprisingly, organizational control theory predicated on monitoring behavior and/or outputs has rarely been challenged or extended. The rise of remote work offers an important opportunity to (re)examine the underlying relationship between monitoring and control. Distributed teams, where members work remotely, call into question the assumption that control rests fundamentally on monitoring solely behavior and/or outputs. Using interview and diary data from managers of remote staff, we examine how managerial controls change when physical distance alters opportunities for direct observation. Findings reveal managers’ strong reliance on monitoring attitudes, suggesting an extension of Ouchi's Behavior-Output control framework to include attitude monitoring. We discuss theoretical implications and, using this observation, develop propositions to guide further theory development about informal controls in contemporary organizations, both distributed and co-located.