Creating supportive technology-enhanced remote work environments: a review of the literature

Abstract

Purpose – Technology has enabled remote working at an unprecedented scale in recent years, with impacts on workers increasingly recognised. This study reviewed extant literature to investigate knowledge on how organisations support remote workers and types of technology-related supports utilised to improve the working environment for remote workers. Design/methodology/approach – A scoping literature review, guided by the Arksey and O’Malley framework, included scholarly literature published between 2010 and 2023 with a focus on technology and remote workers. About 42 articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Findings – The study reveals an increasing publication trend on the topic from 2021, with most papers reporting cross-sectional, mono-method designs located within Europe or the Asia–Pacific. Published study outcomes were distilled into five discrete themes (equipment, software, training, physical work environment and psychosocial work environment) and two cross-cutting themes (human resources and managers). These themes described characteristics and the inter-relationships that influence the technology-related supports for remote workers. Practical implications – The findings have practical implications for guiding HR practitioners in utilising technology-related supports to adapt contemporary, technologically evolving working environments that best support the social, economic and environmental needs of a productive and healthy remote workforce. Originality/value – Despite the increased prevalence of remote working, technology-related supports that best support remote workers are largely unknown. This literature review responds to a call for synthesising evidence-based research to identify and document organisational support mechanisms that support remote workers. The novel study reported here applies the technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework to determine how individual-, team- and organisation-level technology-related supports assist remote workers.