The New Normal Worklife: Lessons from the Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 has contributed to a digitalization of communication, and in many cases to a distribution of an organization's workforce. Several organizations in Norway claim that they will adapt to a more flexible approach regarding allowing work from home (WFH) in a post-COVID-19 worklife and allow a more “hybrid” way of working.

This paper describes how the long-term crisis has unfolded in a large governmental organization. The focus for the investigations have been on how the employees have experienced working from home, and how this will impact their post-COVID-19 worklife, all with a Knowledge Management (KM) perspective.

Through qualitative interviews with managers’ and employees’ issues, like a lack of possibilities regarding informal communication and sharing of knowledge, have arisen. This implies that there is a need for addressing KM practices that secure a flow of information, learning conditions and job satisfaction in the post-COVID-19 workday.