Digital Alienation and Working from Home
Background and research question:
Working from home has experienced a massive upswing since the pandemic and research on the topic has also become more differentiated. In this context, studies reveal a heterogeneous picture of work experiences in the context of working from home. So far, the question of the significance of working from home for the experience of meaning at work and alienation has hardly been investigated. In this paper, we address the question of how knowledge workers who work from home experience alienation and ascribe meaning to their work. The paper distinguishes between different types of meaning-making.
Sample and Methods:
13 virtual group discussions with between 2 and 7 participants were conducted and analyzed between February and November 2021. The study is part of the DFG research project "Digital Alienation and Appropriation of Work". The group discussions were conducted as a combination of classical group discussions and group interviews.
A total of 50 people (30w/19m/1d) from Germany, ranging in age from 27 to 62, participated in the discussions. The sample includes highly qualified employees in science and academia, programmers, consultants in business and science, executives in IT, media and finance, and new-work experts.
Findings and Discussion:
While working from home is experienced largely positive, social isolation presents a significant challenge to finding meaning in work. For some respondents, isolation from colleagues is experienced as alienation from others, leading them to reevaluate why they work and what motivates them. Some conclude that they need to adjust the role of work in their lives. Participants also adopt various strategies to cope with stress and rediscover meaning. Overall, the paper highlights both the risks and opportunities of remote work for the experience of alienation and offers new insights into digital labor.