Work

Remote work, organizational control and environmental impact: A review and research agenda

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the world of work, with one of the most notable shifts being the widespread adoption of remote work. This transformation has had significant effects, both in terms of how companies manage internal productivity and how the environment benefits from reduced commuting. As scholarly output at the intersections of remote work and organizational control, remote work and environmental impact, and organizational control and environmental impact continues to grow, this systematic literature review (SLR) aims to provide a critical assessment of these research streams. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to critically examine the current state of the art, identify relevant research gaps for future contributions, and develop a cohesive theoretical framework based on these insights. The authors conducted an SLR of 126 empirical papers extracted from the Scopus database, focusing on emerging themes identified through iterative qualitative coding as well as key critical gaps within the sample. The findings illustrate that research on remote work has expanded considerably in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, yet several areas of knowledge remain unexplored. This SLR contributes to the literature by offering a critical and comprehensive analysis of existing studies on remote work, organizational control, and environmental impact.

Source: European Management Journal

DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2025.09.010

Authors: Laura Broccardo, Edoardo Crocco, Reeti Agarwal, Rsha Alghafes

Institutions: University of Turin, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University

Language: English

Topic: Work-Family Balance Challenges

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,160