PI: Melissa Valentine

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a large-scale shift to remote and hybrid work. Most company leaders plan to allow their employees to work remotely at least some of the time moving forward, yet they are grappling with how to transition to new work arrangements. We have negotiated extensive research access at a United States government laboratory, “LAB,” that develops cutting-edge science. LAB’s senior leaders have committed to using a design thinking approach to learn from their experiences adopting remote work during the pandemic. Through ethnographic research leveraging grounded theory, we will support them in developing solutions to three design challenges related to new space design, team design, and technology design for their remote and hybrid work strategies moving forward. Using this grant, we will produce at least four deliverables—one pertaining to each design challenge, as well as one related to the overall process of learning about design thinking in the context of organizational change. In doing so, we aim to develop a new understanding of how organizations can leverage design thinking to design organizations for effective hybrid work.

Team

Rebecca Hinds