Is a 'virtual world' the future of work?

If you have already mastered the art of working virtually and enjoyed the flexibility of such a work setup, then worry no more, as research suggests that virtual work is here to stay.

As nations implemented COVID-19 lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus, the work landscape shifted to Zoom calls and Google meetings. In an instant, everyone in the workplace was invited to their colleagues’ personal spaces.

However, what radically changed in the work setup is the absence of a physical leadership hierarchy, which according to research, might be good for a worker’s career.

Advantages of the virtual workplace

Case studies conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) showed that from a psychological view, the equal hierarchy inadvertently created by the virtual world gives lower-ranking employees the courage to speak up and present their work insights.

“Many of the traditional trappings of leadership, such as the seat at the head of the table, disappear; screen real estate is the same for everyone,” an article on the research stated, according to Probono Australia, a media company that reports on the “social economy.”

“This shift in perspective encouraged junior people to speak up more often and made meetings more participatory,” it added.

The Boston Consulting Group (BSG), a consulting firm focusing on transformational leadership and research, also noted that “not only were there more opportunities for career growth during the pandemic in a corporate context, but that productivity rose,” the Probono Australia reported.

Employees should make the best out of the virtual corporation. As Probono Australia noted, as we navigate to a post-pandemic era, studies about the future landscape of work “all revealed that the future of work is now.”

Likewise, authors of a bestselling book on virtual management, William Davidow and Michael Malone, noted that virtual corporations are “central to the new business revolution,” and explained that virtual organisations symbolize structures driven by specific market opportunities, Probono Australia said.

A glimpse at the history of the traditional hierarchy reveals that at the start of the industrial age, when society saw the rapid development of industries and machinery,  people utilized such an order to promote leadership and increase productivity.

“The pyramid hierarchy we are all familiar with was first developed in the United States in the late 1800s and cemented in the 19th century with the advent of mass production,” Probono Australia said.

The media company further cited Frederick Winslow Taylor’s book, the Principles of Scientific Management. The noted industrial engineer proposed principles of designing and supervising mass-production facilities.

Thus, as people embrace a new work setup that deviates from the traditional hierarchy, not only are employees’ voices being heard more, but they also have increased opportunities that await them.