From face-to-face to face-to-display management: An online survey

Covid-19 forced managers out of cubicles into their homes – to a face-to-display environment. To provide an insight into managers’ needs during the pandemic, the authors completed a survey addressing 900 Austrian, Czech and Slovak managers. A range of useful findings was uncovered, especially on how the managers approached the transition to e-working as well as their future perspectives after the epidemic. The results show favourable scores for e-management, modern technology and business communication, while maintaining informal communication seems to be problematic. Our data suggest that e-managers have come forward with novel and innovative types of collaboration. The data also reveal calls for better support. The greatest fear of managers, apart from concerns about families, friends, colleagues and acquaintances, is that their salaries may be cut. In general, they feel they can work at home as effectively as in the office. Women cope better with e-working than their male colleagues;parents and the young generation experience challenges working from home. © 2021 GEA College – Faculty of Entrepreneurship. All rights reserved.