Digital remote work and changes in managerial control

The article contributes to the ongoing debate on the evolving spatiotemporal dynamics of organizational structures, work practices and relationships, and workplace interactions. It explores to what extent technology – and the associated spatiotemporal restructuring of organized work – is re-shaping the forms of managerial control within employment. These forms are stylized into three ideal types, which have been previously conceptualized drawing on an extensive body of qualitative and quantitative organizational research. Using data from the 2015 and 2021 European Working Conditions Surveys, the analysis reveals that digital remote work has significantly accelerated the emergence of “controlled autonomy” as a form of managerial control. However, this impact is less pronounced compared to that of digitalization and a broader trend that has been redefining employment for several decades. Moreover, the study finds that digital remote work increases the tension between work and other life domains, highlighting the ambivalent nature of controlled autonomy. The article concludes by suggesting that controlled autonomy may become the dominant form of managerial control in the long term, though it questions whether this trend will truly enhance employment.