Accepting a Borderless Workforce through Change Management: Remote Work Integration within Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Centre Amsterdam (MSF OCA)

Abstract

Remote working has been explained by numerous academicians as form of employment conducted outside the confines of any organization physical scope and hours. Working without boarders has now become more than ever an important working domain especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. The effect of economic lockdowns led to innovation in working models across all sectors therefore increasing the important realization that work can be conducted in almost any environment apart from being confined to one specific physical space and hours. Humanitarian organizations have also engaged remote workers as part of their human resource. The specific problem is that remote work has been implemented within MSF OCA with no clear standard support systems to ensure its sustainability. The other problem being that there is no focused study on the improvement and integration of remote working within humanitarian organization such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Operational Centre Amsterdam (OCA) has been conducted. Key to note is that in addition to the general and specific management problem, there is also literature gap that addresses remote work improvement and integration within humanitarian organization. The purpose of this exploratory case study, using a critical incident technique (CIT), was to create a taxonomy of responses to the incidents that are critical for integrating and improving remote working within Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Centre Amsterdam (MSF OCA). Data was collected through in-depth interviews and transcripts from 16 research participants as the sample size. This study was anchored by a central research question, what are the employees and managers perception of remote work integration and how can remote work be improved upon. Data analysis was conducted using a 9 step data analysis process. The results revealed two primary themes and two secondary themes; the primary themes were human resources and onboarding and the secondary themes were employee wellbeing and employee development. Study therefore concludes that for effective remote work improvement and integration within MSF OCA, the use of change management strategies is key. The study comprised of recommendations and limitations. The study recommends that an integrated review of the current existing organizational remote working policy consisting of the actual policy reviews and remote workers consultation be conducted so as to attain a more updated and inclusive standardized remote workers policy.