Hybrid Leadership as a Balancing Act - Qualitative Insights from a Financial Institution

Schwehn TJ, Meier F, Laumer S (2025)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution

Publication year: 2025

Series: 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS)

Pages Range: 1-10

Event location: Hawaii US

Abstract

We explore the challenges and dynamics of hybrid leadership in organizations transitioning from traditional on-site to hybrid work environments. Using a qualitative single case study approach, we conducted 23 semi-structured interviews with hybrid leaders and employees at a financial institution. Our findings reveal three core paradoxes: ‘change vs. normality’, ‘digital connectivity vs. digital separation’, and ‘trust boosting vs. trust challenging’. These paradoxes highlight the complex balance hybrid leaders must achieve between leveraging technology for efficiency and maintaining interpersonal connections and trust. We propose that hybrid leadership requires new skills and strategies to navigate these tensions effectively. The study contributes to theory and practice by highlighting how the three identified paradoxes impact hybrid work and hybrid leadership. Our findings underscore the importance of adopting both/and approaches to address the presented paradoxes of hybrid leadership in hybrid work.

Authors with CRIS profile

Tim-Julian Schwehn Schöller Endowed Chair for Information Systems (Digitalization in Business and Society) Florian Meier Schöller Endowed Chair for Information Systems (Digitalization in Business and Society) Sven Laumer Schöller Endowed Chair for Information Systems (Digitalization in Business and Society)

How to cite

APA:

Schwehn, T.-J., Meier, F., & Laumer, S. (2025). Hybrid Leadership as a Balancing Act - Qualitative Insights from a Financial Institution. In Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) (pp. 1-10). Hawaii, US.

MLA:

Schwehn, Tim-Julian, Florian Meier, and Sven Laumer. "Hybrid Leadership as a Balancing Act - Qualitative Insights from a Financial Institution." Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Hawaii 2025. 1-10.

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