From Office to Online: Multi-Faceted Study of Remote Project Management Challenges and Adaptations

Authors

https://doi.org/10.22105/masi.vi.83

Abstract

Remote work, propelled by digital tools and changing employee expectations, has reshaped team dynamics. Yet project leaders still lack evidence-based guidance on which teams struggle, when, and why. We analyze the first cross-regional dataset linking project-level outcomes to individual well-being: reports from 79 project managers. The design is convergent mixed-methods. A two-level logistic regression explained 42% of the variance in deadline slippage and revealed a three-way interaction that raised the odds of remote-work failure by 3.7 (p < .01). Quantitative predictors included technical disruptions, time-zone coordination issues, communication barriers, work-life balance conflicts, home-office distractions, limited resource access, and cybersecurity threats. Qualitative evidence described adaptive practices and mitigation tactics. Organizations invested in digital infrastructure, adopted unified communications tools, used AI-assisted scheduling platforms, and provided continuous training. The study offers practical guidance to strengthen resilience, productivity, and sustainability in remote project teams while clarifying organizational implications of digital transformation.

Keywords:

Project management, Digital transformation, Organizational adaptation, Virtual collaboration, Virtual office culture

References

  1. [1] Research., G. (2024). Analysts: Jineh Ayati. https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/5778815

  2. [2] Santos, R. E. D. S., & Ralph, P. (2022). A grounded theory of coordination in remote-first and hybrid software teams. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2202.10445

  3. [3] Wheatley, D., Broome, M. R., Dobbins, T., Hopkins, B., & Powell, O. (2024). Navigating choppy water: Flexibility ripple effects in the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of remote and hybrid working. Work, employment and society, 38(5), 1379–1402. https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170231195230

  4. [4] Lakshmi, V., Nigam, R., & Mishra, S. (2017). Telecommuting--A key driver to work-life balance and productivity. IOSR journal of business and management, 19(01), 20–23. https://doi.org/10.9790/487X-1901032023

  5. [5] Yilmaz, A. A. (2024). The new work revolution: telecommuting, and flexibility rewrite the rules. The journal of social science, 8(16), 111–123. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1269665

  6. [6] Kraus, S., Durst, S., Ferreira, J. J., Veiga, P., Kailer, N., & Weinmann, A. (2022). Digital transformation in business and management research: An overview of the current status quo. International journal of information management, 63, 102466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2021.102466

  7. [7] Mariani, M., Wamba, S. F., Castaldo, S., & Santoro, G. (2023). The rise and consolidation of digital platforms and technologies for remote working: Opportunities, challenges, drivers, processes, and consequences. Journal of business research, 160, 113617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113617

  8. [8] Chen, Y., Cortes, P., Kosar, G., Pan, J., & Zafar, B. (2023). The impact of covid-19 on workers’ expectations and preferences for remote work. AEA papers and proceedings (Vol. 113, pp. 556–561). American Economic Association 2014 Broadway, Suite 305, Nashville, TN 37203. https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w30941/w30941.pdf

  9. [9] Aguinis, H., & Burgi-Tian, J. (2021). Talent management challenges during COVID-19 and beyond: Performance management to the rescue. BRQ business research quarterly, 24(3), 233–240. https://doi.org/10.1177/23409444211009528

  10. [10] Barrero, J. M., Bloom, N., & Davis, S. J. (2023). The evolution of work from home. Journal of economic perspectives, 37(4), 23–49. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.37.4.23

  11. [11] Aksoy, C. G., Barrero, J. M., Bloom, N., Davis, S. J., Dolls, M., & Zarate, P. (2022). Working from home around the world. Brookings papers on economic activity, 2022(2), 281–360. https://doi.org/10.1353/eca.2022.a901274

  12. [12] Leonardi, P. M., Parker, S. H., & Shen, R. (2024). How remote work changes the world of work. Annual review of organizational psychology and organizational behavior, 11(1), 193–219. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-091922-015852

  13. [13] Atoko, S. R. (2021). The impact of remote working on employee performance during the coronavirus (Covid19) pandemic. International journal of economics, commerce and management, 9(2), 369–383. https://ijecm.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/9223.pdf

  14. [14] Kitagawa, R., Kuroda, S., Okudaira, H., & Owan, H. (2021). Working from home and productivity under the COVID-19 pandemic: Using survey data of four manufacturing firms. PloS one, 16(12), e0261761. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261761

  15. [15] Al-Habaibeh, A., Watkins, M., Waried, K., & Javareshk, M. B. (2021). Challenges and opportunities of remotely working from home during Covid-19 pandemic. Global transitions, 3, 99–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glt.2021.11.001

  16. [16] Pullokaran, L., & Joseph, P. (2023). Working remotely: employees benefits and challenges. International journal of engineering technology and management sciences, 7(1), 34–37. https://doi.org/10.46647/ijetms.2023.v07i01.007

  17. [17] Flavián, C., Guinalíu, M., & Jordán, P. (2022). Virtual teams are here to stay: How personality traits, virtuality and leader gender impact trust in the leader and team commitment. European research on management and business economics, 28(2), 100193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2021.100193

  18. [18] Cucolaş, A.-A., & Russo, D. (2023). The impact of working from home on the success of Scrum projects: A multi-method study. Journal of systems and software, 197, 111562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2022.111562

  19. [19] Wöhrmann, A. M., Dilchert, N., & Michel, A. (2021). Working time flexibility and work-life balance. Zeitschrift für arbeitswissenschaft, 75(1), 74–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41449-020-00230-x

  20. [20] Battisti, E., Alfiero, S., & Leonidou, E. (2022). Remote working and digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Economic–financial impacts and psychological drivers for employees. Journal of business research, 150, 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.06.010

  21. [21] Urrila, L., Siiriäinen, A., Mäkelä, L., & Kangas, H. (2025). Sense of belonging in hybrid work settings. Journal of vocational behavior, 157, 104096. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2025.104096

  22. [22] Bellis, P., Cunial, M., & Trabucchi, D. (2024). Mastering hybrid worlds through digital leadership: The role of agility in fostering innovation. Business horizons, 67(4), 369–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2024.04.002

  23. [23] Höddinghaus, M., Nohe, C., & Hertel, G. (2024). Leadership in virtual work settings: what we know, what we do not know, and what we need to do. European journal of work and organizational psychology, 33(2), 188–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2023.2250079

  24. [24] Ertiö, T., Eriksson, T., Rowan, W., & McCarthy, S. (2024). The role of digital leaders’ emotional intelligence in mitigating employee technostress. Business horizons, 67(4), 399–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2024.03.004

  25. [25] Marnewick, C., & Marnewick, A. L. (2022). Digitalization of project management: Opportunities in research and practice. Project leadership and society, 3, 100061. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2022.100061

  26. [26] Jacks, T. (2021). Research on remote work in the era of COVID-19. Journal of global information technology management, 24(2), 93–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/1097198X.2021.1914500

  27. [27] Angelucci, M., Angrisani, M., Bennett, D. M., Kapteyn, A., & Schaner, S. G. (2020). Remote work and the heterogeneous impact of COVID-19 on employment and health. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27749%0A

  28. [28] Beland, L.-P., Brodeur, A., & Wright, T. (2023). The short-term economic consequences of COVID-19: Exposure to disease, remote work and government response. PLOS one, 18(3), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270341

  29. [29] Villamor, I., Hill, N. S., Kossek, E. E., & Foley, K. O. (2023). Virtuality at work: A doubled-edged sword for women’s career equality? Academy of management annals, 17(1), 113–140. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2020.0384

  30. [30] Stankevičiūtė, Ž., & Kunskaja, S. (2022). Strengthening of work-life balance while working remotely in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Human systems management, 41(2), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-211511

  31. [31] Marhraoui, M. A. (2023). Digital skills for project managers: A systematic literature review. Procedia computer science, 219, 1591–1598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.01.451

  32. [32] Bednarz, A. L., Borkowska-Bierć, M., & Matejun, M. (2021). Managerial responses to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in healthcare organizations project management. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(22), 12082. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212082

  33. [33] Rodoplu Şahin, D., Aslan, M., Demirkaya, H., & Ateşoğlu, H. (2022). The effect of COVID-19 on employees’ mental health. Scientific reports, 12(1), 15067. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18692-w

  34. [34] Gonçalves, M. L. A., Penha, R., Silva, L. F., Martens, C. D. P., & Silva, V. F. (2023). The relationship between project management and digital transformation: Systematic literature review. RAM. revista de administração mackenzie, 24(4), eRAMR230075. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-6971/eRAMR230075.en

  35. [35] Dulebohn, J. H., & Hoch, J. E. (2017). Virtual teams in organizations. Human resource management review, 27(4), 569–574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.12.004

  36. [36] Zamecnik, A., Kovanović, V., Joksimović, S., Grossmann, G., Ladjal, D., & Pardo, A. (2024). The perceptions of task cohesion in collaborative learning teams. International journal of computer-supported collaborative learning, 19(3), 369–393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-024-09424-5

  37. [37] Reunamäki, R., & Fey, C. F. (2023). Remote agile: Problems, solutions, and pitfalls to avoid. Business horizons, 66(4), 505–516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2022.10.003

  38. [38] Froese, F. J., Blay, T., Gibson, C. B., Shaffer, M. A., & Benitez, J. (2025). Global virtual work: A review, integrative framework, and future research opportunities. Journal of international business studies, 56(6), 691–719. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-025-00775-1

  39. [39] Tereso, A., Ribeiro, P., Fernandes, G., Loureiro, I., & Ferreira, M. (2019). Project management practices in private organizations. Project management journal, 50(1), 6–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972818810966

  40. [40] Fekry Youssef, M., Fathy Eid, A., & Mohamed Khodeir, L. (2023). Challenges affecting efficient management of virtual teams in construction in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ain shams engineering journal, 14(7), 102008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2022.102008

  41. [41] De Jong, B., Gillespie, N., Williamson, I., & Gill, C. (2021). Trust consensus within culturally diverse teams: A multistudy investigation. Journal of management, 47(8), 2135–2168. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320943658

  42. [42] Grant, C. A., Wallace, L. M., & Spurgeon, P. C. (2013). An exploration of the psychological factors affecting remote e-worker’s job effectiveness, well-being and work-life balance. Employee relations, 35(5), 527–546. http://doi.org/10.1108/ER-08-2012-0059

  43. [43] Blumberga, S., & Berga, S. (2022). Personnel loyalty, work–life balance during remote work. Proceedings of cbu in social sciences, 3, 20–27. https://doi.org/10.12955/pss.v3.300

  44. [44] Marzolla, M. C., Borghans, L., Ebus, J., Gwiazda, M., van Heugten, C., & Hurks, P. (2024). The impact of noise exposure, time pressure, and cognitive load on objective task performance and subjective sensory overload and fatigue. Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 46(10), 1001–1014. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803395.2025.2458539

  45. [45] Škiljić, A. (2020). Cybersecurity and remote working: Croatia’s (non-)response to increased cyber threats. International cybersecurity law review, 1(1), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1365/s43439-020-00014-3

Published

2026-09-12

How to Cite

Razaghi, M., Fathi, F., Doostmohammadi, A., & Ziari, M. (2026). From Office to Online: Multi-Faceted Study of Remote Project Management Challenges and Adaptations. Management Analytics and Social Insights, 3(3), 164-175. https://doi.org/10.22105/masi.vi.83

Similar Articles

11-20 of 45

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.