個案資料

FunctionFox Systems Inc. (FunctionFox) was a small company headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, specializing in project management and timesheet tracking software. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing restrictions, FunctionFox decided to move to 100 per cent remote work in late 2020 and sold the building where its office had been located. In early 2022, when the pandemic appeared to be subsiding, the president of FunctionFox was considering whether the company should continue with fully remote work, return to in-person work, or find a hybrid mode. She had to consider the pros and cons of each alternative and prepare a recommendation for her colleagues.

This case is intended for use in human resource management courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students should be familiar with general management concepts and theories, including leadership, motivation, and team management, so that these can be considered in remote-work and hybrid contexts. The case could also be used in a course on team building and management. It discusses the pandemic and corresponding growth in remote work around the world and considers the challenges and benefits of remote work, focusing on management and human resource considerations. Working through the case and assignment questions will allow students to do the following:<ul><li>Understand the benefits and challenges of remote work and compare remote work with in-person work.</li><li>Illustrate how both the individual and environmental context influences the success of remote work.</li><li>Explain how management must change to adapt to remote work and discuss effective management styles and approaches in this context.</li><li>Become familiar with the concept of a hybrid work environment and discuss ways of achieving a hybrid approach.</li><li>Apply concepts about remote work to a specific situation and evaluate different alternative approaches from a practical perspective. </li></ul>

• remote work, in-person, pandemic