This report examines how dispersed work arrangements influence employee burnout and what organisations can do to prevent negative outcomes. Dispersed work is understood as work that is performed away from a traditional, co-located office setting, including home office, unassigned workspaces and global virtual teams. While such arrangements promise flexibility, autonomy and cost savings, they also create risks such as extended working hours, blurred boundaries between work and private life, social isolation and role conflicts, all of which can increase the likelihood of burnout.
The analysis is grounded in two core theoretical frameworks. First, Media Richness Theory explains how the effectiveness of different communication media depends on their capacity to transmit rich information and reduce ambiguity. In dispersed teams, employees rely heavily on technology-mediated communication such as email and video conferencing. Selecting media that are too “lean” for complex or emotionally sensitive tasks can lead to misunderstandings, reduced cohesion and a lack of social support, thereby indirectly fuelling stress and burnout. Second, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is used to conceptualise burnout along three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment. These dimensions provide a structured lens for understanding how prolonged exposure to high job demands and insufficient resources manifests in individuals.
Drawing on recent research, the report highlights both the potential benefits and the risks of dispersed work. On the positive side, flexible working arrangements can support work–life balance, enable better alignment of work with personal needs and increase job satisfaction when accompanied by sufficient autonomy and organisational support. On the negative side, excessive screen time, permanent accessibility, lack of clear boundaries, inadequate managerial support and poorly designed communication structures can undermine well-being and contribute to burnout. Particular attention is paid to role conflicts, for example when employees struggle to reconcile professional and family responsibilities in the same physical space.
Based on these insights, the report formulates practical recommendations for organisations.
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- Anonymous (Autor), 2024, Managing Burnout in Dispersed Teams, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1675535
