Reconfiguring Work After Pandemic Disruption: Hybrid Work Challenges in a South African Forensic Organization

Abstract

The disruption of traditional work environments by the COVID-19 pandemic has attracted scholarly interest in different types of organizations, but we know little about resilience and adaptive challenges faced by forensic organizations in South Africa after disruptive times. The objective of this qualitative study was to examine the challenges of a hybrid working environment in a South African forensic organization following the COVID-19 pandemic.  The inductive qualitative study employed a constructivist approach. A total of 14 participants (5 managers and 9 support staff) were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data was collected using in-depth, semi-structured interviews.  Interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis to generate themes reflecting the nature and variety of challenges of a hybrid working environment in a South African forensic organization. The results revealed that the six significant challenges of hybrid working in the forensic organization after the COVID 19 pandemic include technical infrastructure issues, communication and collaboration barriers, work-life boundary management, performance monitoring and evaluation, cultural integration and team cohesion. The study concludes that strategies for equipping managers include the implementation of regular check-ins, the development of clear communication protocols, and the provision of targeted training and development programs. It is pivotal for managers and policy makers to not only ensure investment in resilient technical infrastructure and treat power and connectivity as critical components of justice delivery and hybrid work but also promote workplace flexibility after disruptive times.