Effect of hybrid working models in the Swiss financial industry

Article


Tellenbach, S., Bidault, F. and Haddock-Millar, J. 2025. Effect of hybrid working models in the Swiss financial industry. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-11-2024-2870
TypeArticle
TitleEffect of hybrid working models in the Swiss financial industry
AuthorsTellenbach, S., Bidault, F. and Haddock-Millar, J.
Abstract

This empirical research explores the consequences of shifting from traditional work to hybrid working in the Swiss financial industry and its impact on employee engagement as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers and their team members of four different Swiss financial services companies. The interviews took place between January and April 2023. A thematic analysis was adopted to review the interview transcripts.
The findings reveal that hybrid working models have influenced employee engagement, highlighting two major shifts: growing significance of social engagement and personal satisfaction.
This paper offers new insights into the effect of the transition from traditional office-based work to hybrid working models on employee engagement in the Swiss financial industry. It contributes to the literature by extending Kahn’s framework of employee engagement. The results may help practitioners better understand employee expectations and respond to them by balancing autonomy with opportunities for social interaction.

KeywordsEmployee engagement; financial industry; hybrid teams; hybrid working
Sustainable Development Goals3 Good health and well-being
Middlesex University ThemeHealth & Wellbeing
Research GroupProfessional Practice group for Leadership, Work and Organisations
PublisherEmerald Publishing Limited
JournalQualitative Research in Organizations and Management
ISSN1746-5648
Electronic1746-5656
Publication dates
Online09 Oct 2025
Publication process dates
Submitted13 Nov 2024
Accepted28 Aug 2025
Deposited15 Oct 2025
Output statusPublished
Accepted author manuscript
License
File Access Level
Open
Copyright Statement

© Emerald Publishing Limited. This author accepted manuscript is deposited under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY) licence. This means that anyone may distribute, adapt, and build upon the work, subject to full attribution.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-11-2024-2870
LanguageEnglish
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