Navigating Hybrid Work: An Optimal Office–Remote Mix and the Manager–Employee Perception Gap in IT

Milos Loncar (), Jovanka Vukmirovic, Aleksandra Vukmirovic, Dragan Vukmirovic and Ratko Lasica
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Milos Loncar: Microsoft Corporation, 1120 Vienna, Austria
Jovanka Vukmirovic: Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Aleksandra Vukmirovic: Belgrade Business and Arts Academy of Applied Studies, 11050 Belgrade, Serbia
Dragan Vukmirovic: Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Ratko Lasica: Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-23

Abstract: The transition to hybrid work has become a defining feature of the post-pandemic IT sector, yet organizations lack empirical benchmarks for balancing flexibility with performance and well-being. This study addresses this gap by identifying an optimal hybrid work structure and exposing systematic perception gaps between employees and managers. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and the Job Demands–Resources model, our research analyses survey data from 1003 employees and 252 managers across 46 countries. The findings identify a hybrid “sweet spot” of 6–10 office days per month. Employees in this window report significantly higher perceived efficiency (Odds Ratio (OR) ≈ 2.12) and marginally lower office-related stress. Critically, the study uncovers a significant perception gap: contrary to the initial hypothesis, managers are nearly twice as likely as employees to rate hybrid work as most efficient (OR ≈ 1.95) and consistently evaluate remote-work resources more favourably (OR ≈ 2.64). This “supervisor-optimism bias” suggests a disconnect between policy design and frontline experience. The study concludes that while a light-to-moderate hybrid model offers clear benefits, organizations must actively address this perceptual divide and remedy resource shortages to realize the potential of hybrid work fully. This research provides data-driven guidelines for creating sustainable, high-performance work environments in the IT sector.

Keywords: COVID-19; hybrid work; public opinion; employee wellbeing; burnout; organizational sustainability; IT sector; communication; perceived stress; perceived efficiency; self-determination theory; job demands–resources (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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