‘Work from anywhere’ as a fashionable organizational trend

Le « Work From Anywhere »: une tendance organisationnelle en vogue

Claudine Bonneau, Claire Estagnasié () and Jeremy Aroles ()
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Claudine Bonneau: UQAM - Université du Québec à Montréal = University of Québec in Montréal
Claire Estagnasié: UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur
Jeremy Aroles: University of York [York, UK]

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Abstract: Since the planetary remote work experimentation ushered in by the Covid-19 pandemic, the idea of working from anywhere, but an office, has become trendier. Seeking to attract talents, some organizations began to propose 'Work from Anywhere' (WFA) modalities.In line with critical research that has examined the mirific promises of new work arrangements, this paper explores how organizations promote WFA to workers desiring greater flexibility. Through an analysis of promotional materials from 27 organizations openly advertising WFA policies, we found that these HR promotional discourses employ aspirational marketing techniques similar to those used by Haute Couture and luxury brands. Our findings reveal that these aspirational narratives strategically appropriate the ideals of digital nomadism as they redefine both the nature of work and the characteristics of the idealized worker. The paper makes two key contributions. First, it sheds light on how HR promotional discourses enable the organizational appropriation of what was originally a personal aspiration. Second, it demonstrates that the 'rebranding' of digital nomadism serves to enhance employer attractiveness while simultaneously encouraging prospective employees to align themselves with the organization's vision of flexibility.

Keywords: Work from Anywhere; Aspirational marketing; New work practices; Flexibility; Marketing aspirationnel; Travail depuis partout; Nouvelles pratiques du travail; Flexibilité (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-08-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-mac
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05710662v1
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Published in Culture and Organization, 2026, pp.1-20. ⟨10.1080/14759551.2026.2707988⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05710662

DOI: 10.1080/14759551.2026.2707988

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