By JOSÉ ÁNGEL DE LA PAZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
The conversation about the future of work has deepened in recent years. Beyond deciding among on-site, remote, and hybrid models, the real challenge for organizations lies in redesigning work to sustain well-being, engagement, and productivity in an increasingly digital environment.
In a new episode of Territorio Negocios, titled “Return to the Office or Reinvent Work?”, Laura Zapata, professor in the Department of Strategy and Leadership at EGADE Business School, analyzed why many hybrid models have replicated old organizational problems instead of transforming them.
The episode was hosted by Alicia Galindo, National Director of the Master in Finance at EGADE Business School.
Zapata explained that during the pandemic, remote work accelerated digitalization, but not necessarily organizational transformation. “We focused on the where without changing the how,” she noted, referring to the adoption of digital platforms under the same logics of control, overload, and presence-based management typical of on-site work.
She warned that this lack of redesign has contributed to work intensification, characterized by more meetings, multiple communication channels, and near-constant availability. From a strategic standpoint, she emphasized that this helps explain why burnout persists even within flexible work arrangements.
AUTONOMY, CLARITY, AND MEANINGFUL METRICS
One of the central themes of the episode was work autonomy. Zapata highlighted that evidence shows greater autonomy increases engagement and performance, provided there is strategic clarity, well-defined objectives, and metrics aligned with expected outcomes.
“Autonomy does not imply the absence of structure,” she stated. On the contrary, it requires clearly defining responsibilities, decision-making boundaries, and evaluation criteria, and explicitly aligning expectations between leaders and teams.
In this context, artificial intelligence can become a key enabler, as long as it is used strategically. Zapata noted that task automation can free up time for creativity, innovation, and process improvement, but cautioned against using AI as a tool for excessive monitoring and control, as this erodes trust and undermines autonomy.
WORK PERSONALIZATION AND SUSTAINABLE WELL-BEING
The EGADE research professor also addressed the concept of work personalization, clarifying that it does not mean designing individual rules but rather creating flexible configurations based on role types, functions, or life stages within a shared organizational framework.
This approach, she explained, enables progress toward sustainable work rhythms, strengthens organizational cohesion, and addresses key dimensions of the contemporary agenda—such as gender equity, urban mobility, and environmental footprint—without sacrificing efficiency.
Zapata concluded that organizations today face not only a change in work arrangements, but a reconfiguration of the psychological contract between employees and companies. “When trust and a shared purpose exist, a win-win relationship is built that sustains engagement, well-being, and productivity over the long term,” she said.
Territorio Negocios releases a new episode every Tuesday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music.
