Smart working experiences in the Public Sector before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The paper explores the strengths and weaknesses of Smart Working before and after the COVID-19 emergency in the public sector. In more detail, the aim is to understand how the spread of COVID-19 influenced public employees’ perception of smart working and its application during the pandemic. We interviewed 27 public employees from Italian local and central administrations already employing smart working before the pandemic to deepen positive and negative aspects of smart working and how these changed after the spread of COVID-19. The findings highlight a widespread positive impact on organizational flexibility and the degree of response and resilience of Italian public organizations to the health emergency. However, some critical factors emerged, such as the right to disconnect and the impact on work-life balance. In doing so, the paper provides many theoretical, managerial and policy implications relatively to the use of smart working in public administrations.