Background: This thesis explores Leadership Effectiveness within Geographically Dispersed Teams in the context of Hybrid Work models, a relevant topic as global organization increasingly implement flexible working arrangements. The researchers focus on the new challenges and strategies arising from the intersection of geographical dispersion and Hybrid Work dynamics, highlighting the importance of Communication, Resource Deployment, and Creativity.

Purpose: The study aims to investigate the impact of Hybrid Work models on Leadership Effectiveness in industrial Product Offering teams, particularly how leaders adapt their strategies to manage dispersed teams effectively across varied locations and hybrid settings.

Method: The study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining semi-structured interviews and surveys to collect qualitative information. The study utilizes an inductive approach to analyze how leaders adapt their strategies to overcome the unique challenges faced by Geographically Dispersed Teams adopting a Hybrid Work model.

Results and analysis: The results suggest that leaders encounter significant challenges. These hardships include the following. First, Communication issues such as digital tools not fully replacing face-to-face interactions, which impacts team dynamics. Second, the absence of physical presence complicates Resource Deployment, leading to project inefficiencies and delays. Finally, digital communications also constrain spontaneity in Creative processes, despite opportunities for online collaboration. To address these challenges, a set of adaptation strategies can be adopted. These include among others frequent virtual interactions and structured meetings to improve consistency and information flow. Moreover, training initiatives to enhance resource allocation alongside virtual hackathons and digital team-building activities can be considered too. Such initiatives can be taken as a support to the traditional physical gatherings fostering creativity and building trust within the teams.

Conclusions: The study highlights that Leadership Effectiveness in dispersed and Hybrid Work settings are dependent on the leader’s capacity to leverage his/her Leadership Abilities. Doing so requires the leaders to master three main Leadership Abilities, namely, to influence, build the team’s identity, and manage time efficiently. These abilities are essential in addressing any Communication, Resource Deployment, and Creative challenges arising from the intersection of geographical dispersion and Hybrid Work dynamics.

Recommendations for future research: Future research can benefit from expanding participants’ numbers, while diversifying their demographics and cultural backgrounds. This expansion can be complemented by exploring leaders’ experiences from various company departments and industries, while also examining additional Leadership Effectiveness factors. Furthermore, considering not only the perspective of leaders but also that of employees can offer valuable and balanced insights. These suggestions collectively can help capturing a more comprehensive and nuanced view of leadership challenges and strategies within the context of Geographically Dispersed and Hybrid Work settings.

Keywords: Leadership Effectiveness, Leadership Abilities, Dispersed Team, Hybrid Work, Product Offering, Communication, Resource Deployment, Creativity