The digital workplace: navigating challenges and possibilities

The way we work has undergone a significant transformation. While online and hybrid working were already common in international development and humanitarian sectors, albeit not always effective, many domestic industries only widely adopted these practices following the Covid pandemic. Online work offers greater flexibility and connectivity, yet it also brings psychological and emotional challenges that are often overlooked. How does working through a screen affect our sense of identity, our ability to connect, and our professional roles? Amidst these difficulties, what new possibilities emerge? Kalina Stamenova, Irene O’Byrne-Maguire, and Bryan Maguire explore some of these questions in their paper, The Unconscious Online: An Exploration into the Emotional Experience and Behaviour of Virtual Working.

A new kind of presence

In the physical workplace, presence is a given. The simple act of walking into an office, exchanging a glance in a meeting room, or leaning over a desk to ask a question all contribute to a shared reality. Online, presence is more fragile. We’re only a button click away from disappearing. Cameras can be switched off, screens can be minimised, and distractions from our home environments pull us in multiple directions. The concept of ‘here and now’ becomes blurred - where is ‘here’ when colleagues are scattered across different geographies? And when is ‘now’ when everyone is operating in different time zones?

The screen itself shapes how we relate to one another. We become small, boxed-in versions of ourselves, reduced to a series of tiles on a grid. The size of our virtual presence can influence our sense of self - if your face is small on someone else’s screen, does your voice carry less weight? The absence of shared physical space means we must work harder to create a common identity. This can be particularly challenging in new teams, where trust and cohesion need to be built from scratch.

The challenge of role and identity

Online and hybrid working make role boundaries more fluid. At home, the lines between personal and professional life blur - we might be employees and managers on one side of the screen, but parents, carers, or housemates on the other. And this is gendered with women more likely to take up multiple roles. This constant duality - being in two places at once - can be exhausting.

Even within the workspace itself, role confusion is heightened. Without the spatial cues of an office, the hierarchy can feel flattened, yet authority and leadership still need to be asserted. People may struggle to ‘hold’ their roles, and group dynamics can become unstable.

In small online meetings, there is often an unconscious tendency toward observation rather than participation, as if the group were a large assembly rather than a small discussion. It is easy to stay silent and withdraw into the background when your presence is just another square on a screen. This ‘quiet avoidance’ can slow decision-making and collaboration. However, for some, the digital environment offers a new form of empowerment. Those who might feel uncomfortable speaking in large physical meetings sometimes find it easier to say something or contribute via chat functions or structured online discussions.

The psychological effects of the virtual world

While technology gives us instant access to colleagues and clients around the world, it also creates a sense of being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Virtual space is inherently boundaryless. Without the tangible reality of an office, there can be a feeling of dislocation: some have described it as feeling like a ‘refugee’ in the digital workplace, moving from one online space to another without ever truly belonging.

This sense of displacement can make it harder to form attachments to colleagues and organisations. We miss the incidental conversations that build relationships - the casual chats before a meeting starts, the shared coffee breaks, the spontaneous conversations that happen in corridors. Online interactions tend to be more transactional, focused on tasks rather than the informal social glue that holds teams together.

The virtual environment also amplifies how people perceive and respond to others. Without a shared physical space, emotions and misunderstandings can escalate more easily. People may misinterpret the intentions of colleagues based on limited facial expressions or lack of non-verbal cues. The screen can create an exaggerated sense of closeness or distance. Small interactions become magnified, where people assume criticism or detachment where none was intended. This can lead to greater levels of frustration, hesitation, or tension between team members. And all of this is likely to be amplified where people exhibit visible and audible differences in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality and accent, amongst others.

Robert Fitzpatrick’s concept of ‘murality’ - the idea that shared experiences and imagery shape collective understanding - can help explain some of these dynamics. In physical spaces, people interact with a shared environment that acts as a canvas for their work relationships. In virtual settings, this shared ‘mural’ is missing, making it harder to establish common ground. Teams need to consciously construct their own virtual ‘murality’ by creating rituals, shared visual spaces, and collective narratives to reinforce a sense of belonging.

Yet, despite these limitations, the virtual environment also enables new forms of connection. It allows people to work together across continents, bringing diverse perspectives into conversations that might otherwise have been closed off. For some, particularly those who experience social anxiety or body image concerns, the screen provides a protective layer that makes participation easier. Online spaces can also offer more inclusive ways of working, particularly for those with disabilities, caring responsibilities, or geographical constraints.

The double-edged sword of technology

One of the defining features of online work is its ability to make us feel powerful - yet paradoxically, it can also make us feel powerless. Multitasking becomes second nature, with emails, chat notifications, and multiple meeting tabs all competing for attention. This fractured focus can make it difficult to be fully present in any single interaction. While technology enables efficiency, it can also be overwhelming. The burden of keeping up with the technical aspects of virtual work - managing logins, being dependent on the stability of a connection that is beyond one’s control, switching between platforms - can be a source of stress in itself.

On the other hand, the digital world can be a leveller. In physical offices, informal networks and proximity often determine who has influence. Online, contributions can be more democratised, with people having equal visibility in meetings and discussions. Virtual spaces also provide opportunities for more structured collaboration, where clear agendas and facilitation can enhance participation.

Finding ways to navigate the digital workplace

Given these challenges, how can individuals and organisations adapt to make online and hybrid working more effective? Here are a few key considerations:

• Creating shared identity: teams function best when they have a sense of cohesion. Encouraging informal check-ins, using storytelling techniques, and making space for people to share aspects of their physical environments can foster a sense of ‘sameness’ that helps to build trust.

• Clarifying roles and expectations: making roles explicit and ensuring that leadership is clearly defined can help stabilise group dynamics. Organisations should also acknowledge the additional emotional labour involved in online work and provide support where needed.

• Managing presence and engagement: encouraging active participation, through structured facilitation, breakout discussions, or rotating meeting roles, can help counteract the tendency towards passivity. Hybrid meetings, where some people are in the room and others are online, require particular attention to ensure inclusion.

• Acknowledging the psychological impact: the online world is not just a neutral space: it affects how we think, feel, and relate to one another. Recognising the emotional toll of constant virtual interaction can help organisations design ways of working that support well-being.

• Leveraging technology thoughtfully: rather than being at the mercy of digital platforms, we can use them to our advantage, whether through asynchronous collaboration, creative use of visuals, or experimenting with different formats for interaction.

The future of work is hybrid

While online work presents undeniable challenges, it also offers opportunities for greater flexibility, accessibility, and global collaboration. The key is to find ways of working that balance the benefits of technology with the need for human connection. By paying attention to the psychological dynamics of virtual spaces, we can create digital workplaces that are not just efficient, but also engaging, inclusive, and sustainable for the long term.