The Conversation

Topic: Work

Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 4:30 am

Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 8:02 am

A mix of working from home and the office is best.

Have you wondered why your boss wants you back in the office? A new study found that bosses who like power and status don't like remote work.

The study found that narcissistic leaders don't like remote work because it affects their power and status.

Here's what the study found about bosses and remote work.

What made the researchers do this study?

Three researchers from the Wharton School did this study.

They studied over 1,000 company executives and managers over six years.

The word 'narcissist' is used a lot, but it's a rare condition.

The first study looked at 259 CEOs and their views on remote work.

The researchers used special tools to measure narcissism.

The second study surveyed 359 leaders and measured their narcissism.

The final study was an experiment with 546 leaders.

The leaders who were told to think like narcissists didn't like remote work.

Narcissism was the only factor that predicted leaders' views on remote work.

The researchers found that leaders who like power and status don't like remote work.

International trends on working from home

Some bosses want their staff back in the office.

Elon Musk and Jamie Dimon don't like remote work.

Some management styles can make workers unhappy.

About a third of US companies want staff back in the office full-time.

Many US workers still work from home part-time.

In Great Britain, about 28% of workers have hybrid jobs.

In Australia, 36% of workers usually work from home.

Many Australian workers can ask for flexible work arrangements.

A new law in Victoria will allow workers to work from home two days a week.

The best way to work is a mix of office and home.

The narcissism study helps us understand why some bosses don't like remote work.

There are good reasons to want staff in the office.

A study in China found that workers who worked from home were just as productive.

A US study found that companies that made staff return to the office full-time didn't do better.

A survey found that 70% of workers want location flexibility.

A big study found that remote work has many benefits.

A mix of working from home and the office is best for both employers and employees.

The author of this piece is Libby Sander.

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