A book attempts to analyse remote working from both theoretical and practical perspectives

Remote working has evolved from an emergency measure to the norm, effectively changing the very culture of work and production  (and not just in Italy). It has become a sort of permanent laboratory for organisational, technological and cultural transformation. Therefore, understanding the nature and evolution of remote working means taking a step forward in our understanding of how work, and the surrounding culture, is changing.

‘Lo smart working in Italia. Una lettura socio-tecnica del lavoro agile tra mutamenti organizzativi e trasformazioni tecnologiche’ (Remote working in Italy. A socio-technical analysis of remote working amid organisational changes and technological transformations), a book edited by Lorenzo Fattori and Massimo Angelo Zanetti, brings together a series of findings on the subject that emerged from the research programme on remote working carried out as part of the NRRP NODES project. The book is divided into two sections. The first provides a theoretical exploration of the topic, while the second section uses a multi-method approach, combining quantitative analysis with comparative qualitative research, to improve our understanding of the phenomenon. This series of in-depth studies reveals a complex reality resulting from the interplay between infrastructure, digital artefacts, management models and everyday practices. Working and production conditions that highlight the search for, and often the creation of, a balance ‘marked by tensions between control and autonomy, as well as generational divides and differences between SMEs and large companies’. All this must be achieved without neglecting the new requirements regarding cybersecurity and its implementation.  Moreover, let’s not forget the impact that the comfort and design of remote workspaces have on professional identity and performance.

The body of research coordinated by Fattori and Zanetti paints a complex, varied and multifaceted picture of remote working. It certainly isn’t confined to the pages of the book that tells its story, either. In fact, the emerging model of remote working requires an approach that encompasses organisational, regulatory, technological and ethical aspects, all of which still need to be worked out.

Lo smart working in Italia. Una lettura socio-tecnica del lavoro agile tra mutamenti organizzativi e trasformazioni tecnologiche

Lorenzo Fattori, Massimo Angelo Zanetti

Franco Angeli, 2026