Technology is simple, but culture is hard: Dr. Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks

In a Special Interview with People Matters, Dr. Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, Behavioral Scientist and Professor of Management and Organizations at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan shares that now, more than ever, there is a need to nurture an organizational culture remotely

- Yasmin Taj

The one thing that came out very strongly as we started to adapt to the new world of work was the need to develop and inculcate an organizational culture that enables employees to thrive whether they work from the office or remotely. While we can have all the technology to support them, if organizations do not have the right culture, it will all fall flat.

According to Dr. Jeffrey SanchezBurks, Behavioral Scientist and Professor of Management and Organizations at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, where he co-directs the Leadership+Design Studio, “Culture is going to be more fragmented when you start off remote—full stop.” In this special interview with People Matters, he emphasizes that technology is simple, but culture is hard. While companies with established digital workflows will be able to more quickly and seamlessly move employees from office to home, there needs to be a conscious effort to build the culture, else the corporate entity will not be able to perform to its optimum capacity.

Dr. Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology with a minor in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Michigan. Previously, he was on the faculty at the University of Southern California and has had visiting appointments at universities in Singapore, France, Russia, and Turkey.