TECHNOLOGICAL AND MANAGERIAL CHALLENGES OF WORK DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Promatrajući pandemiju COVID-a 19 i njezin utjecaj na rad zaposlenika, došlo je do promjena ne samo u poslovanju, već i u ponašanju zaposlenika koji su se počeli susretati s novim tehnološkim i psihološkim izazovima. Pandemija je dovela upotrebu informacijske i komunikacijske tehnologije na novu razinu u vrlo kratkom vremenu. Rad na daljinu ili rad od kuće postao je nužnost što je izazvalo prilagodbu novom načinu života, a samim time je i izazvalo i nove neizvjesnosti, novi stupanj odgovornosti i ovlaštenja, radno opterećenje kao i usklađivanje privatnog i profesionalnog života. Izazov nije bio stavljen samo pred zaposlenike, već i menadžere koji su se morali prilagoditi novim oblicima rada, pronaći efikasan način održivog poslovanja, ali i uspješnog vođenja ljudi. Sukladno navedenom, diplomski rad ima za svoj cilj predstaviti i analizirati izazove u doba pandemije s kojima se susreću zaposlenici i poduzeća. Pristupajući novom načinu rada, zaposlenici koriste tehnologiju kao način komuniciranja u svrhu ispunjavanja ciljeva poduzeća. Provođenjem empirijskog istraživanja putem online anketnog upitnika, doći će se do odgovora kako su rad na daljinu i promjene radnih uvjeta utjecale na psihološke i tehnološke aspekte rada kod ispitanika te na temelju prikupljenih spoznaja, nastojat će se zaključiti kako je pandemija transformirala način rada i kako je percipirana takva promjena.Observing the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the work of employees, there are changes not only in business, but also in the behavior of employees, who have begun to face new technological and psychological challenges. The pandemic has brought the use of information and communication technology to a new level in a very short time. Working remotely or working from home has become a necessity, which caused adaption to a new way of life, and thus also caused new uncertainties, a new level of responsibility and authority, workload, as well as harmonization of private and professional life. The challenge was not only for the employees, but also for the managers, who also had to adapt to new forms of work, find an efficient way of maintaining business, but also of successfully leading people. In accordance with the above, the thesis has its goal to present and analyze the challenges faced by employees and companies during the pandemic. Approaching a new way of working, employees use technology as a mean of communication, in order to fulfill the company's goal, while at the same time taking care of health, safety and well-being in the workplace. By conducting empirical research through an online questionnaire, there will be an answer as to how remote work and changes in working conditions have affected the psychological and technological aspects of work among respondents, and based on the collected knowledge, there will be conclusion how the pandemic has transformed the way of working and how such a change was perceived