Remote work during pandemics: a systematic review based on keyword-ensemble community detection

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the international literature on pandemic-induced remote work, with the aim of identifying key concepts, thematic trends, and interconnections within the research landscape. The analysis employs keyword co-occurrence network analysis, bibliometric techniques, network centrality measures, and community detection algorithms to uncover the intellectual structure of the field. The results identify six distinct keyword communities addressing core dimensions of remote work: (1) remote workforce human resource management; (2) individual work-related outcomes of the remote work experience; (3) remote work, work-life demands, and performance; (4) technology-driven remote work practices in times of crisis; (5) leadership and virtual team dynamics; and (6) responses to and impacts of COVID-19–induced remote work for economy, society, and people. By synthesizing a rapidly expanding body of research, this study offers a multidisciplinary and systematic overview of scholarship on pandemic-induced remote work and highlights how institutional, organizational, technological and individual dimensions are interconnected. The findings provide a structured framework to support future research agendas and to help organizations and policymakers better interpret the challenges and opportunities associated with remote work arrangements at multiple levels. While the study provides valuable insights into the structure and evolution of remote work research during the pandemic, it is limited by reliance on a single database (Scopus). Future research could extend this analysis by incorporating additional data sources and complementary analytical approaches, such as topic modelling or thematic analysis in order to further enrich understanding of remote work dynamics.