Working Alone?

• Department of Political and Social Sciences

This session of the Political Behaviour Colloquium features a presentation by Erick Padilla, PhD Student at the University of Barcelona, and a visiting student at SPS Department

What are the political consequences of working from home? I study this question in the European context, asking how remote work impacts electoral participation. I test two competing theoretical frameworks: the resource model and the workplace socialisation theory. The resource model suggests that remote work fosters political participation by increasing individuals’ time and civic skills. In contrast, the socialisation hypothesis argues that WFH reduces social interaction and exposure to diverse viewpoints at the workplace, thereby weakening electoral participation. Evidence from cross-country survey data and a causal analysis using Dutch panel data indicates that WFH reduces electoral participation, with effects that intensify with longer exposure. These effects are driven by diminished exposure to political discussion among work colleagues, supporting the workplace socialisation hypothesis. This study contributes to research on technological change, political socialisation, and the broader societal consequences of remote work.

The zoom link will be sent upon registration.