Chloe thinks a major weakness of early remote-work research was that it
A. was based on a narrow range of participants.
B. concentrated too heavily on digital tools.
C. failed to consider employers’ perspectives.
Ryan felt relieved about their essay topic because
A. the supervisor chose the exact title for them.
B. it is mostly descriptive and easy to structure.
C. it relates closely to a module he studied previously.
According to Chloe, a common assumption about remote work is that
A. managers no longer need to supervise staff.
B. most employees prefer it in all circumstances.
C. it reduces costs for companies in every case.
Ryan argues the essay should explain why
A. hybrid working is now more common than fully remote work.
B. fully remote work became more popular after the pandemic.
C. governments introduced regulations about home working.
Both students agree that compared with office-based work, remote work
A. permanently damages professional relationships.
B. leads to faster promotion for most employees.
C. offers more freedom but demands greater self-management.
Chloe is uncertain why some organisations
A. allow remote work only during emergencies.
B. abandon remote-work policies after trial periods.
C. invest heavily in home-office equipment.
Questions 27–30
What conclusion do the students reach about each aspect of remote work?
Choose FOUR answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–F, next to Questions 27–30.
Conclusions about remote work
A. Its impact varies significantly by industry.
B. It requires a redefinition of productivity.
C. It places pressure on middle management.
D. It can unintentionally increase inequality.
E. It depends on organisational trust.
F. It encourages innovation in work practices
Employee autonomy ____
Team communication ____
Career development ____
Performance evaluation ____
Keys
21 A 22 C 23 B 24 A 25 C 26 B
27 E 28 F 29 D 30 B
Transcripts
Part 3: In this section, you will hear two students, Chloe and Ryan, discussing research for an essay about remote and hybrid working.
CHLOE: Hey, Ryan, got a minute? I’ve been reading some early remote work studies, the ones from before it became normal.
RYAN: Sure. Anything useful?
CHLOE: Yeah. At first I thought the main weakness was how much they focused on the tech, platforms, bandwidth, that sort of thing.
RYAN: The obvious stuff.
CHLOE: Exactly. But actually, that’s just what’s most visible. The bigger issue is the sample’s not representative, mostly younger knowledge workers in big-city tech firms. So it’s hard to apply the findings to everyone else.
RYAN: Right. If you only study one type of worker, the conclusions sound more universal than they are.
CHLOE: And that’s why our essay can evaluate the evidence, not just repeat headlines.
RYAN: I’m relieved it’s evaluative. For a second I thought it’d just be describing a trend, which is basically plug and play.
CHLOE: Same.
RYAN: And I’m also glad we weren’t just handed a fixed title by the supervisor, though she did hint at the angle.
CHLOE: True.
RYAN: But mainly, I did that organisational behaviour module last term, so I’ve already got a framework for analysing workplace policies.
CHLOE: Great, so you’ve got theory ready.
RYAN: Some of it, yeah, motivation, control, trust.
CHLOE: Speaking of trust, we should tackle assumptions early. People keep talking as if working from home is the default preference across the board, whatever the situation.
RYAN: Yeah, it’s treated like the default now.
CHLOE: But it’s not that simple. Some people love it sometimes, not in every situation. If your home setup is cramped, or you miss routine, or your job is really collaborative, it can be stressful. So we should avoid presenting it like it suits everyone.
RYAN: Definitely. Context matters.
CHLOE: Exactly.
RYAN: Another thing we should explain is why hybrid working is everywhere now.
CHLOE: Right, why it’s not just fully remote.
RYAN: We should clarify why hybrid is now more common than fully remote. I was going to blame it on policy and guidance, like the government nudged employers into it.
CHLOE: Mm.
RYAN: But no, that doesn’t really explain why it stuck. It’s more that organisations want flexibility without losing the benefits of being together.
CHLOE: So hybrid is basically a compromise.
RYAN: Pretty much. A couple of office days helps with onboarding, quick problem-solving, and keeping teams aligned. Managers also feel less uncertain when they see people sometimes.
CHLOE: That links to the day-to-day experience. Remote work can feel more flexible, but it’s not automatically easier.
RYAN: Mm.
CHLOE: It gives you more control over your day, but you also lose a lot of built-in structure.
RYAN: So you end up doing more of the regulating yourself, priorities, boundaries, staying on task.
CHLOE: Exactly.
RYAN: By the way, is it 1,500 words or 2,000? I can’t remember.
CHLOE: I think 2,000, but let’s check later.
RYAN: There’s something I still don’t get, though.
CHLOE: Go on.
RYAN: Companies run a pilot, remote work for a few months, and it seems to go fine, then they suddenly stop it and bring everyone back.
CHLOE: Yes. Honestly, I can’t quite work out why some organisations pull the plug after a pilot. It doesn’t always line up with the feedback. Sometimes I think it’s more about long-term confidence, worries about culture, or not knowing how to sustain it.
RYAN: So it’s not just the data, it’s uncertainty.
CHLOE: Exactly.
CHLOE: Okay, autonomy. If we include that section, we should be careful not to oversell it.
RYAN: What do you mean?
CHLOE: Autonomy sounds great, but it only works when there’s a high-trust culture. Without that, you get monitoring software, constant check-ins, so the autonomy is basically cosmetic.
RYAN: Yeah, then autonomy disappears.
CHLOE: Right.
RYAN: What about communication?
CHLOE: Teams can struggle online. Tone gets misread, and people hesitate to jump in. But it can go the other way too.
RYAN: How so?
CHLOE: Sometimes it pushes them to redesign how they work, short stand-ups, shared boards, clearer written decisions.
RYAN: So it can actually drive new working practices.
CHLOE: Exactly.
RYAN: Career development is another one. It’s a bit worrying.
CHLOE: Same. If you’re remote most of the time, you can miss informal mentoring and you’re less likely to be noticed for stretch projects.
RYAN: And that could widen inequality.
CHLOE: Yes, especially if certain groups choose remote work more because of caring responsibilities or health issues.
RYAN: Worth including.
CHLOE: Finally, performance evaluation, this is where it gets complicated.
RYAN: Yeah.
CHLOE: Evaluating performance remotely forces organisations to redefine productivity. It can’t just be time online. It has to be outputs, quality, and contribution.
RYAN: But some contributions are hard to quantify.
CHLOE: Exactly, and then managers fall back on simple metrics that don’t tell the full story.
RYAN: Okay, that gives us a solid structure.
CHLOE: Great. Let’s turn it into an outline before we forget it.
