Cincinnati Business Courier: Hybrid work likely to stick around
UC professor notes positives and negatives to online and in-person work
Many large employers in downtown Cincinnati’s Central Business District have embraced a hybrid work format as the impact of COVID-19 wanes.
Elaine Hollensbe, PhD, department head and professor of management at the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business, told the Cincinnati Business Courier that some version of hybrid work is likely here to stay.
Elaine Hollensbe, PhD, department head and professor of management at the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
“I think there's been a tendency to go right down the middle with a hybrid way of resuming work, recognizing the advantages of each form of work (in-person and online) and the tradeoffs,” Hollensbe said.
Though a schedule that balances flexibility and freedom for employees can be beneficial, Hollensbe explained that a fully online arrangement can serve as an impediment to building culture and community.
“You don't have these kinds of serendipitous, water-cooler conversations (online), where people come up with new ideas, bond and team build,” she said. “So, doing a little bit of both gives them the advantages of both.”
See more from the Cincinnati Business Courier (subscription required).
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC scholarship honoring a family’s matriarch continues
August 17, 2026
“I get chills thinking about what she means to our family,” says Norma Wellman Cobb’s grandson, Thomas Beach, reflecting on how his grandmother’s perseverance and unwavering belief in the power of education shaped generations.
UC co-op earnings climb to $99.5 million
August 17, 2026
University of Cincinnati co-op students earned $99.5 million in 2025-26, a 5.69% increase, with 9,614 co-op enrollments and 1,798 employers across top industries.
UC expert offers advice to Cincinnati on climate change
August 14, 2026
In an op-ed, UC Associate Professor Bob Hyland talks about ways Cincinnati can become more resilient in face of climate change.