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
World class: Alumni travel program connects Bearcats on global scale
January 7, 2026
Most people have a natural curiosity to see the world. Meanwhile, most Bearcats enjoy being around other Bearcats. Alumni can check both boxes through the UC Alumni Association’s travel program, which offers about half a dozen excursions each year to fascinating places around the globe.
UC launches Bearcat Affordability Grant
January 7, 2026
The University of Cincinnati is making college more attainable for students across Ohio with the creation of the Bearcat Affordability Grant. The new grant will provide a pathway to tuition-free college for students of families who make less than $75,000 per year. Beginning in fall 2026, the Bearcat Affordability Grant will cover the remaining cost of tuition for Ohio residents who are Pell eligible.
How aerospace is turning to trustworthy AI
January 6, 2026
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science graduate Lynn Pickering talks to the Ohio Federal Research Network about her research into artificial intelligence and the future of AI in aerospace engineering.