Telework outcomes in marketing and communication agencies through the lens of creative directors and executives

Mustafai, Ana Marija (author), Podnar, Klement (author)

Purpose – This study explores how creative directors and other executives in marketing and communication agencies perceive the outcomes of telework. Design/methodology/approach – For this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 creative directors, managing directors and project managers of marketing and communication agencies in Slovenia. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, with coding carried out in MAXQDA to identify and refine key themes. Findings – Teleworking offers flexibility, autonomy, work–life balance, higher productivity and job satisfaction. However, it can lead to work–life conflict, social isolation, communication problems and difficulties in knowledge sharing. The study also shows that while teleworking allows focus on creative tasks, face-to-face collaboration is essential for spontaneous idea generation. Practical implications – The study offers valuable insights for managers and organizations implementing telework policies, emphasizing the need for balancing telework with opportunities for in-person collaboration. Originality/value – This study contributes original insights by focusing on the specific experiences of creative directors in marketing agencies and by highlighting nuances of the impact of teleworking on creativity, collaboration and management challenges, areas that have been less explored in the existing literature.

• Language: English
• Keywords: telework, marketing and communication agencies, creative directors, managers, creativity, telework advantages, telework disadvantages
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 556-570
• Numbering: Vol. 31, no. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-174194
• UDC: 331.103:659.113
• ISSN on article: 1356-3289
• DOI: 10.1108/CCIJ-09-2024-0176
• COBISS.SI-ID: 249236227
• Publication date in RUL: 30.09.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Corporate communications
• Shortened title: Corp. commun.
• Publisher: Emerald
• ISSN: 1356-3289
• COBISS.SI-ID: 13174823

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: delo na daljavo, tržno komuniciranje

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Funding programme: Young researchers