Abstract
This chapter provides a critical analysis of research on the job satisfaction and efficiency of home office and remote working. It is argued that current practitioner-oriented research ignores fundamental knowledge of organizational communication research, specifically trust and knowledge sharing, resulting in wrong recommendations. To prove this point, conceptual research is based on empirical studies conducted in two important European economies, Italy and Germany. It is found that empirical research predominantly uses surveys of employees, neglects the context, and often looks for simple answers without reference to scientific knowledge. Therefore, reported results seem not to be suitable for correctly representing the efficiency of future smart working concepts. Practitioners in private firms and public administration are encouraged to consider critical design factors such as trust, knowledge sharing, and corporate culture in order to arrive at sustainable solutions for smart working concepts. The chapter provides evidence that important organizational findings are being systematically ignored and calls on academia to act.