Organisational Culture and Hybrid Work in the Italian Public Sector—The Case of a Small University

Public sector organisations are undergoing significant changes in human resources, strategies, and operations due to hybrid work and digitization. During times of change, organisations must preserve and nurture their organisational culture to ensure it adapts to evolving circumstances. This paper analyses the role of organisational culture in public administration (PA) during a specific changing scenario: the transition to a hybrid working modality. The paper investigates a small public university of 350 employees, 149 of which are administrative staff. The paper aims to analyse whether, in a public organization, especially in a small university, organisational culture, and, in particular, the alignment of values and trust and active participation, influences an administrative employee’s individual choice to work remotely or in presence. Empirical studies on this topic are limited. Some new research indicates that an innovative and flexible organisational culture should be built upon employees’ needs and values, characterized by shared values and trust, and active participation. The research adopts a mixed-method approach, involving interviews with the General Director of the University to understand the organisational values, objectives, practices, and strategies for fostering the culture. Subsequently, an online questionnaire was given to the administrative employees, yielding interesting results. The main focus is on examining how organizational culture, values alignment, and decision-making regarding work modes (in-person and hybrid) in public administration are interconnected. The analysis reveals that value alignment does not impact operational mode choices, but active participation is a significant factor.