Scientific productivity and smart working. Evidence from researchers' perception

In March 2020, in the first months of the emergency caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, the Italian government adopted smart working for companies and public organisations, and it was stated as mandatory by Decree-Law n. 18/2020, with the name of "Agile Working". In the following months, the adoption of smart working in public firms and public organisations was immediate and massive. Millions of public workers experienced a profound change in their professional and life habits. Smart working was a real shock for its characteristics but represented a unique opportunity for understanding the potential effect of a more sustainable labour organisation, to build a more resilient society. The impact of this work transformation in Public Research Organizations (PROs) should have been less shocking than in other sectors because of researchers' and technologists' skills and tasks, but we still know little about the changes that have taken place in terms of productivity. To provide an answer to this question, this chapter presents and describes the results of a survey administrated to researchers and technologists in Italian PROs, aimed at investigating the perception of their productivity with agile working during the pandemic time.