Explaining individual job performance in work from home (WFH) arrangements

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates which factors are conducive to individual job performance in large-scale work from home (WFH) arrangements that rely on the current generation of technology, such as information and communications platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers proposed a research model based on research on WFH arrangements. The model was tested based on a survey of 1,183 respondents who engaged in large-scale WFH arrangements during an extensive national COVID-19 lockdown.

Findings

The proposed research model explains 41% of the variance in individual job performance in WFH arrangements. The findings show that the strongest positive predictors for job performance are home office quality and the reach and communication quality of information and communications platforms. A sense of professional isolation was found to have a negative impact.

Originality/value

This study is based on a unique situation of large-scale mandatory WFH arrangements that are comparable to a natural experiment, and it is one of the first studies to conduct an extensive exploration of WFH that relies on the current generation of digital technology.

Citation

Danilova, K.B., Ulfsten, A., Eikebrokk, T.R., Iden, J., Johannessen, T.V. and Johanson, D. (2023), "Explaining individual job performance in work from home (WFH) arrangements", Information Technology & People, Vol. 36 No. 5, pp. 1915-1938. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-01-2021-0039