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1 – 10 of 161
Article
Publication date: 17 November 2023

Simon Lansmann, Jana Mattern, Simone Krebber and Joschka Andreas Hüllmann

Positive experiences with working from home (WFH) during the Corona pandemic (COVID-19) have motivated many employees to continue WFH after the pandemic. However, factors…

Abstract

Purpose

Positive experiences with working from home (WFH) during the Corona pandemic (COVID-19) have motivated many employees to continue WFH after the pandemic. However, factors influencing employees' WFH intentions against the backdrop of experiences during pandemic-induced enforced working from home (EWFH) are heterogeneous. This study investigates factors linked to information technology (IT) professionals' WFH intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

This mixed-methods study with 92 IT professionals examines the effects of seven predictors for IT professionals' WFH intentions. The predictors are categorized according to the trichotomy of (1) characteristics of the worker, (2) characteristics of the workspace and (3) the work context. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the quantitative survey data. In addition, IT professionals' responses to six open questions in which they reflect on past experiences and envision future work are examined.

Findings

Quantitative results suggest that characteristics of the worker, such as segmentation preference, are influencing WFH intentions stronger than characteristics of the workspace or the work context. Furthermore, perceived productivity during EWFH and gender significantly predict WFH intentions. Contextualizing these quantitative insights, the qualitative data provides a rich yet heterogeneous list of factors why IT professionals prefer (not) to work from home.

Practical implications

Reasons influencing WFH intentions vary due to individual preferences and constraints. Therefore, a differentiated organizational approach is recommended for designing future work arrangements. In addition, the findings suggest that team contracts to formalize working patterns, e.g. to agree on the needed number of physical meetings, can be helpful levers to reduce the complexity of future work that is most likely a mix of WFH and office arrangements.

Originality/value

This study extends literature reflecting on COVID-19-induced changes, specifically the emerging debate about why employees want to continue WFH. It is crucial for researchers and practitioners to understand which factors influence IT professionals' WFH intentions and how they impact the design and implementation of future hybrid work arrangements.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 January 2022

Laxmikant Manroop and Daniela Petrovski

This article identifies the contextual demands impacting the work from home (WFH) experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and considers their respective impact on employees'…

1263

Abstract

Purpose

This article identifies the contextual demands impacting the work from home (WFH) experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and considers their respective impact on employees' personal and work-related outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a qualitative methodology, the authors thematically analyzed written narratives from 41 employees who had been required to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

Data analysis identified four layers of contextual demands (omnibus, task, social and personal) that had resulted in participants being required to work from home. Drawing on this finding, the authors develop a conceptual process model to extend current theory and explain how the respective demands impact individual affective reactions and work-related experiences, health and wellbeing. The authors’ findings offer new insights into contexts where WFH becomes mandatory, indicating that it is characterized by a range of challenges and opportunities.

Practical implications

This paper signals the need to provide employees with a realistic preview of working from home demands, including interventions to better prepare them to navigate the daily stressors of working from home; and provision of virtual employee assistance programs in the form of online counseling.

Originality/value

This paper explores a unique phenomenon – the mandatory requirement to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on employees' personal and work-related experiences and outcomes.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. 52 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2023

Tavleen Kaur and Santanu Mandal

COVID-19 disrupted the usual way of working for many people across the globe, making full-time work from home and hybrid models two popular work arrangements. Despite the…

Abstract

Purpose

COVID-19 disrupted the usual way of working for many people across the globe, making full-time work from home and hybrid models two popular work arrangements. Despite the proliferation and high acceptance of the hybrid model, very little research has focused on the same. This study aims to compare the impact of transitions caused by remote work on work disengagement under two settings: remote work and hybrid model.

Design/methodology/approach

The data is collected from three corporate hubs in India: Hyderabad, Gurgaon and Bangalore. This study’s respondents represent two working models: full-time work from home and a hybrid model. Responses were collected using Google forms-based questionnaire, which resulted in the following usable responses: 356 (hybrid) and 398 (work from home).

Findings

The findings reveal that the structural model for the hybrid sector explained 11% of the variance in work disengagement, while the same for work from home model accounted for 20% of the variance in work disengagement. The authors also tested for the moderation of individual resilience between work-home and home-to-work conflicts and home-to-work transitions and work-to-home conflict under full-time work-from and hybrid models. Based on 356 respondents from hybrid category and 398 from work from home, the study found that employees experience less work-to-home and home-to-work conflicts in the hybrid model and employees experience more work-to-home and home-to-work conflicts in the full-time work from home model.

Originality/value

The study is also the first to examine the moderating role of individual resilience as a tool to bounce back and handle conflicts. As the full-time work from home model leads to more work-to-home and home-to-work conflicts, individuals have more scope to exhibit resilience, and thus, the moderating relationship is stronger in the full-time work from home model. The paper offers theoretical and managerial implications.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 35 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 December 2023

Alexander Lapshun and Sergio Madero Gómez

This paper aims to answer the question of the future of work-from-home (WFH) from the position of productivity and employee well-being. In this research, the authors studied the…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to answer the question of the future of work-from-home (WFH) from the position of productivity and employee well-being. In this research, the authors studied the future of WFH by analyzing perceived home productivity and work–life balance (WLB) in the WFH environment. This paper attempts to say that WFH is here to stay, and business leaders should acknowledge this fact and adjust their strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a heterogeneous sampling method, surveying 1,157 employees in Mexico on productivity and WLB. The authors did three independent interventions in different pandemic stages: beginning – in 2020, peaking – in 2021, and calming down – in 2022. The authors used contingency table analysis to research the influence of perceived productivity and WLB in WFH on employees’ propensity to WFH.

Findings

The results show that employees perceive productivity the same or higher when WFH and WLB same or better. The findings of this study are a wake-up call for managers who refuse to embrace changes in employees’ perceptions and needs. Companies refusing to acknowledge the existing need for WFH may face significant challenges in terms of employee satisfaction and retention.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the broader literature by addressing whether WFH is here to stay. The dynamics of returning to office vary from country to country, industry to industry and business to business. This paper is an answer to the future of WFH for Mexico and the Latin American region.

Objetivo

Este artículo tiene como objetivo responder a la pregunta sobre la relevancia del futuro del trabajo desde casa (WFH por sus siglas en Inglés) desde la perspectiva de la productividad y el bienestar de los colaboradores. En esta investigación, se estudia el futuro del trabajo desde casa analizando la productividad percibida y el equilibrio entre la vida laboral y personal en el entorno del trabajo desde casa. Este documento intenta decir que el trabajo desde casa llegó para quedarse y que los líderes empresariales deberían reconocer este hecho y ajustar sus estrategias.

Diseño/metodología

Se ha utilizado un método de muestreo heterogéneo, encuestando a 1157 colaboradores que trabajan en México sobre el tema de productividad y balance vida-trabajo (WLB por sus siglas en Inglés). Se realizaron tres intervenciones independientes en diferentes etapas de la pandemia del COVID-19: al inicio (2020), un año despúes que fué el pico (2021) y finalmente cuando está a la baja y en calma (2022). Se utilizaron diversas herramientas estadísticas como el análisis de tablas de contingencia para investigar la influencia de la productividad percibida y el WLB en el trabajo desde casa en los colaboradores que son propensos a trabajar desde casa.

Resultados/hallazgos

Los resultados muestran que los colaboradores perciben la productividad igual o mayor cuando trabajan desde casa y el balance vida-trabajo son iguales o en ocasiones mejores. Los hallazgos de este estudio son para llamar la atención de los directivos y gerentes que se niegan a aceptar que han existido cambios y ajustes en las percepciones y necesidades de los colaboradores en las maneras de realizar el trabajo. Las empresas que se niegan a reconocer la necesidad existente de trabajar desde casa pueden enfrentar desafíos importantes en el corto plazo en términos de satisfacción y retención de los empleados.

Originalidad/valor

Este estudio contribuye para ampliar la literatura y poder abordar el tema de las modalidades de trabajo, en particular para profundizar si el trabajo desde casa (WFH) llegó para quedarse. Así mismo, se puede mencionar que la dinámica del regreso a las oficinas puede variar de un país a otro, de una industria a otra y de una empresa a otra, ofreciendo una variedad de reflexiones y puntos de vistas, finalmente este documento es una respuesta a la reflexión sobre el futuro del trabajo, los beneficios del trabajo en casa para México y para la región de LATAM.

Objetivo

Este artigo pretende responder à questão sobre a relevância do futuro do trabalho a partir de casa (WFH, Work from home, por suas siglas em inglês) na perspetiva da produtividade e do bem-estar dos colaboradores. Nesta investigação, o futuro do trabalho a partir de casa é estudado através da análise da produtividade percebida e do equilíbrio entre vida pessoal e profissional no ambiente de trabalho a partir de casa. Este artigo tenta dizer que o trabalho a partir de casa veio para ficar e que os líderes empresariais devem reconhecer este facto e ajustar as suas estratégias.

Desenho/metodologia

Foi utilizado um método de amostragem heterogêneo, pesquisando 1.157 funcionários que trabalham no México sobre o tema produtividade e equilíbrio entre vida profissional e pessoal (WLB). Foram realizadas três intervenções independentes em diferentes fases da pandemia da COVID-19: no início (2020), um ano após o pico (2021) e finalmente quando estava em declínio e calma (2022). Várias ferramentas estatísticas, como a análise de tabelas de contingência, foram utilizadas para investigar a influência da produtividade percebida e do WLB no trabalho em casa em funcionários propensos a trabalhar em casa.

Resultados

Os resultados mostram que os colaboradores percebem uma produtividade igual ou superior quando trabalham a partir de casa e que o equilíbrio entre vida pessoal e profissional é igual ou por vezes melhor. Os resultados deste estudo são para chamar a atenção de diretores e gestores que se recusam a aceitar que tenham havido mudanças e ajustes nas percepções e necessidades dos funcionários nas formas de fazer o trabalho. As empresas que se recusam a reconhecer a necessidade existente de trabalhar a partir de casa podem enfrentar desafios significativos a curto prazo em termos de satisfação e retenção dos colaboradores.

Originalidade/valor

Este estudo contribui para ampliar a literatura e poder abordar a questão das modalidades de trabalho, em particular para aprofundar se o trabalho em casa (WFH) veio para ficar. Da mesma forma, pode-se mencionar que a dinâmica de retorno aos escritórios pode variar de um país para outro, de uma indústria para outra e uma empresa para outra, oferecendo uma variedade de reflexões e pontos de vista. Em última análise, este documento é um resposta. para refletir sobre o futuro do trabalho, os benefícios de trabalhar em casa para o México e a região LATAM.

Article
Publication date: 7 July 2022

Kjersti Berg Danilova, Andreas Ulfsten, Tom Roar Eikebrokk, Jon Iden, Trond Vegard Johannessen and Daniel Johanson

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…

1513

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.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 36 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 May 2022

Santanu Mandal, Payel Das, Gayathri V. Menon and R. Amritha

With the emergence of COVID-19 and increased infections, organizations urged their employees to work from home. Furthermore, with the on-going pandemic, employees take measures to…

1237

Abstract

Purpose

With the emergence of COVID-19 and increased infections, organizations urged their employees to work from home. Furthermore, with the on-going pandemic, employees take measures to ensure individual safety and their families. Hence, work from home culture can result in long-term employee satisfaction. However, no study addresses the development of work from the home culture in an integrated framework. Therefore, the current research explores the role of safety during the pandemic, organizational commitment and employee motivation on work from home culture, which may influence employee satisfaction. Furthermore, job demands and home demands were also evaluated for employee satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used existing scales of the factors to develop the measures and collect perceptual responses from employees working from home, supported with a pre-test. The study executed a survey with effective responses from 132 individuals spread across different sectors to validate the hypotheses. The responses were analysed using partial least squares in ADANCO 2.2.

Findings

Findings suggest safety concerns along with organization commitment enhances work from home culture. Such work from home culture enhances employee motivation and employee satisfaction. Furthermore, job demands and home demands also influence employee satisfaction.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors knowledge, the study is the foremost to develop an integrated empirical framework for work from home culture and its antecedents and consequences. The study has several important implications for managers.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2024

Mohamed Mousa and Beatrice Avolio

This study aims to answer the following question: Why might home-based work duties be perceived by female academics as extreme?

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to answer the following question: Why might home-based work duties be perceived by female academics as extreme?

Design/methodology/approach

We employed a qualitative research method through semi-structured interviews with 33 female academics from three public universities selected from amongst 26 public institutions of higher education in Egypt. Thematic analysis was subsequently used to determine the main ideas in the transcripts.

Findings

We find that the sudden implementation of home-based work makes the academic duties of female academics extreme. Moreover, the following four factors help explain the extremity/intensity of the home-based work of female academics: mental and physical fatigue resulting from WFH, the inability to adequately meet family commitments when working from home (WFH), poor resources for home-based work and reduced ability to focus on the obstacles facing them in their academic career.

Originality/value

This paper contributes by filling a gap in human resources management and higher education in which empirical studies on female academics WFH and extreme academic duties have been limited so far.

Details

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-4323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 December 2023

Vahagn Jerbashian and Montserrat Vilalta-Bufí

The authors analyzed the evolution of working from home (WFH) within industries in 12 European countries in the period 2008–2017 and studied its relationship with information and…

Abstract

Purpose

The authors analyzed the evolution of working from home (WFH) within industries in 12 European countries in the period 2008–2017 and studied its relationship with information and communication technologies (ICT).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used data from the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) to document the trends and levels of WFH within industries in 12 European countries. The authors further used the EU-KLEMS database and a difference-in-difference approach to study whether the fall in prices of ICT is associated with a higher share of employees who work from home in industries that depend more on ICT relative to industries that depend less.

Findings

The authors show that WFH has increased almost everywhere and that there is significant heterogeneity across industries. The authors provide evidence that the fall in prices of ICT is associated with a higher share of employees who work from home in industries that depend more on ICT relative to industries that depend less. This result also holds within age, gender and occupation groups. While the authors find no significant differences among gender and occupation groups, the positive association between the fall in ICT prices and WFH increases with age.

Originality/value

This paper has two main contributions: First, it reports that WFH has increased in European countries in the period 2008–2017. Second, it provides new explorations about the relationship between ICT and WFH by using the price variation of ICT.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 August 2023

Said Al Riyami, Mohammad Rezaur Razzak and Adil S. Al-Busaidi

This study investigates whether prolonged durations of work from home (WFH) leads to workplace ostracism (WO), and whether such relationship is moderated by perceived…

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates whether prolonged durations of work from home (WFH) leads to workplace ostracism (WO), and whether such relationship is moderated by perceived organizational support (POS). The context of this research is based on the post-COVID-19 pandemic period, when most organizations have either recalled their employees back to their physical workplaces, or in other cases employees are relegated to continued WFH or to a hybrid model that combines both in-office and remote work. The importance of this study is the spotlight it brings to employees who feel ostracized from their workplace due the continued practice of WFH.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model is developed, by leveraging the conservation of resources (COR) theory. The hypotheses are tested by using cross-sectional survey data collected from 240 employees working in various organizations in the Sultanate of Oman from both public and private sectors. The data are analyzed using R Core Team software.

Findings

The findings of the study reveal that WFH does not have any direct impact on WO. However, when POS is applied as moderator, the results indicate that at low levels of POS, the relationship between WFH and WO becomes significant, but not at moderate to high levels of POS.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides insights into how the phenomenon of WFH is likely to influence perceptions of employees in terms of feeling excluded from the organization by being asked to continue to work remotely, while many of their colleagues have returned to their prepandemic workplaces. The implications of the findings are relevant to the growing literature on employee experiences in the realm of emerging work models being introduced by organizations. Among the limitations of this study is the fact that there may be missing mediators that link WFH with WO, and the possibility that such a study if replicated in other cultural contexts may yield different results.

Practical implications

This study presents evidence to managers on leveraging the power of organizational support to ensure that negative emotions among employees such as WO are mitigated.

Originality/value

This appears to be among the first studies that attempts to provide insights into employee perceptions about WO in the postpandemic period, especially with regards to the emerging work arrangements that are primarily based on WFH that are being widely adopted by many organizations around the world. The results of this study provide useful information about how WFH and POS come together to influence emotions of individuals who have been longing to get back to their normal workplace once the social distancing guidelines of the pandemic were lifted.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 November 2023

Afaf Khalid, Usman Raja, Abdur Rahman Malik and Sadia Jahanzeb

Despite the extent of working from home (WFH) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, research exploring its positive or negative effects is exceptionally scarce…

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the extent of working from home (WFH) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, research exploring its positive or negative effects is exceptionally scarce. Unlike the traditional positive view of WFH, the authors hypothesize that WFH during the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered work–life imbalance and work–family conflict (WFC) for employees. Furthermore, the authors suggest that work–life imbalance and WFC elicit burnout in employees.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a time-lagged design, the authors collected data in three waves during the peak of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to test the authors' hypotheses.

Findings

Overall, the authors found good support for the proposed hypotheses. WFH had a significant positive relationship with burnout. WFH was negatively related to work–life balance (WLB) and positively related to WFC. Both WLB and WFC mediated the effects of WFH on burnout.

Practical implications

This is one of the earliest studies to explore the harmful effects of involuntary WFH and identify the channels through which these effects are transmitted. The practical implications can help managers deal with the adverse effects of WFH during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

Originality/value

The authors' results significantly contribute to the research on WFH and burnout and present important implications for practice and future research.

Details

Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2051-6614

Keywords

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