Supervisor Behaviors and Perceived Organizational Impact of Telework: A Work Disruption Perspective

Abstract

As telework (e.g., working from home) has become widespread, understanding its organizational impact from managers’ perspectives and identifying supervisor behaviors that influence this impact are critical. Drawing on work disruption theory, we examined the relationships between four supervisor behaviors in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) management competencies—respectful and responsible (RR), managing and communicating work (MCW), reasoning and managing difficult situations (RDS), and managing the individual within the team (MIT)—and the perceived organizational impact of telework. We also tested whether telework rate and intensity moderated these relationships. Survey data were collected from 239 supervisors at two time points. Results showed that RR, RDS, and MIT were positively associated with perceived organizational impact of telework. Under high telework intensity, MCW and MIT were also positively related to impact. These findings extend telework research by clarifying when and which supervisor behaviors promote positive perceptions of its organizational impact