Explaining the intention of IT workers to telework: A South African perspective

The concept of teleworking has been around for more than 40 years. Telework is commonly defined as the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by employees to perform their day-to-day activities while being away from the traditional office. Telework or telecommuting, as it is also known, has received a lot of attention from researchers and organisations over the years due to its many reported benefits. Literature on telework is extensive, covering a wide range of topics including the demographics of teleworkers, different societal, organisational and individual perspectives on telework as well as the role of technology in telework. Despite all of this attention, telework adoption rates have remained low over the years. In South Africa, telework adoption is particularly low when compared to the rest of the world. The majority of past telework research has been focused on the organisational aspects of telework and adoption factors from the worker's perspective are not well understood. Furthermore, the literature reflects that the Information Technology (IT) profession could benefit from remote work practices due to high levels of stress amongst IT workers. This study therefore attempted to answer the question, "What factors influence South African IT workers' intention to telework?". Using an existing research model based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), an explanatory research approach was followed with the objective of determining the influence of the TPB elements namely attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control on IT workers' intention to adopt telework. The model was tested by means of an online survey, for which a total of 120 valid responses were received. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis methods were used to analyse the data collected. The sample size was fairly small and the geographical location of survey respondents could not be reliably established. These factors impact on the generalisability of the findings, which is a limitation of the study. Analysis of the data revealed a number of interesting findings. IT workers' attitudes towards telework were found to have little bearing on their intention to adopt this style of work. Similarly, the influence of significant others (subjective norms) did not significantly influence IT workers' intention to telework. Instead, a key determining factor of the intention to telework was the perceived behavioural control of IT workers which was, in turn, determined mainly by the availability and cost of the technology that enables telework, the level of support for teleworking provided by employers and the level of self-efficacy experienced by these workers. These findings are in contrast to the results of prior research, supporting the idea that initial adoption and telework continuance behaviours are different. The results also suggest that the South African context of this study is potentially significant and that the cost of bandwidth is still a major inhibitor of telework amongst local IT workers. The implications of these findings are that management needs to improve IT workers' access to remote work technology and better support staff who wish to telework by providing them with financial support and training. Issues relating to company culture were identified as potential areas for future telework research. This research makes a contribution to theory by highlighting the importance of belief elicitation when applying the TPB to different contexts

Understanidng Mobile Work Continuance of Chineses Knowledge Workers

As more and more organizations adopt a “mobile by default” approach to information systems and work design, studying mobile work as a post-adoption phenomenon is both important and timely. Using data collected from 238 Chinese mobile workers, this study develops and validates a model of mobile work continuance. Our findings suggest that the expectation-confirmation framework provides strong theoretical support for explaining mobile work continuance, and that performance, technical support, management support, data security concerns and work life balance concerns affect knowledge workers’ mobile work continuance intention collectively

When Being More Different and Less Visible Leads to Commitment and Justice for All

Little empirical research is available that counters the viewpoint that both demographically dissimilar individuals and telecommuters have low-levels of commitment, in addition to the role of procedural justice in this context. Using a multi-company sample of 201 respondents employed by U.S. firms each with more than 100 employees; the results indicate significant support for high-levels of demographic dissimilarity associated with low-levels of affective commitment towards one’s organization. Contrary to the hypotheses, high-intensity telecommuting was found to be more strongly related to affective commitment, especially when procedural justice was high. Non-significant results were found for telecommuting intensity as a moderator of the negative relationship between perceived relational demography and affective commitment. Overall, these results indicate that the frequency of telecommuting does not minimize the negative effects of demographic dissimilarity on commitment; however, perceptions of fair processes to determine telecommuting are important

Continuance intention of IT professionals to telecommute post pandemic: A modified expectation confirmation model perspective

This study investigates employees’ intentions to telecommute post-pandemic based on IT employees’ present work experiences. Perceived utility, contentment, and confirmation of expectations are proposed as factors of continuing intention to telecommute, according to the expectation-confirmation theory. The integration of work-life balance into the expectation confirmation theory was investigated to see if work-life balance influences employees’ continued intention to telecommute. Data from 131 Malaysian IT workers was used to test the hypothesised model. The findings backed up the theory that perceived usefulness, satisfaction, confirmation of expectations, and work-life balance all play a role in employees’ desire to continue telecommuting post-pandemic. Work-life balance was also found to be a significant mediator of the effect of expectation confirmation on job satisfaction. As a result, this research adds to the idea by including work-life balance literature to demonstrate that the behaviour of IT professionals is associated with their quality of work-life harmony. This study can assist businesses that plan to transition to hybrid work environments. With the needs of the emerging workplace still being uncharted territory for everyone, hybrid work models can be built and customized based on the findings of this study. This is imperative to fit the needs of employees and help organisations sustain their businesses

Using the theory of interpersonal behaviour to explain employees' cybercrime preventative behaviour during the pandemic

Purpose – The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a significant shift in how employees executed their professional responsibilities. Concurrently, the incidence of cybercrime experienced a noteworthy surge due to the increased utilisation of cyberspace. The abrupt transition to telecommuting altered the interpersonal dynamics inherent in traditional work environments. This paper aims to examine the impact of interpersonal factors on the cybercrime preventative measures adopted by telecommuting employees.Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual model, grounded in the Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour, is evaluated through an online survey. The data set comprises responses from 209 employees in South Africa, and the analysis uses partial least squares structural equation modelling.Findings – The results reveal substantial predictive power to explain cybercrime preventative behaviours. Notably, the study underscores the significant influence of habit and affect on intention and subsequent behaviour.Practical implications – The results suggest that practitioners should give due attention to emotional dimensions (affect) as a catalyst for information security behaviour. The formulation of employees’ information security responsibilities should be pragmatic, fostering subconscious compliance to establish routine behaviour (habit).Originality/value – This research underscores the pivotal roles played by habit and emotions in shaping behavioural patterns related to information security. Furthermore, it provides researchers with an illustrative model for operationalising these constructs within the realm of security. The results contribute additional perspectives on the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on cybercrime preventative behaviours.<br/

The After Times: College Students’ Desire to Continue with Distance Learning Post Pandemic

Distance learning, already a topic of interest among higher education administrators and faculty, took on new significance during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic when face-to-face classes worldwide abruptly shifted online. Many students who had never taken classes online had to either engage in distance learning or withdraw from their classes. An interesting question arises from this situation: will these students continue to take classes online when circumstances no longer require them to do so? In this paper, we investigate factors that may influence college students’ intentions to continue with distance learning once they no longer have to do so. We developed a model based on social cognitive theory and social cognitive career theory and tested it using data from surveying 525 college students who took distance learning classes. Results indicate that personal and environmental factors drive intentions to continue with distance learning through their impact on distance learning perceived performance and satisfaction. We discuss our findings’ implications for practice and future research

Unmuting: The variances in teleworkers' affective organizational commitment and perceived work-life interference

Prompted by the COVID 19 pandemic and technological advancements, telework has profoundly reshaped the work paradigm. Telework has become the new "normal”. However, the way it is perceived and how it impacts employees’ is still unclear. This study delves into the relationship between telework intensity and employees' affective commitment and work life interference perception. Two independent studies were conducted for this analysis, employing inferential statistical methods. In both studies, there was no statistical significance between telework intensity and the two variables. However, the results revealed lower levels of affective commitment for high intensity teleworkers compared to non teleworkers. Individuals engaged in low/ moderate telework intensities experience lower levels of work life interference than those who telework in high intensity. This research contributes to expanding our understanding of the effect of telework intensity on work life interference and affective commitment in a post pandemic stage, which remains largely unexplored.Impulsionado pela pandemia da COVID-19 e pelos avanços tecnológicos, o teletrabalho veio reconfigurar profundamente o paradigma de trabalho. O teletrabalho tornou-se o novo “normal”. No entanto, a forma como é percecionado e como impacta os trabalhadores ainda não está clara. Este estudo investiga como a intensidade do teletrabalho faz variar o comprometimento afetivo dos teletrabalhadores e na interferência entre trabalho e vida pessoal percecionada. Neste âmbito, foram conduzidos dois estudos independentes para esta análise, utilizando métodos estatísticos inferenciais. Em ambos os estudos, não foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre a intensidade do teletrabalho para as duas variáveis em estudo. No entanto, os resultados revelaram níveis mais baixos de comprometimento afetivo para os teletrabalhadores de alta intensidade em comparação com os não-teletrabalhadores e, adicionalmente, indivíduos envolvidos em intensidades de teletrabalho baixas/moderadas manifestaram níveis mais baixos de interferência entre trabalho e vida pessoal em comparação com aqueles que fazem teletrabalho com alta intensidade. Esta pesquisa contribui para expandir a nossa compreensão sobre o efeito da intensidade do teletrabalho na interferência entre trabalho e vida pessoal e no comprometimento afetivo numa fase pós-pandémica, ainda em grande parte inexplorada

Perceptions of job characteristics, job satisfaction and organisational commitment of e-tutors at a South African ODL university

The general aim of this research was to investigate whether a relationship exists between the perceptions of job characteristics, job satisfaction (JS) and organisational commitment (OC) of e-tutors in a virtual work environment in an Open Distance Learning (ODL) university in South Africa. Considering the nature of the virtual work environment and the Job Characteristics Model (JCM), the design of e-tutors’ jobs does not encompass some of the core dimensions. This creates certain distinctive issues in terms of how e-tutors work, relate and communicate with their supervisors and co-workers. This has the potential to negatively affect their levels of JS and OC and increase their intention to leave the organisation. Accordingly, a quantitative survey was conducted on a sample of 279 (n = 279) e-tutors serving contracts at an ODL institution in South Africa. An exploratory factor analysis in the absence of good fit revealed a three-factor model for job characteristics, a two-factor model for JS, and a three-factor model for OC. Moreover, a correlational analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between perceptions of job characteristics, JS, and OC. A bivariate-partial correlation revealed that the relationship between job characteristics and JS is stronger than the relationship between job characteristics and OC. Following these correlations, a regression analysis was done to test the influencing nature of job characteristics on JS and OC. Accordingly, the results revealed that 26% of the effect of JS on OC is mediated by job characteristics. Tests for statistically significant mean differences revealed no significant difference between male and female e-tutors, nor differences in terms of their job tenure. However, in terms of educational background, significant mean differences were found between e-tutors holding undergraduate degrees and those holding postgraduate degrees. In order to determine which colleges differ significantly, multiple comparison tests were done, but the results revealed no significant individual differences. These results are applicable to similar populations and may help to improve the work experiences of other virtual workers. In addition, it is envisioned that they may help to improve human resource management practices in virtual work environments.Human Resource ManagementM. Com. (Human Resource Management

Making Telework Work: The Effect of Telecommuting Intensity on Employee Work Outcomes

The current study examined the effects of telecommuting intensity – the amount of scheduled time that employees spend doing work away from the central work location – on employee outcomes. Results of this study provided insight into how telecommuting intensity relates to turnover intent and supervisor-rated performance through mediating mechanisms of work-life conflict, professional isolation, and Leader-Member Exchange. An online survey instrument was created, and an invitation to participate was sent by e-mail to telecommuters. Each participant was asked to provide an email address for his or her direct supervisor. The supervisor was asked to complete a shortened version of the telecommuter survey including an evaluation of the employee’s performance and an assessment of Leader-Member Exchange relationships. Data from these surveys were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicated professional isolation fully mediated the relationship between telecommuting intensity and turnover intent. Further, work-life conflict, professional isolation, and LMX quality all were significantly related to turnover intent and LMX quality was significantly related to supervisor-rated performance. Implications for future research and practice are presented

Remote Management: Increased Management Efficiency as a Means to Increased Commitment in Remote Field Personnel

Master's thesis in Strategic ManagementIn Norway, there are thousands of offshore employees working in service companies and relying on remote management (Blomgren, Harstad & Hause-Reve, 2012). Due to current downturn in the petroleum industry, many of these employees are affected by organizational efficiency initiatives. Often connected to downsizing, organizational change and uncertainty, these initiatives can have a negative effect on commitment (De Cuyper, 2009). Strong commitment ensures remote employees’ motivation, productivity and reliability (Connaughton and Daly, 2004). Studies indicate an enhanced need for fostering remote employees’ commitment to their organization, but the very nature of their work situation potentially raises the bar for achieving it (Depickere, 1999; Hoeffing, 2001). This thesis is an exploratory case study of the Drilling Services product line in Baker Hughes Norway. The purpose of the thesis was to create a framework for evaluating efficiency initiatives in onshore management in terms of effect on remote field personnel’s commitment level. To investigate this issue, a problem statement and two corresponding research questions was defined. Problem Statement: How can efficiency initiatives in onshore management increase remote filed personnel’s commitment level? Data was collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed based on a theoretical framework constructed by existing research on commitment and operational efficiency. First, the current commitment level was analyzed, revealing that it was high, but to offshore teams rather than to the organization. Next, organizational factors influencing commitment level was identified and sorted into categories and themes, before evaluating efficiency initiatives based on lean principles. The efficiency initiatives were then linked to the organizational factors that effected commitment level. For Drilling Services in Baker Hughes Norway, breaking the departments into smaller groups, implementing software for onshore management and improve communication systems internally in onshore management and externally to offshore employees were identified as the efficiency initiatives that would have the strongest effect on remote employees commitment level