Please, do not disturb. telework, distractions, and the productivity of the knowledge worker

An unanswered question regarding telework is how differences in workplace distraction levels influence the effect of the extent of telework on productivity. Drawing from research and theory on cognitive overload and distraction conflict, we developed a quasi-field experiment to test the influence of so-called 'distraction gains' (indicating lower distraction levels at home compared to the office work environment) on the telework-productivity relationship. The results of our study (N=141) show that distraction gains will increase the positive effect of telework on productivity for knowledge workers (i.e. those with high levels of task complexity, novelty and nonroutineness). A subgroup characterized by low knowledge work did not show any relationship between telework and productivity. This study provides much needed longitudinal research findings on the relationship between telework and productivity, and may serve as a basis for future studies on the importance of situational factors regarding telework

Please, Do Not Disturb. Telework, Distractions, and the Productivity of the Knowledge Worker

An unanswered question regarding telework is how differences in workplace distraction levels influence the effect of the extent of telework on productivity. Drawing from research and theory on cognitive overload and distraction conflict, we developed a quasi-field experiment to test the influence of so-called \u27distraction gains\u27 (indicating lower distraction levels at home compared to the office work environment) on the telework-productivity relationship. The results of our study (N=141) show that distraction gains will increase the positive effect of telework on productivity for knowledge workers (i.e. those with high levels of task complexity, novelty and non-routineness). A subgroup characterized by low knowledge work did not show any relationship between telework and productivity. This study provides much needed longitudinal research findings on the relationship between telework and productivity, and may serve as a basis for future studies on the importance of situational factors regarding telework

The Role of Organizational Support on Teleworkers’ Psychological Strain a Case of Employees in Company X

The key purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of organizational social support and specific teleworker support towards psychological strain of teleworkers in an automotive company. The research type is empirical research that explains and take conclusion based on empirical evidence. Non-probability sampling specifically in purposive sampling used as a sampling method with 84 home-based teleworkers respondents. This study used SPSS as the main analysis tool to assess and calculate data. The result shows that both organizational social support and teleworker support have significant inverse effect towards psychological strain of teleworkers. Therefore, it is crucial for the companies to provide the needed social and teleworker supports knowing that covid-19 situation has forced them to choose work from home as their main and alternative work arrangement. The results of this research could help the company that conducts home-based telecommuting to prepare and always consider of their employees’ wellbeing knowing that teleworkers are prone to feel socially isolated

Tecnologias de Informação: a Retenção de Trabalhadores Através do Teletrabalho

Perante um mercado extremamente exigente, com escassez de mão-de-obra de profissionais de Tecnologia da Informação – TI, principalmente sem limitação geográfica para atuação, a disputa por mão-de-obra especializada não ocorre somente em âmbito regional, porém também, em contexto mundial devido à possibilidade da modalidade de trabalhado conhecida como home office ou teletrabalho. Desta forma, para conseguir reter os seus profissionais de TI e captar novos, as empresas precisam cada vez mais oferecer benefícios mais vantajosos que a concorrência. Considerando que há poucos estudos que abordam a adoção do teletrabalho pela motivação dos funcionários e os achados são constantemente ambíguos e contraditórios, os objetivos deste estudo visam compreender os fatores que afetam a intenção dos profissionais de TI no exercício do teletrabalho, por meio da análise dessas intenções, fornecendo insights mais profundos sobre os fatores que conduziram seu comportamento. Para alcançar tais objetivos, este estudo adotou como técnica de obtenção de dados a investigação qualitativa, enquadrando-se num estudo de caso múltiplos de caráter explanatório. Como instrumento para obtenção de dados, elegeu-se a entrevista semiestruturada, em que foram entrevistados 7 profissionais de TI brasileiros que exercem o teletrabalho mesmo antes da pandemia do Covid19. Os resultados apontaram que o fator de maior relevância para os profissionais de TI é o salário, entretanto outros fatores como a flexibilidade de horários, o deslocamento diário, o trânsito, a segurança, o conforto, a redução de interrupções no trabalho, a concentração e a possibilidade de passar mais tempo com a família, também são considerados relevantes. O isolamento, a solidão, a falta de interação com os colegas, a redução da empatia, os custos de energia e internet, a inversão do significado de lar, o sentimento de não pertencimento, foram considerados como fatores negativos do teletrabalho. Contudo, apesar dos fatores negativos, 71% dos entrevistados afirmaram que não pretendem voltar a trabalhar na modalidade presencial e todos os entrevistados afirmaram que não voltariam a trabalhar no escritório com o mesmo salário e benefícios oferecidos atualmente.In the face of an extremely heated market, with a shortage of Information Technology (IT) workforce – especially because there is no longer the geographical limitation for action – the competition for skilled labor does not only occur at a regional level, but also in a global context. Due to the possibility of the working modality known as “telework”. Thus, in order to retain their IT professionals and attract new ones, companies increasingly need to offer more advantageous benefits than the market standards. Considering that there are few studies that address the adherence to "telework" by employee motivation and the findings are constantly ambiguous and contradictory, The objectives of this study are focused on understanding the factors that affect the intention of IT professionals in the exercise of "telework", through the analysis of these intentions, providing deeper insights into the factors that led their behavior. In order to achieve these objectives, this study adopted qualitative research as a technique for obtaining data, as part of a multiple case study of an explanatory nature. As an instrument for obtaining data, the semi-structured interview was chosen, in which 7 Brazilian IT professionals who already worked from home before the Covid19 pandemic were interviewed. The results indicate that the most relevant factor for IT professionals is salary. However, other factors such as flexible schedules, daily commuting, traffic, safety, comfort, reduced work interruptions, concentration and the possibility of spending more time with the family, are also considered relevant. Isolation, loneliness, lack of interaction with colleagues, reduced empathy, energy and internet costs, inversion of the meaning of home and the feeling of not belonging, were considered negative factors of working from home. However, despite the negative factors, 71% of respondents stated that they do not intend to stop working from home and all respondents stated that they would not return to work in the office with the same salary and benefits currently offered

The Distance Dilemma : the effect of flexible working practices on performance in the digital workplace

For the past couple of decades, technological developments have caused the way in which we work to continuously evolve, particularly by changing the ease with which we can bridge physical and temporal distances. Combined with rising competitive pressures and changing employee expectations, this has led to a substantial uptake of flexible working practices. Most notable among these is telework. Whether telework actually works, however, still remains to be seen: existing studies on its relation with performance are limited, typically lacking both an indication of how frequently employees telework as well as a solid theoretical foundation that could help elucidate its underlying causal structure. These shortcomings are an important motivation behind the research presented in this dissertation, which focuses on creating a better understanding of how the extent of telework (through enacted temporal and spatial flexibility) affects employee and organizational performance. This was done by applying multiple theoretical perspectives, levels of analysis, and analytical methods in four empirical studies, each of which addresses specific distance dilemmas inherent in telework. Overall, the findings, perspectives, and frameworks presented in this dissertation offer important insights into how to maximize employee and organizational performance in a telework context, and contribute a springboard for additional investigations in this area

Factors linked to employees’ preferences for teleworking: a mixed-methods study of UK employees.

Background: Teleworking has become more common since Covid-induced restrictions. While many employees enjoy teleworking, 17% prefer returning to the office full-time. This creates a potential conflict between teleworkers who would like to return to the office and employers who wish to expand teleworking practices. To address this, understanding the factors that influence teleworking preferences is important. Aims: This thesis investigates factors influencing teleworking preference among UK white-collar employees, aiming to develop a valid and reliable tool for measuring teleworking preference predictors. It also seeks to enhance conceptual understanding using Mokhtarian and Salomon's (1994;1995) Model of Telecommuting Adoption as a reference. Methods: The research includes a narrative review of teleworking literature, a meta-aggregative review of qualitative teleworking-related studies, a qualitative study of 21 UK white-collar teleworkers, and the development and validation of a teleworking preference predictors (TPP) scale involving 310 white-collar teleworkers. Results: The meta-aggregative review identified four cross-study generalisations which were advantages and disadvantages of teleworking, factors influencing teleworking experiences, and Covid-induced restrictions impact. In the qualitative study the following themes were created: benefits of teleworking, drawbacks of teleworking, adaptation to teleworking, and importance of voluntariness. The TPP scale had content validity, face validity, construct validity, internal reliability, and split-half reliability established. After the EFA analysis, final 28 items and four factors explained 38% of the teleworking preference variance. Conclusions: Teleworking preference is positively influenced by saved costs and time, reduced stress, increased productivity, avoidance of unwanted social situations, ability to pursue personal interests, and voluntariness. Negative teleworking preference influences include communication difficulties, reduced trust, lack of financial support from employers