Do new ways of working increase work engagement?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed more light on the impact of the various facets of new ways of working (NWW) on employee work engagement, taking into account multiple sectors and occupational fields. Design/methodology/approach Insights from the literature and the job demands-resources model underpin the hypotheses on how NWW would affect work engagement. The hypotheses were tested using the Preacher and Hayes’ (2008) bootstrap method for multiple mediation and controls, taking into account two potential mediators between (facets of) NWW and work engagement: social interaction in the workplace and transformational leadership. Findings The analyses show that three facets of NWW – management of output, access to organizational knowledge, and a freely accessible open workplace – positively affect employees’ work engagement. The latter two facets appear to be fully mediated by social interaction and transformational leadership. Practical implications The results imply that firms should foster transformational leadership styles among their line managers, and social interaction in the workplaces, to maximize the positive impact of NWW on work engagement. Originality/value This empirical paper draws on a unique data set on the Dutch working population to provide novel insights with a substantial degree of generalizability into the relation between NWW and work engagement, whilst applying a more comprehensive definition of NWW than previously applied, while incorporating two potential mediators

New ways of working and work engagement

This article investigates whether New Ways of Working (NWW) are related to employee work engagement in the Netherlands. We test our hypotheses using a sample of 656 employees from 14 industry sectors and 12 occupational fields. Our study reveals that three facets of NWW positively affect work engagement: "manage your own work," "unlimited access and connectivity," and "open workplace." The effects of "open workplace" and "unlimited access and connectivity" on work engagement appear to be fully mediated by the combination of social interaction and transformational leadership. Managing your own work is however not mediated by social interaction or transformational leadership. As such, it is the only facet of NWW that directly affects work engagement. Our results hold important practical implications for organizations that consider implementing NWW. To maximize the positive impact of NWW on work engagement, while keeping the cost of introducing NWW to a minimum, firms should take account of the abilities and preferences of their line managers with respect to transformational leadership. Depending on these, a limited or more comprehensive set of NWW facets may be most efficient at promoting work engagement