Investigating the Role of Remote Working on Employees’ Performance and Well-Being: An Evidence-Based Systematic Review
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. Information Sources and Search Strategy
2.2. Data Collection Process
3. Results
3.1. Remote Working Influences the Perceptions of Oneself at Work and of the Workplace
3.2. Teleworking Influences Employee Health Conditions and Work-Life Balance
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Authors | Paper Characteristic | Participant Characteristics | Remote Working Definition | Effects Reported | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Study Methodology | Organization (Type) | Participants | Antecedents | Positive Outcomes | Negative Outcomes | ||
Fonner et al., 2010 [26] | 2010 | Quantitative | ns | N = 192 (89 teleworkers and 103 office-based employees) | Telework is a “work arrangement in which employees perform their regular work ata site other than the ordinary workplace, supported by technological connections” [27]. | high-intensity telework | lower work-life conflict; higher job satisfaction | |
Fonner et al., 2012 [23]. | 2012 | Quantitative | ns | N = 192 (89 teleworkers and 103 office-based employees) | Telework is a “work arrangement in which employees perform their regular work ata site other than the ordinary workplace, supported by technological connections” [27]. | high connectivity due to telework | lower identification; higher stress from interruptions | |
Grant et al., 2013 [28] | 2013 | Qualitative | five organizations across three sectors (private, public and voluntary) | N = 11 (e-workers) | E-work is defined as “any form of substitution of information technologies (such as telecommunications and computers) for work-related travel: moving work to the workers instead of moving workers to the work” [29] | Over-working and lack of time for recuperation | adverse impacts on well-being | |
Higgins et al.., 2014 [30] | 2014 | Quantitative | ns | N = 16,145 (7102 men and 9043 women) | Telework is “the practice of working from home, making use of the Internet, email, and the telephone” [30] | telework and high work demands | higher levels of work-to-family conflict (WFC) | |
Anderson et al., 2015 [31] | 2015 | Quantitative | US federal agency | N = 702 (teleworkers) | ns | teleworking days | high positive job-related affective well-being (PAWB); low negative job-related affective well-being (NAWB) | |
Henke et al., 2016 [22] | 2016 | Quantitative | ns | ns | Telecommuting is “working from a home office or, less commonly, from another offsite location of the employee’s choosing” [22]. | low-intensity telecommuters | significantly lower probability of depression | |
Bentley et al., 2016 [32] | 2016 | Quantitative | 28 organisations | N = 804 (teleworkers) | Telework is “… a flexible work arrangement whereby workers work in locations, remote from their central offices or production facilities, with no personal contact with co-workers, but the ability to communicate with co-workers usingICT” [33]. | Social support and teleworker support | higher job satisfaction; lower psychological strain | |
Felsted et al., 2017 [34] | 2017 | Quantitative | ns | N = 100.457 | ns | telework | higher job satisfaction and organizational commitment | lower work-life balance (WLB) |
Leung et al., 2017 [35] | 2017 | Qualitative | ns | N = 509 (teleworkers) | Telecommuting is a “flexible work arrangement that allows employees, usually with the aid of ICTs, to perform their tasks in various locations, primarily at home” [19,36]. | low flexibility, high permeability and ICT use at home | higher family-to-work conflict (FWC) | |
Suh 2017 [37] | 2017 | Quantitative | 2 global IT companies | N = 258 (teleworkers) | Telework is “an alternative work arrangement in which employees perform tasks elsewhere that are normally done in a primary or central workplace, for at least some portion of their work schedule, using electronic media to interact with others inside and outside the organization” [38]. | technology and job characteristics | higher technostress; lower job satisfaction | |
Vander Elst et al., 2017 [39] | 2017 | Quantitative | IT company | N = 878 (employees) | Telecommuting is ‘‘a work practice thatinvolves members of an organization substituting a portion of theirtypical work hours to work away from a central workplace—typically principally from home—using technology to interact withothers as needed to conduct work tasks.’’ [21]. | social support, participation and task autonomy | higher work-related well-being | |
Giovanis 2018 [40] | 2018 | Quantitative | ns | ns | Flexible working arrangements are “flexible work schedules are interventions which enable greater control to the employees, providing psychological and tangible resources to enhance well-being” [41,42,43] | Flexible employment arrangements | higher workplace performance | |
Giménez-Nadal et al., 2019 [44] | 2019 | Quantitative | ns | N = 43,374 (22,083 males; 21,291 females) | ns | male teleworkers | lower levels of pain, tiredness and stress | |
Davidescu et al., 2020 [45] | 2020 | Mixed methods | ns | N = 220 (employees) | ns | partial home working | higher organizational performance, social and professional relationships, learning, work motivation | |
Delanoeije et al., 2020 [46] | 2020 | Quantitative | Engineering | N = 78 (39 intervention group; 39 control group) | Home-based telework is “a work arrangement that allows employees to execute working tasks from home during some portion of the working week using information and communication technologies” [19]. | teleworking days | lower stress and work to-home conflict; higher engagement and performance | |
Kazekami 2020 [47] | 2020 | Quantitative | ns | N = 9200 (regular employees) | ns | Teleworking commuters or low-intensity teleworkers | higher productivity; higher life satisfaction | |
Song et al., 2020 [48] | 2020 | Quantitative | ns | ns | Telework corresponds to “conducting formal, paid work at home during normal business hours, a majority of homeworkers are not typical teleworkers and do not have a formal agreement with their employers” [26,49,50,51,52,53]. | telework | lower subjective well-being; higher stress level | |
Darouei et al., 2021 [54] | 2021 | Quantitative | Legal, academia, IT | N = 34 (professional workers) | Telecommuting is “a policy that enables employees to perform their job at home during some part of the week and stay connected to the office by means of communication technologies” [21]. | Teleworking day | lower time pressure and work-family conflict | |
Heiden et al., 2021 [55] | 2021 | Quantitative | Public universities | N = 392 (academics) | ns | high-intensity telework | higher stress and conflict within the organization | |
Kapoor et al., 2021 [56] | 2021 | Quantitative | ns | N = 326 (employees) | Telework is “the work that can be operated from any location of employees’ convenience from where they can perform their duties using technology and applications” [56]. | perceived stress, telework (mediator) | higher psychological stress, lower psychological well-being |
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Ferrara, B.; Pansini, M.; De Vincenzi, C.; Buonomo, I.; Benevene, P. Investigating the Role of Remote Working on Employees’ Performance and Well-Being: An Evidence-Based Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 12373. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912373
Ferrara B, Pansini M, De Vincenzi C, Buonomo I, Benevene P. Investigating the Role of Remote Working on Employees’ Performance and Well-Being: An Evidence-Based Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(19):12373. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912373
Chicago/Turabian StyleFerrara, Bruna, Martina Pansini, Clara De Vincenzi, Ilaria Buonomo, and Paula Benevene. 2022. "Investigating the Role of Remote Working on Employees’ Performance and Well-Being: An Evidence-Based Systematic Review" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 19: 12373. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912373