Search Results (263)

Work–life balance (WLB) in academia remains a challenge as a result of increasing workloads, precarious employment, and expectations of constant availability. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed these structural barriers to work–life balance in academia and also clearly showed the inequities related to hybrid and remote work for women, caregivers, and underrepresented minorities. This paper highlights the key factors that pose challenges to WLB in academia, how these challenges have been worsened by COVID-19, and what we can learn from pandemic times solutions to devise inclusive practices for long-term structural change. The methodology used in this paper is a critical review of 298 published articles. This review is structured as follows: The structural barriers, inequities, and workplace policies that impact academic WLB are first inventoried. Then, the lessons learned from the pandemic are studied by dividing the short-term disruptions from the permanent shifts. Finally, inclusive solutions, focusing on institutional boundary-setting, workload redistribution, hybrid work policies, and mental health support are presented. This paper makes three key contributions: (1) it provides an intersectional understanding of WLB, accounting for gender, caregiving, ethnicity, migration, and social class; (2) it frames COVID-19 as a driver for structural reform, rather than an anomaly; (3) it bridges WLB research and policy design, proposing actionable strategies for universities and policymakers. By placing equity and inclusion at the core of the analysis, this work advocates for systemic solutions that promote a sustainable academic environment aligned with principles of social justice. Full article

Purpose: As remote work becomes increasingly prevalent, scholarly and organizational attention has largely centered on stress and workload. However, emerging evidence highlights loneliness and isolation as critical yet underexplored factors with profound implications for employees’ mental health and organizational performance. Method: This study conducts a bibliometric review of 65 peer-reviewed articles indexed in the Scopus database, following PRISMA guidelines and employing VOSviewer for data analysis and visualization. The objective is to examine how loneliness and isolation in remote work settings affect psychological well-being and productivity. Findings: The findings reveal that the absence of physical interaction and structured social environments exacerbates feelings of detachment, contributing to emotional strain and reduced job performance. Despite the growing importance of remote work, the literature remains fragmented in addressing its broader psychological and organizational consequences. Originality/Value: This study offers theoretical insights and practical recommendations for managers and policymakers, emphasizing the need for preventive strategies and inclusive management practices to support employee well-being, foster engagement, and sustain organizational effectiveness in remote work contexts. Full article

With the development of information and communication technologies, analysing new risks of moral harassment at work is becoming increasingly pertinent, especially with the expansion of teleworking and hybrid working (a mix of remote and face-to-face work per week) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an attempt to respond to the new issues of labour regulation, this study places special emphasis on new risks of moral harassment in hybrid work and teleworking contexts, considering both the international and European framework and the legal regime in Portugal, identifying its specificities. With the rise in teleworking in the post-pandemic period, the online monitoring of workers has accentuated the difficulty in drawing the line between managerial power and harassment. Moral harassment at work is a persistent challenge and organisations must recognise, prevent and respond to inappropriate behaviour in the organisation. The results of this study—based on the results of an online survey completed by employees (with employment contracts)—show that teleworking employees recognise that they have been pressured, above all, both to respond to messages quickly and pressure to work beyond hours and suggest possible gender differences in the way harassment in hybrid work and teleworking contexts is reported. Full article

The COVID-19 crisis has turned teleworking from a minority option into an imposed and generalized way of life and has called into question its contribution to corporate sustainability. The present review is the first systematic review of the effects of telework on the environmental, social, and economic pillars of corporate sustainability in the scholarly literature published from 2020 to 2024. A total of 50 studies from three databases (Scopus, Science Direct, and Taylor and Francis) were reviewed according to PRISMA guidelines by both a data bibliometric analysis and narrative synthesis. The findings show that telework has the potential to improve environmental sustainability by decreasing commuting emissions (29–54% depending on its deployment intensity), but rebound effects such as increased residential energy use work against this (in part) positive regard. From a social point of view, telework is double-edged between helping balance personal and work life and possessing the potential to lead to greater isolation and aggravate existing inequalities, particularly in developing countries. Economically, it drives operational costs down and expands the talent pool, with micro-, meso-, and macroeconomic impacts. The possibility of telework as a tool of sustainable development is substantially moderated by organizational culture, digital infrastructure, sociodemographic reality, and even the physical environment. We argue that telework is a potentially transformative driver of corporate sustainability if deployed strategically within a given context; however, disciplinary fragmentation and methodological lacunae in common metrics remain, especially with regard to long-term effects and implementation in developing economies. Full article

Telework emerged in the 1970s with the advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a potential substitute for commuting trips and an answer to avoid congestion. While early studies supported this substitution effect, subsequent research has presented contradictory findings, with some studies demonstrating complementary effects and increased travel distances, while others show a reduction in travel or mixed results. These discrepancies may arise from methodological differences in study design, sampling, and modeling approaches. To analyze these factors, a systematic literature review complemented by three meta-analyses was developed. OLS and GLS-RE models were built to measure telework impacts on the number of trips (total and by purpose), commuting distance, and total distance traveled. Our research suggests that while telework reduces commuting and business trips, particularly for full-time teleworkers, it may increase commuting distances. Total distance traveled presents mixed results, heavily dependent on research design. By identifying these patterns, we outline methodological directions for future research, including improved sampling strategies, advanced modeling techniques, and rigorous control variable selection. Full article

This study investigates how digital transformation, digital culture, innovation capabilities, and organizational resilience influence organizational performance in the post-pandemic era. Grounded in Resilience Theory, the Dynamic Capabilities Framework, and Organizational Learning, this research analyzes how digital capabilities—such as innovation, digitalization, telework, and investment strategies—influence organizational performance. Data were collected through a structured online survey with 320 valid responses from decision-makers across various sectors. Using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression analysis, the results reveal that innovation, organizational resilience, and investment strategies are significant predictors of performance, together explaining over 52% of its variance. Interestingly, while digitalization correlates strongly with innovation and strategic adaptation, its direct effect on performance was not statistically significant in the regression model. These findings underscore the importance of an integrated approach to digital transformation and resilience-building strategies for navigating crises and fostering long-term performance. The study contributes to the literature on digitalization, crisis response, and strategic management, offering practical insights for managers and policymakers committed to strengthening organizational adaptability in the post-pandemic era. Full article

Telework has become a crucial element of the modern business landscape, driven by transformations sparked by multiple global crises. The transition from traditional, in-office work to telework, sometimes mandated by revolutionary circumstances (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), has highlighted both the advantages and challenges associated with this mode of work organization. In this context, the present study examines the effects of telework as experienced by employees and managers during two key periods: the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of chatbots. Through 24 interviews conducted and analyzed across these two timeframes (2021 and 2024) using NVivo 14 Windows software, the data were organized and interpreted within the framework of the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model. The main findings focus on organizational communication, sustainability, and work efficiency, while also highlighting associated benefits and drawbacks. The results demonstrate the importance of adapting organizational resources to meet growing job demands in order to maintain desired levels of efficiency and effectiveness while avoiding burnout, productivity declines, or other negative outcomes in the context of telework. This research contributes to understanding the evolution of telework by offering practical insights for sustaining high levels of motivation and workforce engagement in achieving organizational objectives in the hybrid work era. This paper emphasizes the significance of the JD-R Model in analyzing dynamic work environments, providing relevant perspectives for organizations on the continuously evolving dimensions of job demands, job resources, and outcomes. Full article

Employee burnout levels have risen due to teleworking, increased job demands, and the lack of clear boundaries between personal and professional life. This study evaluated burnout levels, occupational health (through the presence or absence of psychosocial risk factors), engagement, and well-being/job satisfaction in a sample of employees aged over 18 from varying sociodemographic backgrounds. Additionally, we sought to explore the relationships among these variables and their influence on workplace well-being. The sample comprised 112 employees aged 18 to 65 (of both genders). The instruments used included the Burnout Syndrome Scale (Maslach Burnout Inventory—Student Survey -MBI-SS-), the DECORE multidimensional questionnaire, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and the General Work Well-Being Questionnaire (qBLG). The results indicated that overall workplace well-being levels are high, while the presence of psychosocial risk factors and burnout levels are moderate to low. Most variables correlated with each other in the expected directions. Furthermore, job well-being was inversely predicted by cynicism and burnout and positively predicted by support, engagement, and control. This study highlights the importance of workplace well-being and occupational health. Our findings suggest the need for intervention programs that include strategies to motivate employees, improve the work environment, and enhance stress coping mechanisms, among other areas. Full article

It is a serious challenge for humanity to find an appropriate response to stop the accelerating rise in global temperature caused by atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. After a methodological review of the literature, online and in-person modelling of education, work, and conferences, and relying on the results of life-cycle studies, we sought the answer to what reasonable solutions are available for decarbonization and energy reduction. During the research, the organizational carbon footprint of a selected office, educational institution and conference, and then the carbon footprint created by a person in 1 h, were examined. The two-day online education significantly reduced the daily commute load in transport by 402 tons of CO₂ equivalent per year. Still, the energy demand of home learning subtracts 136 tons from this, so the real benefit was 266 tons above in an institution educating nearly 3500 students. In a workplace of 180 people, where 52% of employees commute, 90% teleworking saved 222 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in one month, taking into account the carbon footprint of working from home. In the case of conferences, the online solution reduces the carbon footprint due to the absence of travel and catering. Comparing the three areas, for the in-person case, the conference’s carbon footprint per person per hour was the highest (11.91 kg CO₂ eq.). This value for education was 1.15 kg CO₂ eq.; for work, it was the lowest with a value of 0.90 kg CO₂ eq. Moving to an online space resulted in the most significant savings for the conference (11.55 kg CO₂ eq.), followed by working (0.54 kg CO₂ eq.), and minor savings were achieved in hybrid education (0.13 kg CO₂ eq.). The sensitivity analysis highlighted the impact of transport on carbon footprint in all three cases. However, the life cycle cost analysis showed that moving to a virtual space reduces the life cycle cost of de-carbonization by 42%. Full article

To understand how telework is perceived among occupational groups with different work tasks within the same company, this qualitative study aimed to explore how managers and employees experience telework in relation to well-being, individual performance, and the work environment. This qualitative study used a phenomenographic approach. Fourteen online interviews, comprising seven managers and seven employees from the same industrial company, were conducted between February 2022 and September 2023. The data were analyzed inductively to capture variations in telework perceptions. The findings showed that telework is not universally beneficial or challenging; its effectiveness depends on contextual factors such as team setting, job role, type of work, and organizational culture. Telework benefits both employees and managers engaged in individual tasks (e.g., reading, drafting contracts, and preparing reports) or global collaborations, including improved well-being, work–life balance, and overall performance. However, starting with an office-based period that facilitated team cohesion, faster learning, and a deeper understanding of the organizational culture. Face-to-face onsite work could be time-consuming and, therefore, stressful for some, but it is time-saving for others. Onsite employees and managers faced increased workloads when colleagues teleworked, as employees tended to rely more on colleagues physically present in the office. This research highlights the need for tailored strategies to enhance the advantages of telework while reducing its challenges. It contributes to existing research by providing nuanced insights into the relationship between telework and occupational groups within an industrial setting and offering practical guidance for telework in this field. Full article

In this study, we investigate whether differences in sociodemographic and housing characteristics may lead to heterogenous reactions on water demand across households in the event of an unexpected shock. In this sense, we estimate a switching regression model for residential water usage in Gijón, Spain, between 2017 and 2021, exploiting the exogenous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and various movement restriction phases. A rich dataset that integrates real data on water consumption and pricing, alongside reported household and housing characteristics, allows us to effectively control the heterogeneity of water consumers and test changes in marginal effects over time. Our findings reveal a significant increase in average water consumption coinciding with the onset of the pandemic. This increase in water usage was particularly pronounced among households with more members and those residing in older houses that also owned outdoor amenities such as gardens or swimming pools, among other socioeconomic and housing characteristics. Additionally, our study indicates that the price elasticity of water demand did not significantly differ from zero during the periods of the State of Alarm and the New Normal. This suggests that the implementation of movement restrictions and teleworking may have amplified households’ preferences and dependence on water, thus fostering increased water consumption. Furthermore, our results point towards unchanged residential information or knowledge of the expense of water services despite the time spent at home. Full article

Ethical management is key to ensuring organizational sustainability, through resources such as autonomy or self-efficacy. However, economic and social uncertainty occasionally leads to adaptive responses that prioritize profit as the primary interest, blurring the integrating role of ethical leadership. There are a number of studies that support this reality in a virtual work environment. This sector-specific and cross-sectional research explores how ethical leadership influences self-efficacy among teleworkers, through active commitment to job autonomy, and how an egoistic climate hinders this influence. The analysis is quantitative and correlational, and the sample includes 448 teleworkers. A model of conditional indirect effects, including both a mediation process and a moderation process, is used. The results support that ethical leadership enhances followers’ self-efficacy through a redistribution of responsibilities, which increases the perception of autonomy. However, when ethical leadership coincides with a climate that has opposing interests, such as an egoistic climate, ethical leadership is unable to counteract it, and its effect on self-efficacy gradually diminishes. The benefits of this management style are widely known, but it is crucial to understand under what circumstances it loses efficacy. This research presents a new theoretical model that contributes to the existing literature on ethical leadership. Lastly, organizations that embrace ethical leadership can avoid the emergence of ethical climates disconnected from collective benefit, such as those characterized by selfishness, which hinder prosocial motivation. In this context, ethical leadership fosters the development of high-quality interpersonal relationships with followers, which are considered essential for creating an environment conducive to group learning. Consequently, change management in organizations necessitates the adoption of an ethical system that enhances self-efficacy through moral principles, rather than relying solely on individualistic aspects. Full article

Few studies have examined the relationship between teleworking practices and presenteeism. This study determined the association between teleworking practices and presenteeism among teleworkers in Japan. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 2687 teleworkers from five companies in Japan, collecting data on demographic variables, teleworking practices, frequency and duration of teleworking, presenteeism, and various lifestyle- and health-related factors. A logistic regression analysis was performed. Teleworkers with full-time employment and less teleworking experience exhibited higher presenteeism rates. Key practices negatively associated with presenteeism included creating a dedicated workspace, chatting with colleagues, and setting daily work goals. Gender differences were significant: for men, additional practices, such as determining their work hours, were beneficial; while for women, chatting with colleagues was particularly important. A sensitivity analysis indicated that specific teleworking practices can mitigate presenteeism. Certain teleworking practices, such as creating a workspace, chatting with colleagues, and setting work goals, were associated with lower presenteeism among teleworkers. These findings highlight the need for organizations to support telework ergonomics, promote social interaction, and encourage goal setting to enhance teleworker productivity and health. Training for employees and supervisors to raise awareness of their own and their subordinates’ health while teleworking is advised. Full article

This study examines the relationships among telework, job satisfaction, and quality of work life among employees in the Peruvian public sector, specifically at the National University Pedro Ruiz Gallo in Lambayeque. Using a quantitative approach with an explanatory scope and a nonexperimental cross-sectional design, data were collected from 194 employees through a structured questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships between variables. The results reveal a positive impact of telework on both job satisfaction (β = 0.389, p < 0.001) and quality of work life (β = 0.323, p < 0.001). Job satisfaction was found to mediate the relationship between telework and quality of work life (β = 0.425, p < 0.001). Additionally, years of work experience negatively moderated the relationship between telework and job satisfaction (β = −0.114, p = 0.017), whereas gender had a positive moderating effect (β = 0.275, p = 0.016). These findings contribute to the understanding of telework dynamics in the public sector and offer valuable insights for tailoring telework policies to maximize employee well-being and organizational effectiveness. Full article

The role of ethical leadership in virtual settings is not yet clearly defined, but it may be the key to addressing employees’ emotional exhaustion. In addition, to prevent emotional exhaustion, it is important to determine the role of work autonomy and teleworking intensity. The present research examined how and when ethical leadership influences emotional exhaustion through work autonomy and teleworking intensity. Data collected from 448 workers in the Colombian electrical sector were analyzed using a SEM moderated mediation model. The results indicate a positive relationship between ethical leadership and emotional exhaustion mediated by work autonomy. The results also show that teleworking intensity moderates the mediation process. Specifically, the positive impact of ethical leadership on emotional exhaustion stopped when teleworking intensity was high. Likewise, high teleworking intensity intensified the positive relationship between ethical leadership and work autonomy. Finally, high teleworking intensity dampened the positive relationship between work autonomy and emotional exhaustion. In conclusion, working virtually five days a week is a strategy that amplifies the leader-member relationship and becomes an advantage to effectively combat emotional exhaustion. The results obtained in this research are particularly relevant because they show for the first time that ethical leadership can have opposite effects on employees’ emotional exhaustion, both positive and negative, depending on the number of days teleworked, thus contributing to a new understanding of the characteristics of the ethical leader in a virtual environment. Full article