An Empirical Study: Computer-Mediated Communication and Collaboration among Government Employees during Flexible Working Arrangements

Abstract

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of flexible working arrangements (FWA) became a trend and necessity in many work forces, including government offices. The success of FWA is affected by many factors; one of them is the effective computer-mediated communication and collaboration. This study examines the patterns and the effectiveness of computer-mediated communication and collaboration among government employees, cases in the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, during their working experience with flexible arrangement. Using quantitative approach, the data is collected through a survey to 745 employees, in June 2020. The results show that all employees have used instant messaging and online meeting applications to communicate during flexible working. Moreover, majority of the employees also have used office e-mail and document sharing tool to correspondence and collaborate remotely. Even though most employees consider that communication and coordination through information and communication technology is easy and clear, it has not been able to replace fully face-to-face meetings. Some recommendations are given to result in more effective computer-mediated communication and collaboration among government employees to support flexible working arrangements.