Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: An Examination of Teleworkers’ and Office Workers’ Job Satisfaction Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory

Abstract

Although research on teleworking dates back about a decade, much remains unknown with regard to how teleworking impacts employees’ experience at work. Based on self-determination theory, this research seeks to understand the dynamics underlying the impact of teleworking on employees’ job satisfaction. The study was conducted in an organization with a formal teleworking program; 448 respondents (211 teleworkers and 237 office workers) completed an online questionnaire. The results of structural equation model analysis indicate that teleworking is a better way of meeting workers’ psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In addition, our results indicate that there is a moderating effect on the relationship between these three types of psychological needs and employees’ job satisfaction, supporting the idea that the satisfaction of psychological needs does not operate in the same way for teleworkers and office workers.