Exploring incentives and reticences to implement telework in small companies

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant share of workers has been involved in some form of telework. Remote work arrangements are currently affecting a wide range of firms and industries. However, its usage is significantly lower among small and medium companies. So far, the study of the attitudes and motivations of business owners and managers of small companies for promoting this new modality of work organization has been poorly addressed. This research aims to reduce this shortage by implementing an empirical analysis based on a sample of managers in small and medium-sized (SMEs) European companies. Our findings reveal the critical influence of organizational culture, the achievement of competencies related to the capacity of team building using digital tools and the subjective perceptions of usefulness on the decision to implement telework. It also provides insight into the most important determinant factors for reshaping work organization in European SMEs. Considering the incipient regulatory framework for flexible work arrangements, the results have practical implications for in-company training strategies and the policies to foster telework implementation in SMEs.