Flexible Work Arrangements and the Workplace Commitment of Employees in General Hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia

Aim: The study aimed to determine the relationship between flexible work arrangements and Constitutional Commissions’ performance in Kenya. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The target population was 5,679 employees working in the 13 Constitutional Commissions in Kenya. A purposive sampling technique was used to obtain the respondents. A sample size of 195 managers was selected from the Constitutional Commissions in Kenya. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire and structured personal interviews. A drop-and-pick method was used to administer copies of the questionnaire. Secondary data was obtained through document analysis. Descriptive statistical tools including frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation were used. Qualitative data was analyzed using themes based on the study's objectives. Inferential statistical tools such as chi-square, correlation analysis and regression analysis were used. ANOVA test was done to determine the statistical significance of each variable. The findings were presented in tables. Results: The findings indicated that there was a moderate and positive relationship between flexible work arrangements and performance. This shows that flexibility in working arrangements will result in improved performance of Constitutional Commissions. It was revealed that Constitutional Commissions do not provide teleworking and other flexible working options. Conclusion: The study concluded that demographic characteristics moderated the relationship between flexible work arrangements and the performance of Constitutional Commissions. Recommendation: The study recommends that commissions should adopt work arrangements including flexible working options, part-time working, teleworking, compressed work weeks, job sharing, and flexible start and finish times. Constitutional Commissions should also invest in technology that will ensure real-time conversation with the office, this will facilitate initiatives such as teleworking.

ABSTRACTWe apply probit and propensity score matching to 1667 respondents from the 2008 National Survey of the Changing Workforce to quantify how workers’ self-reported stress levels vary under two different workplace flexibilities and varying degrees of job control. The first workplace flexibility considered is the ability to easily take time off for personal and family matters; the second is the option of a compressed work week. Our findings suggest that the first flexibility correlates with lower stress reports regardless of job control level. The second flexibility, however, correlates with lower stress levels only for workers with low levels of job control. This suggests that a compressed work week does not reduce stress for workers that already have high levels of job control. The more general conclusion is that some flexibilities are substitutes for job control whereas other are not, assuming the larger goal is the reduction of workplace stress and the various maladies exacerbated by stress.

This research explores various dimensions of time poverty within flexible time-space working arrangements and enriches the concept through the application of power-chronography. By using qualitative research methods, such as semi-structured interviews, the study explores the multifaceted nature of time poverty and examines how it is experienced and produced in the everyday lives of individuals with flexible working arrangements in the Czech Republic. The paper sheds light on uneven temporalities and reveals how time poverty relates to temporal acceleration and technological changes in communication. Specifically, time poverty is observed as it relates to constant availability pressures, the need to recalibrate with the dominant socioeconomic rhythm and difficulty planning due to general temporal unpredictability. The reproduction of time poverty is further done via the internalization of sociocultural norms and self-discipline as regards work, temporality and the digital environment. The constant juggling of multiple responsibilities and the pressure to be available for work obligations often spill over into personal relationships, leading to a blurring of boundaries between work and leisure. Consequently, time poverty can be redistributed in relational practices, which means that time poverty becomes a shared experience, impacting not only individuals but also their social networks – family, friends, colleagues. Flexible time-space working arrangements, thus, rather than providing greater autonomy over one's time-space, may reinforce the expectation of constant work availability, consequently time poverty. Finally, the study argues that these aspects – acceleration, constant availability, temporal unpredictability and sociocultural norm internationalization – should be understood as broader aspects of sociocultural and material-discursive practices rather than solely individual responsibilities.

Scholars of the American workplace agree that the employment relationship has changed in significant ways but disagree about whether workplaces are now best characterized as ‘legalized’ or ‘restructured’, a designation that implies a market orientation in the treatment of workers. We investigate whether a new set of employment practices, namely flexible work arrangements (FWA) such as flextime, compressed work weeks, telecommuting and reduced-hours schedules, are administered using the principles and practices associated with either or both management regimes. Our analyses of in-depth interviews with human resources managers from 41 diverse organizations show that most organizations have formalized FWA with written policies, but these policies institutionalize managerial discretion rather than creating outright rights for employees. Even when organizations write a formal written policy, FWA are managed as negotiated perks available to valued workers if and when managers choose to allow them, as suggested by the restructured workplace regime. We argue that this ‘formalized discretion’ explains the low utilization and unequal access to FWA found in previous studies. These findings suggest the need to reconsider the theoretical link between formalization and employees' rights in the workplace.

Recognizing the dearth of research on flexible work schedules in nonprofit organizations, the author conducted a statewide survey of Illinois independent nonprofits as well as follow‐up personal interviews with top administrators in select user organizations. Survey results indicate that a substantial proportion of these nonprofit organizations used flexible work arrangements. Four arrangement types in particular—flextime, parttime, compressed work week, and telecommuting—were found to be used more frequently in Illinois nonprofits than other research findings suggest. Although follow‐up interviews revealed that the percentages of employees in the various types of arrangements were low, overall arrangement use improved staff retention and morale and maintained performance. More than half of the administrators interviewed expected the use of all arrangement types to increase in the future.

The relationship between flexible working arrangements and job happiness is examined in this abstract. It investigates the effects of flextime, reduced workweeks, and other flexible work arrangements on workers' overall job satisfaction levels. The abstract discusses numerous research' conclusions on the benefits of flexible work arrangements for job satisfaction, including enhanced work- life balance, increased autonomy, and decreased stress from commuting. It also discusses potential issues and concerns with flexible working, emphasising the importance of strong organisational support and excellent communication to get the best results. The summary highlights the expanding significance of flexible work arrangements in determining contemporary workplace dynamics and their function in promoting higher employee job satisfaction. KEYWORDS: Flexible Working, Compressed Work Week, Telecommuting, Flextime, Flexplace, Flex Hours.

The present study explored the availability of flexible work arrangements (FWA) and their relationship with manager outcomes of job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and work‐to‐family conflict (WFC) across country clusters. We used individualism and collectivism to explain differences in FWA availability across Latin American, Anglo, and Asian clusters. Managers from the Anglo cluster were more likely to report working in organisations that offer FWA compared to managers from other clusters. For Anglo managers, flextime was the only FWA that had significant favorable relationships with the outcome variables. For Latin Americans, part‐time work negatively related with turnover intentions and strain‐based WFC. For Asians, flextime was unrelated to time‐based WFC, and telecommuting was positively associated with strain‐based WFC. The clusters did not moderate the compressed work week and outcome relationships. Implications for practitioners adopting FWA practices across cultures are discussed.

Three-day, 40 hour, compressed work weeks are atypical in American labor circles. They are especially rare among law enforcement agencies. Positive and negative attributes of compressed work weeks have remained largely untested and particular to specific industries. This case study is an evaluation of the attitudinal and productivity effects of a three-day work week schedule as implemented by the Bexar County Sheriff's Department, Patrol Division, responsible for policing unincorporated areas surrounding San Antonio, Texas. The findings of this research are consistent with previous evaluations of compressed work weeks in private industry. Positive impacts on both productivity measures and the self-reported attitudes of patrol officers are found. Furthermore, the quality of policing provided to citizens did not decline. These data lead to the conclusion that a three day compressed work week with 13 hour and 20 minute work days is a work hour allocation strategy that may be successfully applied to policing agencies with benefits to both the organization and line patrol officers.

The study investigated the effect of flexible work arrangement on organizational commitment using employees in manufacturing firms in Asaba, Delta State. For proper examination, the study considered work shift, off-time/flextime/rest period, long & short term leave which are the components of flexible work as the independent variables and their influence on organizational commitment which is the dependent variable. The survey was descriptive in nature, it used questionnaire as its sole instrument for data collection. The study was guided by four research questions and four hypotheses which were formulated by the researcher in line with the objectives of the study. The 25 items questionnaire was used to obtain data from the 50 health workers in the organization. Based on the analysis, the findings of the study revealed that flexible work arrangement has significant effect on organizational commitment, Significant relationship existing between working shifts/job sharing as a flexible work practice and organizational commitment, significant positive relationship existing between off-time/flextime/rest as a flexible work practice and organizational commitment and a positive relationship between exist between long & short term leave as flexible work schedule and organizational commitment. Based on literatures revealed and the findings of this study, it was concluded that flexible workplace arrangement practice is a favorable and good practice for health organization/hospital and any organization that want win the employees commitment and thus, recommended among others that, organizations especially in the hospital or health sector should inculcate more flexible work arrangement to enable staff have time for their family life.

Both managers and scholars maintain that the work and family roles are the two most central and prevalent roles performed in one's adult life (Frone, Russell, & Cooper, 1992; Michel, Mitchelson, Kotrba, LeBreton, & Baltes, 2009). Therefore, understanding the intersection of work and family roles is highly important for both research and practice (Frone, Yardley, & Markel, 1997). Previous research indicates that perceptions of conflict between these roles can engender negative work outcomes such as lower job satisfaction (Allen, Herst, Bruck, & Sutton, 2000), lower organizational commitment (Carr, Boyar, & Gregory, 2008), and higher physical symptoms of stress (Allen et al., 2000). Furthermore, recent research found that high levels of work-family conflict can exacerbate the relationship between burnout and organizational cynicism (Simha, Elloy, & Huang, 2014). Given these research findings, scholars and practitioners argue that aiding employees in their attempts to balance their work and family roles is a business and social imperative (Carlson, Grzywacz, & Zivnuska, 2009).Many organizations try to reduce the negative outcomes associated with work-family conflict by implementing alternative practices designed to promote work-life balance (Messersmith, 2007; Thompson & Aspinwall, 2009). Such alternative practices include compressed work weeks, flexible work hours, job sharing, and telecommuting (Johnson, 2004). However, the nature of work performance within some organizations prevents them from offering these types of alternatives (Rotondo, Carlson, & Kincaid, 2003). For instance, certain categories of employees, such as teachers or nurses, may be unable to take advantage of some common work-life benefits such as flexible work hours or compressed work weeks because their presence on the job is required during typical business hours (that is, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday). Therefore, work-life benefits, although shown to reap positive benefits for some organizations, are simply not feasible in all organizations.Just as organizations vary in their ability to offer work-life benefits, individuals also have varying expectations regarding the work-family interface. Employee expectations regarding work-family balance are increasingly part of the psychological contract; that is, the individual employee's expectations relative to the conditions of employment and the nature of the exchange relationship with the employer (Blomme, van Rheede, & Tromp, 2010). For example, some employees expect flexible working arrangements, and perceive that the promises implied in the psychological contract have been broken when employers do not make these arrangements available to them (Smithson & Lewis, 2004). Research found that employee perceptions of the extent that the employer broke promises regarding workload and work hours was positively related to employees' perceptions of work-family conflict (Sturges & Guest, 2004). These findings suggest that realism in recruitment practices may influence individual expectations regarding the work-family interface. Further, the extent that these expectations are met may have important implications for employee reactions toward both their work arrangements and the organization.This study examines whether the use of realistic recruitment practices, such as realistic job previews (RJPs), affects the degree that employee expectations regarding work-life balance are met. The theoretical foundation for our examination is expectancy theory that addresses the role of alignment of instrumentality for work motivation (Vroom, 1964). This suggests RJPs could serve as a protective antecedent (Lu et al., 2010) to help reduce perceptions of work-family conflict by aligning employee expectations with reality. Figure 1 outlines our proposed model. Specifically, we test whether realistic recruitment practices containing information about the work-family interface will influence employees' expectations regarding work-family balance to be met, thus leading to decreases in employee perceptions of the work role interfering with the family role. …

A review of the literature determined that our understanding of the efficacy of flexible work arrangements (FWA) in reducing work-family conflict remains inconclusive. To shed light on this issue by examining the relationship between work-to-family conflict, in which work interferes with family (WFC), family-to-work conflict, in which family interferes with work (FWC), and four work arrangements: the traditional 9-5 schedule, compressed work weeks (CWWs) flextime, and telework. Hypotheses were tested on a sample of 16,145 employees with dependent care responsibilities. MANCOVA analysis was used with work arrangement as the independent variable and work interferes with family (WFC) and family interferes with work (FWC) as dependent variables. Work demands, non-work demands, income, job type and gender were entered into the analysis as covariates. The more flexible work arrangements such as flextime and telework were associated with higher levels of WFC than were fixed 9-to 5 and CWW schedules. Employees who teleworked reported higher FWC than their counterparts working a traditional 9-to-5 schedule particularly when work demands were high. The removal of both temporal and physical boundaries separating work and family domains results in higher levels of work-family interference in both directions. The results from this study suggest that policy makers and practitioners who are interested in improving employee well-being can reduce work-family conflict, and by extension improve employee mental health, by focusing on the effective use of traditional and CWW schedules rather than by implementing flextime and telework arrangements.

On September 1, 2020, the Township of Zorra, Ontario, Canada began a compressed work week pilot project designed to add flexibility for its employees in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Office-based employees who opted into the pilot were given either Monday or Friday off from work and then worked longer shifts for the four remaining days. This field note provides information on the program's design and implementation and reports on the findings of pre- and post-pilot surveys designed to gauge attitudes of workers toward the compressed work week. Results indicate that the pilot was received positively and managed to avoid concerns typically associated with compressed work weeks, namely increased fatigue and staffing challenges. In addition to the evaluation of the pilot, we also provide insight into how organizational scale can aid in the development and design of public sector workplace innovations.

Lecturers are educators who have the main responsibility for disseminating knowledge through educational activities, research and community service. Lecture workload is defined as the average frequency of activities carried out within a certain period, in accordance with academic and professional responsibilities. Flexible Working Arrangement (FWA) was introduced as a flexible work scheme that allows adjustments to work time and location in a structured and sustainable manner. This research aims to determine the relationship between flexible working arrangements and subjective workload on lecturers at X University. This research uses a quantitative approach with a correlation type. The sampling technique uses quota sampling with a total sample size of 286 lecturers. The research data collectors involved lecturers who had a minimum position of Assistant Expert, did not hold a structural position, and were not on study assignments. The results of the research analysis showed that there was a negative relationship between flexible working arrangements and subjective workload for lecturers at X University, with a significant value (p)=0.006 and correlation coefficient value (r)=-0.163. This can be interpreted that the higher the flexible working arrangement, the lower the subjective workload. The results of the study also showed that the implementation of flexible working arrangements provides flexibility for workers to arrange work schedules according to personal preferences, thereby reducing the perception of workload. These results indicate that universities, including X University, can implement flexible working arrangements as a strategic policy to improve lecturer welfare, reduce perceived work pressure, and maintain productivity that the relationship between the flexible working arrangement variable is low on subjective workload in lecturers at X University.Dosen merupakan tenaga pendidik yang memiliki tanggung jawab utama dalam penyebarluasan ilmu pengetahuan melalui kegiatan pendidikan, penelitian, dan pengabdian kepada masyarakat. Beban kerja dosen didefinisikan sebagai frekuensi rata-rata aktivitas yang dijalankan dalam kurun waktu tertentu, sesuai dengan tanggung jawab akademik dan profesional. Flexible working arrangement diperkenalkan sebagai salah satu skema kerja fleksibel yang memungkinkan penyesuaian waktu dan lokasi kerja secara terstruktur dan berkelanjutan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan flexible working arrangement dengan beban kerja subjektif pada dosen Universitas X. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan jenis korelasi. Teknik penentuan sampel menggunakan quota sampling dengan jumlah sampel sebanyak 286 dosen. Pengumpulan data penelitian melibatkan dosen yang memiliki jabatan minimal asisten ahli tidak menduduki jabatan struktural, dan tidak sedang tugas belajar. Hasil analisis penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang negative antara flexible working arrangement dengan beban kerja subjektif pada dosen Universitas X, dengan nilai signifikansi (p)=0,006 dan nilai koefisien korelasi (r)=-0,163. Hal ini dapat diartikan bahwa semakin tinggi flexible working arrangement maka semakin rendah beban kerja subjektif. Hasil penelitian juga menunjukkan bahwa penerapan flexible working arrangement memberikan keleluasaan bagi pekerja untuk mengatur jadwal kerja sesuai preferensi pribadi, sehingga mengurangi persepsi beban kerja. Hasil ini mengindikasikan bahwa perguruan tinggi, termasuk Universitas X, dapat menerapkan flexible working arrangement sebagai kebijakan strategis untuk meningkatkan kesejahteraan dosen, mengurangi tekanan kerja yang dirasakan, dan tetap menjaga produktivitas bahwa hubungan variabel flexible working arrangement rendah terhadap beban kerja subjektif pada dosen Universitas X.

Purpose The well-being of employees is very crucial, especially for the survival and sustainability of the mobile telecommunication industry and thus, the deployment of flexible working arrangements becomes paramount for managers and industry practitioners to implement. This research aimed to assess the impact of flexible working arrangements on employee well-being within the mobile telecommunication industry. Design/methodology/approach Utilizing multiple linear regression analysis, the research tested hypotheses to examine the significance of the relationships. Grounded in the Border Theory of Balanced Work, the study sought to explore the relationship between flexible working arrangements, including flextime schedules, compressed workweeks and telecommuting and various dimensions of employee well-being. Findings The results of the study demonstrated a statistically significant positive effect of flexible working arrangements on employee well-being within the mobile telecommunication industry. It concluded that flexible working arrangements that are measured with a flextime schedule, a compressed workweek and telecommuting improve employee well-being through psychological well-being, social well-being and workplace well-being. Originality/value This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by establishing a positive connection between flexible working arrangements and employee well-being in the context of the mobile telecommunication industry. Managers of telecommunication firms should continue with the implementation of flexible working arrangements to enhance the well-being of their employees. The study provides valuable insights for both scholars and industry practitioners, emphasizing the significance of continued implementation of flexible working arrangements to promote and sustain the well-being of employees.

Over the past years, organizations are forced to redesign their workplace to fulfil global labour market needs and to remain competitive. Due to the ever-changing working environment and competitive markets, organizations opted to choose more flexible work options so they can respond to the volatile environment. This study explores the moderation effect of supervisor support (SS) between flexible working arrangements (FWAs) and employee performance (EP). The population for this study primarily focused on the organizations that adopt the flexible working arrangement such as flexible working time, working from home, and compressed work-week practices in Malaysia. The companies selected are based on the listing of global organizations practices FWAs mentioned in TalentCorp Malaysia Flexible Working Arrangement collaboration with Malaysian Federation Employer report, 2015. The questionnaires were distributed through the Human Resource Department of each organization. The result demonstrated that there is a relationship between FWAs and EP but there was no moderation effect of SS between FWAs and EP relationship. This study supports the idea that the employees seem to benefit from the adoption of FWAs at the workplace. It allows both gender and single or married employees to manage their time better particularly allowing the employees to attend to personal needs. Since FWAs itself is the support given by employers to employees, therefore, the employees were unable to associate supervisor support role as a contributor to help them manage their work and home responsibilities. This study showed that employee motivation to perform are affected by the policies adopted by organizations. Adopting efficient work practices such as FWAs could stimulate employee engagement to improve their work performance. Therefore, organizations that are currently searching for a strategy that can improve productivity and employee performance should consider FWAs as an option. However, the implementation ofFWAs needs to be customized according to the employee's needs. Offering FWAs in the organization will enhance organizational and individual outcomes.