Impact of COVID-19 awareness and technological anxiety on “mandatory telework”: a Danish case study

Abstract

Purpose The uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 has forced employees to use telework technologies and platforms to perform different tasks, that is, “mandatory telework”. COVID-19 is a unique situation that has shocked economies and societies and led to a reshaping of the perception of employees and firms about work practices. However, due to the recent nature of the phenomenon, it is not usually understood how employees would cope with this forced change. Thus, the study aims to explore COVID-19 awareness and employees’ behavior toward mandatory telework.Design/methodology/approach A sample of 201 Danish employees was selected to examine the research questions using partial least square (PLS) structural equation modeling.Findings The findings show that COVID-19 awareness reduces technological anxiety and increases positive attitudes and job satisfaction. The authors have also found the full and partially mediating role of attitude and technological anxiety on the relationship between COVID-19 awareness and job satisfaction.Originality/value The study employed the theoretical lens of job demands-resources theory to understand COVID-19 awareness and technological anxiety dynamics on employees’ attitudes toward mandatory telework and job satisfaction during the pandemic.