Not All Remote Workers Are Similar: Technology Acceptance, Remote Work Beliefs, and Wellbeing of Remote Workers during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Simone Donati,Gianluca Viola,Ferdinando Toscano,Salvatore Zappalà

doi:10.3390/ijerph182212095

Abstract

Although a large part of the world’s workforce engaged in mandatory Work from Home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience was not the same for everyone. This study explores whether different groups of employees, based on their work and organizational characteristics (i.e., organizational size, number of days per week working from home, working in team) and personal characteristics (i.e., remote work experience, having children at home), express different beliefs about working remotely, acceptance of the technology necessary to Work from Home, and well-being. A study was conducted with 163 Italian workers who answered an online questionnaire from November 2020 to January 2021. A cluster analysis revealed that work, organizational, and personal variables distinguish five different types of workers. ANOVA statistics showed that remote workers from big companies who worked remotely several days a week, had experience (because they worked remotely before the national lockdowns), and worked in a team, had more positive beliefs about working remotely, higher technology acceptance, and better coping strategies, compared to the other groups of workers. Practical implications to support institutional and organizational decision-makers and HR managers to promote remote work and employee well-being are presented.

Highlights

IntroductionTo contain and proactively react to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many countries implemented social distancing and face mask requirements [1], but they encouraged organizations to massively adopt remote work practices [2]
This study aims to identify whether different groups of employees who engage in remote work have different beliefs about the Work from Home experience during the COVID-19 pandemic
Given the need to study Work from Home (WFH) perceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the controversial impact of remote work on employees’ well-being, and the fact that remote work outcomes may depend on specific working conditions, we propose the following research questions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, have specific remote work conditions shaped workers’ experience by creating differences in their WFH acceptance, beliefs, well-being, and motivation at work?

Summary

Introduction

To contain and proactively react to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many countries implemented social distancing and face mask requirements [1], but they encouraged organizations to massively adopt remote work practices [2]. This latter action involved an acceleration of trends that were already underway, such as the digitalization of organizational processes [3] and the legal definition and experience remote work [4,5].

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