Work Arrangements Research Articles

Psychological well-being and job performance of nurses and midwives amidst COVID-19 in Ghana; a multi-group analysis.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of psychological well-being on job performance among nurses and midwives in rural and urban hospitals in Ghana amidst COVID-19. The study adopted a purely quantitative approach, using the explanatory research design. Data were collected from 262 nurses and midwives in two selected hospitals in the Central Region of Ghana. The Structural Equation Modelling was used to analyze the data collected. The results revealed that the levels of psychological well-being and job performance were high in both hospitals amidst the pandemic. Further, it was observed that although psychological well- being had significant influence on job performance among the nurses and midwives in both rural and urban communities, the effect was more significant in the urban settlements. Given these findings, the study recommended that in order to effectively improve the job performance of nurses and midwives, management must adopt policies such as, flexible work arrangements, leave policy, and counselling services to support their psychological well-being.

Rise of the Gig Economy and Its Business Models

The gig economy, characterized by the proliferation of short-term, freelance, and independent work arrangements, has undergone a remarkable ascent in recent years. This paradigm shift in the labor market is reshaping the way people work and businesses operate. This article delves into the gig economy, tracing its historical roots. It illustrates how the gig economy transitioned from the fringes to the mainstream and discusses how the B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) models have shaped the current gig market.

A Taste of Telework: Effects of Remote Work Arrangements During and After the Global Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented changes in global work dynamics including mandating telework for most of the U.S. federal workforce to protect employees from health and safety hazards of the communicable virus. Although not ubiquitous, many federal employees had experience with these arrangements because they voluntarily chose telework prior to the pandemic through provisions in the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010. Using the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), which focuses on telework perceptions and experiences, this study explores the effect of the involuntary telework mandate on employees’ attitudes toward telework after several months through a prospect theory framework. Findings demonstrate that several factors including previous telework experience and experiential learning may influence employees’ preference for and voluntary selection into telework moving forward. These dynamics suggest an endowment effect for telework among employees who gained telework experience before and during the pandemic. In addition, employees may choose telework as an alternative work arrangement when they are not satisfied with their organizations or jobs but want to maintain employment. These findings suggest that agencies should continue to offer robust telework opportunities to satisfy and retain employees.

Flexibility Stigma Across Europe: How National Contexts can Shift the Extent to which Flexible Workers are Stigmatised

Although flexible working has expanded rapidly, especially during the pandemic, biased views against flexible workers – namely, flexibility stigma - are still prevalent and returning. Flexibility stigma hinders worker’s take up of flexible working arrangements and can make flexible working arrangements result in negative outcomes for worker’s well-being and productivity. This study examines how national cultural and policy contexts shape flexibility stigma levels within a country. We use a multilevel approach using the Eurobarometer dataset of 2018, covering 28 European countries, matched with national level aggregate data on policy and culture. Results show that in countries with a more work-life balance work culture and egalitarian gender norms, we see less prevalence of flexibility stigma. Similarly, in countries with generous family-friendly policies, workers are less likely to have negative perception towards flexible working. Finally, stronger bargaining positions of workers, may it be through stronger union power or through better labour market conditions, helps remove stigmatised views around workers who use flexible working arrangements. This study evidences the importance of contexts that shape views around flexible working, to help us better understand policy changes needed to ensure better flexible working practices.

Towards precarity? The occupational situation of physical education teachers in Poland

Many studies indicate that the teaching profession is influenced by social, cultural, economic, and political forces. In this article, we used Standing's theory of precarity to explore economic, social, and political challenges experienced by Polish physical education (PE) teachers. The purpose of this research was to explore the working conditions and perceptions of the profession among Polish upper-secondary school PE teachers. Data were collected using in-depth interviews with 37 participants and analyzed using a blended approach (i.e. inductive–deductive). The findings showed that PE teachers experienced difficulties associated with the marginalization of their work and manifestations of precarity typical for all teachers in Poland, namely poor working arrangements. PE teachers declared feelings of anomie and alienation as a result of uncertainty and, at times, anger, mainly due to the political factors affecting their work. Thus, this research also presented the direct entanglement of PE teachers in national-level politics. Participants expressed feeling powerless, out of control, and not prepared for the ongoing changes resulting from the political context in which they found themselves. The utilization of Standing's theory highlighted how neoliberal practices concerning the labour market reinforced the challenges faced by PE teachers, diminished the prestige of the teaching profession as a whole, and impacted the attitudes of PE teachers towards their work. Further, this research confirmed that the experience of precarity can be highly heterogeneous, underscoring the importance of examining local contexts to understand the complexity of the precarization process in education.

The power of preferences: productivity and stress in new teleworkers during COVID-19

Abstract This study of teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic avoids a common self-selection bias by controlling for preferences and whether the introduction of teleworking was voluntary or mandatory. In a survey (n = 1,500) conducted in December 2020, we inquired about working arrangements and agent preferences in January, April, and December 2020. Productivity levels initially did not significantly differ for newly teleworking individuals after correcting for age, gender, marital status, breadwinner and management roles, childcare gap, area, job type, and general awareness, but were negatively affected by a preference mismatch (PM; around −3pp) and cognitive dissonance (not going with one’s preference in spite of having a chance to do so, adding another −5pp). By December 2020, individuals with a PM lost as much as 9pp of their productivity levels, but the net effect for those in partially remote work was only about −2pp. Similarly, stress levels initially did not differ for newly teleworking individuals using largely the same controls as before. By December 2020, stress levels for individuals newly undertaking fully remote telework were significantly lower than for the control group of individuals with unchanged working arrangements, but the PM contributed significantly to higher stress levels.

Supervisory performance in telework: the role of job demands, resources, and satisfaction with telework

IntroductionDigitalization and the pandemic have transformed work, increasing flexibility, and remote arrangements. A critical factor in these transformations' success is supervisors' competencies. Consequently, new tools for assessing supervisory performance are required, particularly considering subordinates' evaluations. This study investigates the role of three telework resources (structural support, telework readiness, and monitorization) and three demands (workload, isolation, and information overload) in predicting employees' evaluation of supervisors, with satisfaction with telework as a moderator.MethodsA survey among 322 Spanish teleworkers was conducted in July 2023. Specific scales for measuring Telework Supervisory Performance, as well as Telework Resources and Demands, were developed. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), correlations, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were conducted.ResultsOrganizational structural support positively correlates with subordinates' evaluation of their supervisor, while monitorization shows a negative relationship. Telework demands studied demonstrated no significant relationship with the outcome. Interaction effects between resources and satisfaction with telework increased the relationship with supervisor evaluations.DiscussionThis research shows that organizational support significantly enhances supervisor evaluations in remote work settings, particularly among satisfied teleworkers. The findings also reveal that high monitoring levels can negatively impact supervisor assessments. Conversely, job demands were not significantly linked to supervisor evaluations. Implications for workers and organizations are discussed.

How do proactive employees reduce work-family conflict? Examining the influence of flexible work arrangements

PurposeWe examined who is more likely to use flexible work arrangements (FWAs) to alleviate work-family conflict (WFC) and under what conditions the use of FWAs actually reduces WFC.Design/methodology/approachWe tested the model using survey data collected at two time points from 217 employees.FindingsProactive employees are more likely to use flextime to alleviate WFC (b = −0.03; 95% biased-corrected CI: [−0.12, −0.01]) and this mediation relationship is not moderated by their level of low work-to-nonwork boundary permeability. In addition, only when proactive employees have a low work-to-nonwork boundary permeability does their use of flexplace alleviate WFC (b = −0.07, 95% bias-corrected CI: [−0.1613, −0.0093]).Originality/valueWe expand our understanding of who is more likely to utilize FWAs by identifying that employees with proactive personality are more likely to use flextime and flexplace. We also advance our understanding regarding the conditions whereby FWA use helps employees reduce WFC by identifying the moderating role of work-to-nonwork boundary permeability on the relationships between both flextime and flexplace use on WFC.

Flexible working arrangements on employee well-being concerning the mobile telecommunication industry

PurposeThe 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/approachUtilizing 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.FindingsThe 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/valueThis 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.

Will they always be living the Sisyphus punishment? The triple whammy for racialized women: a qualitative investigation of primary care researchers in Canada

Existing literature overlooks the role of gender and race on research productivity, particularly in the context of primary care research. This study examines how gender and race influence the research productivity of primary care researchers in Canada, addressing a gap in existing literature. Qualitative, descriptive methods were used, involving 60-min interviews with 23 Canadian primary care researchers. 13 participants were female (57%) and 10 participants (43%) were male. Fourteen participants were White (non-racialized; 61%), 8 were racialized (35%) and 1 did not comment on race (4%). Reflexive thematic analysis captured participant perceptions of factors influencing research productivity, including individual, professional, institutional, and systemic aspects. Systemic bias and institutional culture, including racism, sexism, and unconscious biases against racialized women, emerge as key barriers to research productivity. The parenting life stage further compounds these biases. Barriers include lack of representation in faculty roles, toxic work environments, research productivity metrics, and exclusion by colleagues. Participants indicated that institutional reforms and systemic interventions are needed to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. Strategies include recruiting equity-focused leaders, increasing representation of racialized female faculty, diversity training, mentorship programs, providing meaningful support, flexible work arrangements, and protected research time. Sponsors can offer more targeted grants for female and racialized researchers. Adjusting metrics for gender, race, parenthood, and collaborative metrics is proposed to enhance diversity and inclusion among researchers. This study underscores the importance of addressing systemic bias at institutional and systemic levels to create a fair and supportive environment for primary care researchers. A multitude of strategies are needed including increasing representation of racialized female faculty, creating supportive and psychologically safe work environments, and public reporting of data on faculty composition for accreditation and funding decisions. Together, these strategies can alleviate the triple whammy and free these researchers from the Sisyphus Punishment - the absurdity of being asked to climb a hill while pushing a boulder with no hope of reaching the top. College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Organizational Transformation in Adopting Hybrid Work Models: A Literature Review on Organizational Changes and Employee Readiness

This study explores the implications of hybrid work models on organizational dynamics and employee well-being. Through a qualitative literature review approach, the research examines existing literature on hybrid work, focusing on organizational changes, employee readiness, and long-term effects. The methodology systematically reviews scholarly articles, books, and academic sources, synthesizing key themes, theoretical frameworks, and empirical findings. The results reveal mixed findings regarding the impact of hybrid work on various aspects of organizational functioning and employee experiences. While hybrid work offers opportunities for flexibility and autonomy, it also presents challenges such as communication barriers, blurred boundaries between work and personal life, and uncertainties regarding career advancement. Longitudinal studies and comparative analyses across industries, cultures, and geographic regions are recommended to track the evolution of hybrid work arrangements and assess their sustainability in dynamic environments. Interdisciplinary approaches and integrating emerging technologies can contribute to evidence-based decision-making and foster innovation in hybrid work design and implementation.

The Role of Psychological Empowerment in Mediating the Relationships between Flexible Working Arrangements and Innovative Work Behavior

In today's dynamic work environment, the rise of flexible working arrangements and psychological empowerment has sparked a keen fascination with exploring how these new approaches drive employee innovation. This study examines the role of psychological empowerment in mediating the relationship between flexible work arrangements and innovative work behavior. A quantitative approach was used with a cross-functional method. A total of 255 employees in Indonesia took part in the research by filling in instruments via Google Forms. The convenience sampling technique was implemented in this study, focusing on those with at least one year of experience in organizations with hybrid or flexible work designs. Data were analysed using SMART PLS 4.0. The results showed that psychological empowerment fully mediated the relationship between flexible work arrangements and innovative work behavior. These findings suggest that organizations should focus on designing flexible work arrangements that encourage psychological empowerment in individuals, which may ultimately lead to increased innovative work behavior.

Unpacking women’s work during the COVID-19 pandemic in India: a feminist analysis of mainstream print media

ABSTRACT This paper explores mainstream print media depictions of women’s work during COVID-19 and associated lockdowns in India. Specifically, it aims to understand perceptions of educated upper- and middle-class women regarding remote working arrangements during the pandemic. It delineates two broad themes that emerge from an analysis of selected articles in four national dailies; first, many women regarded these arrangements as mutually beneficial for women employees as well as their workplaces, and its counternarrative characterised by women having to juggle paid and care work with little support from the family, market or state. The paper then unpacks the arrangement of work from home that emerges in the media analysis and offers a critique of the simplistic and binary understanding of flexibility, choice, and agency sustained by the neoliberal and postfeminist framing of pandemic work arrangements. Our analysis provides a feminist critique of these dominant perceptions that invisibilise the complexity and heterogeneity embedded within women’s experiences. Finally, the paper reiterates the urgent need to consider the structural factors that undermine gender equality across work and home; and pushes for a rethink of neoliberal and postfeminist notions of ‘flexibility’, ‘choice’ and ‘agency’ through the intersecting lenses of gender, labour, care work, and time.

Job satisfaction and performance among employed Bangladeshi women working from home during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the adoption of telework modalities by individuals in Bangladesh. The study's objective was to determine the job satisfaction and performance level of employed Bangladeshi women working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. A cross-sectional study was conducted among women employees of different professions in Dhaka city. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) was used to measure job satisfaction. Work arrangement satisfaction and self-reported performance were measured by two separate subscales which contain five items each. Responses from 118 employed women were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Chi-square tests, Independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson Correlation tests through the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 26. The findings indicated that 51.7% of women reported a high degree of satisfaction on the MSQ scale; 61.9% expressed high satisfaction with their work arrangements at home and 66.9% reported a high level of performance. Job satisfaction was significantly associated with the number of children and the number of family members. A positive association was found between job satisfaction and total working experience and work arrangements. Work performance was strongly associated with higher educational qualifications. A statistically significant association between job satisfaction and performance was revealed. The findings from this study indicated a high degree of job satisfaction and a high level of performance found in women employees who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings encourage organizations to foster more policies for telework alternatives for employed women to help them keep a balance between work responsibilities and household chores.

Identifying pain profiles in employees including work-related factors and pain perceptions: a cross-sectional study in Belgian companies

ObjectivesStudies usually investigate a limited number or a predefined combinations of risk factors for sickness absence in employees with pain. We examined frequently occurring combinations across a wide range of...

Veterinary students are willing to accept job flexibility by trading off some salary.

To determine the value veterinary students place on nonpecuniary job benefits related to working arrangements. 381 companion animal-focused veterinary students at 14 US veterinary colleges. We employed a survey with a choice-based conjoint experiment. The experimental data were analyzed with a random parameter logit model, from which willingness to accept was calculated. The results indicated that students would prefer working 4 days a week and closer to 40 hours per week, with 13 days of paid time off. Flexible working arrangements were valued from approximately $1,500 to $3,400, depending on the attribute being analyzed. Paid time off was most highly valued. These results will help employers better identify the current preferences of soon-to-be associate veterinarians and can match job offer/working arrangements to enhance recruitment and retention within veterinary practices.

Negotiating Work and Family Spheres: The Dyadic Effects of Flexible Work Arrangements on Fertility Among Dual-Earner Heterosexual Couples

Academics and policymakers have suggested making flexible work arrangements (FWAs) the default in workplaces to promote a family-friendly workplace culture conducive to having and raising children. However, systematic research investigating how FWAs, as a long-term approach to negotiating work–family spheres, are related to fertility among dual-earner heterosexual couples is limited. Drawing on the linked-lives perspective, we theorize the relationship between FWAs and fertility among couples and potential variation depending on the interplay of both spouses’ work and family characteristics. We test our hypotheses using longitudinal couple-level dyadic data in the United Kingdom (2010–2022). We find that although FWA availability alone is unrelated to fertility, wives’ (not husbands’) FWA use is significantly associated with a higher probability of experiencing a first birth. Moreover, the effect of wives’ FWA use is particularly pronounced when both spouses work in professional and managerial occupations and when husbands contribute a larger proportion of income and at least equal housework. This study reveals a gendered effect of FWAs on fertility across work–family arrangements, deepening our understanding of couple-level dynamics in the fertility process.

Performance in a Diverse Workforce: Inclusive Leadership, Climate, and Equitable Work Arrangements

Performance in a Diverse Workforce: Inclusive Leadership, Climate, and Equitable Work Arrangements

Electric vehicle (EV) type choice model: Latent class modelling (LCM) approach

This study develops a flexible Latent Class Model (LCM) to investigate the electric vehicle (EV) type choice decisions of Halifax residents. It utilizes cross-sectional data from the 2022 Halifax Travel Activity (HaliTRAC) survey, which includes questions related to EV adoption. This study also analyzes eight attitude and lifestyle preference related statements using principal component analysis (PCA) technique and finally extracts three components labeled as “EV enthusiasts”, “Sustainable travellers”, and “Remote work arrangement admirers”. This paper explores the heterogeneity between two classes for different alternative vehicle type choice, such as, battery electric vehicle (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and regular internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Based on class membership attributes, class-1 can be identified as those who live in suburban areas, have a large family with high vehicle ownership, and are interested in travelling with their family members, especially with their children and vice-versa for class-2. Results suggest that variables across two classes portray heterogeneity, such as, full-time worker portray positive correlation for class-1 and negative to class-2; high annual household income group (more than $200,000) exhibit high propensity to choose BEV in class-2 and vice-versa for class-1. Sustainable travelers emphasize the adverse connection towards regular vehicles, while EV enthusiasts demonstrate a favorable association with embracing any type of EV (BEV, PHEV, HEV). Furthermore, the findings from this analysis provide guidance for policy measures such as offering purchase incentives, expanding charging infrastructure, and implementing tax rebates to promote the uptake of EV among the residents of Halifax.

Exploring the Potential of Virtual Immersive Workspaces: Benefits, Limitations, and Implications

Since the 1970s, telecommuting has generated significant interest among academics and practitioners alike. However, the topic of flexible working arrangements has become more relevant lately, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As digital technologies continuously advance, immersive workplaces facilitated by technologies such as virtual reality (VR) become more appealing. This article examines the phenomenon of virtual immersive workspaces and their impacts on organizations. It provides insights into the emerging trends driving subsequent immersive technologies that not only foster competitive advantages in the Web3 era but also shed light on the challenges that organizations face in this context. The findings emphasize the key advantages and limitations of implementing VR in the workplace as well as the importance of purposefully designing a set of tools for remote workers.