TY - JOUR
T1 - Remote working and employee engagement
T2 - a qualitative study of British workers during the pandemic
AU - Adisa, Toyin Ajibade
AU - Ogbonnaya, Chidiebere
AU - Adekoya, Olatunji David
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
PY - 2023/7/19
Y1 - 2023/7/19
N2 - Purpose: Through the lens of Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study explores how remote working inhibits employee engagement. The authors offer a fresh perspective on the most salient work- and nonwork-related risk factors that make remote working particularly challenging in the context of Covid-19. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use data from semi-structured interviews with 32 employees working from home during the Covid-19 lockdown. Based on the interpretivist philosophical approach, the authors offer new insights into how employees can optimize work- and nonwork-related experiences when working remotely. Findings: The authors show that the sudden transition from in-person to online modes of working during the pandemic brought about work intensification, online presenteeism, employment insecurity and poor adaptation to new ways of working from home. These stress factors are capable of depleting vital social and personal resources, thereby impacting negatively on employee engagement levels. Practical implications: Employers, leaders and human resource teams should be more thoughtful about the risks and challenges employees face when working from home. They must ensure employees are properly equipped with the relevant resources and support to perform their jobs more effectively. Originality/value: While previous research has focused on the benefits of remote working, the current study explores how it might be detrimental for employee engagement during a pandemic. The study provides new evidence on the most salient risks and challenges faced by remote workers, and how the unique Covid-19 context has made them more pronounced.
AB - Purpose: Through the lens of Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study explores how remote working inhibits employee engagement. The authors offer a fresh perspective on the most salient work- and nonwork-related risk factors that make remote working particularly challenging in the context of Covid-19. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use data from semi-structured interviews with 32 employees working from home during the Covid-19 lockdown. Based on the interpretivist philosophical approach, the authors offer new insights into how employees can optimize work- and nonwork-related experiences when working remotely. Findings: The authors show that the sudden transition from in-person to online modes of working during the pandemic brought about work intensification, online presenteeism, employment insecurity and poor adaptation to new ways of working from home. These stress factors are capable of depleting vital social and personal resources, thereby impacting negatively on employee engagement levels. Practical implications: Employers, leaders and human resource teams should be more thoughtful about the risks and challenges employees face when working from home. They must ensure employees are properly equipped with the relevant resources and support to perform their jobs more effectively. Originality/value: While previous research has focused on the benefits of remote working, the current study explores how it might be detrimental for employee engagement during a pandemic. The study provides new evidence on the most salient risks and challenges faced by remote workers, and how the unique Covid-19 context has made them more pronounced.
KW - COR theory
KW - Covid-19
KW - Employee engagement
KW - Remote working
KW - Virtual working
KW - Working from home
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85113830332&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/ITP-12-2020-0850
DO - 10.1108/ITP-12-2020-0850
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85113830332
SN - 0959-3845
JO - Information Technology and People
JF - Information Technology and People
ER -
