With improvements in communication technology, more employees are working remotely than ever before. Organizations can benefit from remote e-working arrangements due to reduced overheard, travel and relocation expenses but how does working remotely impact employee well-being?
To answer this question, Maria Charalampous and colleagues published a study in 2018 reviewing the evidence on how remote e-working impacts the well-being of knowledge workers.
Legend : Recommendation of our expert
Expert adviser:
- MARIA CHARALAMPOUS, lecturer in Business and Occupational Psychology, Coventry University, UK
Author:
- KIMBERLY SHARPE, research Assistant, University of British Columbia
This initiative was made possible through a collaboration with the Université de Sherbrooke.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY:
Remote e-working
Any employee who works away from the traditional office and uses information and communication technology to connect with their workplace. This work can be conducted in a variety of locations, such as: an employee’s own home, satellite company or customer sites, hotels, airports or coffee shops.
Well-being
The authors define well-being in terms of five interrelated dimensions: affective, social, cognitive, professional and psychosomatic:
|
Affective |
emotions, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, emotional exhaustion |
|
Social |
social relationships at work |
|
Cognitive |
trouble concentrating, difficulty taking up new information, being able/unable to switch off from work |
|
Professional |
autonomy, aspiration, competence |
|
Psychosomatic |
health complaints including: headaches, stomach-aches, musculoskeletal issues |
Knowledge workers: Employees who “think for a living” and who use more theoretical and abstract knowledge as part of their work. Knowledge workers often have a greater level of autonomy than other workers and generally engage in work with a low level of standardization. Examples of knowledge worker include programmers, lawyers, engineers and researchers.
Method
The authors conducted a review of research looking at the relationship between remote e-working and work-related well-being. The focus of the review was on the well-being of knowledge workers who spent at least one day working away from the office and who used information and communication technology to carry out their work.
A total of 63 studies published from 1995 to 2017 were identified and included four studies from Canada, one study from France, as well as a number of studies from the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Germany. Of the 63 studies, none examined all five well-being dimensions, 26 examined more than one well-being dimension and 37 examined a single dimension.
Because studies must always be interpreted with caution
Remote e-workers who were self employed, freelancers and individuals with disabilities were excluded from the study. It is not clear if the results can be applied to these groups.
WHAT DO THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY TELL US?
Principal Conclusions of the Study
While there are both positive and negative aspects of remote e-working, the evidence suggests that remote e-working can generally be a beneficial working arrangement. A common theme across all dimensions was the pivotal role of a helpful and supportive organizational culture and environment for the success of remote e-working.
Effect of remote e-working on well-being dimensions
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