Companies are weighing the options between adopting teleworking strategies or orchestrating a widespread return to office workspaces. Concurrently, numerous studies have delved into the pros and cons associated with teleworking. Fresh insights from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), featured in the openly accessible, peer-reviewed International Journal of Manpower, shed light on a novel perspective by analysing employee perceptions of remote work. The findings from this research could assist organisations in refining their management strategies to boost employee contentment.
Vicente Peñarroja, a professor and researcher with the interdisciplinary i2TIC research group on Information and Communication Technologies at UOC’s Faculty of Economics and Business, elaborated on his investigative approach, stating, “The core idea of my study was to delineate profiles based on employees’ personal perceptions of teleworking. This perspective is pivotal as it reveals that not all employees share identical preferences or needs. Recognising and catering to diverse worker types with customised work plans can yield substantial benefits for both the staff and the organisation as a whole.”
Peñarroja’s study utilised data from 842 participants who completed the National Institute of Statistics Survey on Equipment and the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Homes in 2021. This survey included twelve queries that required participants to evaluate six benefits and six drawbacks of teleworking.
The collected data revealed three primary teleworker categories: realistic, ambivalent, and enthusiastic. The realists acknowledged both the advantages and numerous challenges of teleworking; the ambivalent group highlighted many disadvantages, whereas the enthusiasts predominantly perceived the benefits. Peñarroja noted, “One shared concern across all groups, including the enthusiasts, was social isolation.”
The analysis further revealed that these groups exhibited distinct characteristics. Typically, realists possessed higher educational qualifications and household incomes. Enthusiasts generally spent more hours working remotely than their counterparts. According to Peñarroja, these trends could reflect factors such as higher-level job positions amongst realists that may complicate remote work. In contrast, enthusiasts might include a higher proportion of younger, more technologically adept individuals.
The importance of such research continues to grow as it provides foundational knowledge that can help tailor work environments to employee needs. This ongoing research aims to determine if such profiles remain stable over time or evolve with changes in workplace conditions. Moreover, it is essential to consider specific work-related factors such as industry type, job demands, organisational culture, and individual psychological needs. Variables like self-efficacy, self-control, and varying requirements for autonomy based on experience likely play significant roles in shaping perceptions towards teleworking.
Peñarroja emphasised the need to explore teleworking modalities further to ensure they are effectively integrated into daily life, particularly in an era increasingly influenced by technological advancements such as artificial intelligence. He suggested that innovations like recorded video conferencing could enhance productivity over traditional meetings due to the capability to produce meeting summaries instantly. Additionally, technologies like geolocation could facilitate better oversight of employee movements. He highlighted the growing necessity to consider strategies for managing workplace stress and maintaining a clear separation between personal and professional spaces.
More information: Vicente Peñarroja et al, Are there differences in the perceived advantages and disadvantages of teleworking? The identification of distinct classes of teleworkers, International Journal of Manpower. DOI: 10.1108/IJM-07-2023-0416
Journal information: International Journal of Manpower Provided by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)