(Re)creating the Inhabited Workspace: Rematerialization Practices of Remote Work

Through the metaphor of the inhabited workspace, this chapter explores the practices of recreating the various workspaces deployed by remote workers. To do so, it draws on an exploratory qualitative study conducted in Montreal with 13 people who were already working remotely before the Covid-19 pandemic. After developing the concepts of remote work, space and materialization, the chapter explains the methodological approach in more detail. In France, since the 1980s, "teleworking” or "working from home” has been promoted by the public authorities as a way to reorganize the territory. Remote work covers a variety of experiences and trajectories. However, remote workers have one thing in common: the blurring of the boundaries between personal and professional life. The study shows that recreating an inhabitable workspace requires a combination of three boundaries: material, of course, and also temporal and virtual disconnection. These boundaries are characterized by their ephemeral and constantly renegotiated nature. © ISTE Ltd 2022.

Benefits and Risks of Teleworking from Home: The Teleworkers' Point of View

Using a qualitative research-based approach, this study aimed to understand (i) the way home-based teleworkers in France perceive and organize their professional activities and workspaces, (ii) their teleworking conditions, (iii) the way they characterize the modalities and the nature of their interactions with their professional circle, and more broadly (iv) their quality of life ‘at work'. We performed a lexical and morphosyntactic analysis of interviews conducted with 28 teleworkers (working part-time or full-time from home) before the COVID-19 crisis and the associated establishment of emergency telework. Our results confirm and complement findings in the literature. Participant discourses underlined the beneficial effects of teleworking in terms of professional autonomy, flexibility, concentration, efficiency, performance, productivity, and being able to balance their professional and private lives. Nevertheless, they also highlighted the deleterious effects of teleworking on temporal workload, setting boundaries for work, work-based relationships and socio-professional integration. Despite the study limitations, our findings highlight the need for specific research-based and practical strategies to support the implementation of a sustainable telework organization in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. © 2022 by the authors.

Implications of (re)organizing (tele)work in time of crisis from the point of view of middle management

Introduction. - The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the organization of work and represented a turning point in the deployment of mediated and remote work. Wherever the continuation of the activity was possible at a distance, telework was imposed. Nevertheless, it is exercised in new conditions and the organization of work modalities is defined according to the evolution of the situation and governmental health measures. Objective. - In this context, the objective of this study is to understand what are, from the point of view of middle managers, the impacts of telework in confinement and then during the progressive re-establishment of the activity on site, on the one hand, on the work, its organization and its conditions of realization and, on the other hand, on the work collectives, the relationship to work and the quality of life of the employees. Method. - In this perspective, we carried out an exploratory and comprehensive study through semi-structured interviews with 17 directors of service in a French public organization. Results. - The lexical and morphosyntactic analysis performed shows that the modalities of work organization/reorganization at different moments of the crisis, their impact on work activity, the psychosocial experience of telework within the services and the managerial practices deployed (3 classes) could constitute opportunities but also generate risks. Conclusion. - The results of this study allow us to identify the benefits but also the potentially deleterious effects of the use of telework in times of crisis and provide elements for consideration in its post-pandemic deployment. (C) 2022 Societe Francaise de Psychologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Incidences de la (ré)organisation du (télé)travail en temps de crise du point de vue de l’encadrement intermédiaire

Résumé Introduction La pandémie Covid-19 a bouleversé l’organisation du travail et a marqué un tournant dans le déploiement du travail médiatisé et distant. Partout où la continuation de l’activité était possible à distance, le télétravail s’est imposé. Néanmoins, il s’exerce dans des conditions inédites et l’organisation des modalités de travail se définit au gré de l’évolution de la situation et des mesures sanitaires gouvernementales. Objectif Dans ce contexte, l’objectif de cette étude est de comprendre quelles sont, du point de vue des managers intermédiaires, les incidences du télétravail en confinement puis lors de la reprise progressive de l’activité sur site, d’une part, sur le travail, son organisation et ses conditions de réalisation et, d’autre part, sur les collectifs de travail, le rapport au travail et la qualité de vie des salariés. Méthode Dans cette perspective, nous avons mené une étude exploratoire et compréhensive par entretiens semi-directifs auprès de 17 directeurs de service en poste en France dans un organisme public. Résultats L’analyse lexicale et morphosyntaxique réalisée montre que les modalités d’organisation/réorganisation du travail à différents moments de la crise, leur impact sur l’activité de travail, l’expérience psychosociale du télétravail au sein des services et les pratiques managériales déployées (3 classes) ont pu constituer des opportunités mais aussi générer des risques. Conclusion Les résultats de cette étude permettent d’identifier les bénéfices mais aussi les retombées potentiellement délétères du recours au télétravail en période de crise et fournissent des éléments de réflexions quant à son déploiement post-pandémie. Introduction The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the organization of work and represented a turning point in the deployment of mediated and remote work. Wherever the continuation of the activity was possible at a distance, telework was imposed. Nevertheless, it is exercised in new conditions and the organization of work modalities is defined according to the evolution of the situation and governmental health measures. Objective In this context, the objective of this study is to understand what are, from the point of view of middle managers, the impacts of telework in confinement and then during the progressive re-establishment of the activity on site, on the one hand, on the work, its organization and its conditions of realization and, on the other hand, on the work collectives, the relationship to work and the quality of life of the employees. Method In this perspective, we carried out an exploratory and comprehensive study through semi-structured interviews with 17 directors of service in a French public organization. Results The lexical and morphosyntactic analysis performed shows that the modalities of work organization/reorganization at different moments of the crisis, their impact on work activity, the psychosocial experience of telework within the services and the managerial practices deployed (3 classes) could constitute opportunities but also generate risks. Conclusion The results of this study allow us to identify the benefits but also the potentially deleterious effects of the use of telework in times of crisis and provide elements for consideration in its post-pandemic deployment.

Incidences de la (ré)organisation du (télé)travail en temps de crise du point de vue de l’encadrement intermédiaire Implications of (re)organizing (tele)work in time of crisis from the point of view of middle management

Introduction La pandémie Covid-19 a bouleversé l’organisation du travail et a marqué un tournant dans le déploiement du travail médiatisé et distant. Partout où la continuation de l’activité était possible à distance, le télétravail s’est imposé. Néanmoins, il s’exerce dans des conditions inédites et l’organisation des modalités de travail se définit au gré de l’évolution de la situation et des mesures sanitaires gouvernementales. Objectif Dans ce contexte, l’objectif de cette étude est de comprendre quelles sont, du point de vue des managers intermédiaires, les incidences du télétravail en confinement puis lors de la reprise progressive de l’activité sur site, d’une part, sur le travail, son organisation et ses conditions de réalisation et, d’autre part, sur les collectifs de travail, le rapport au travail et la qualité de vie des salariés. Méthode Dans cette perspective, nous avons mené une étude exploratoire et compréhensive par entretiens semi-directifs auprès de 17 directeurs de service en poste en France dans un organisme public. Résultats L’analyse lexicale et morphosyntaxique réalisée montre que les modalités d’organisation/réorganisation du travail à différents moments de la crise, leur impact sur l’activité de travail, l’expérience psychosociale du télétravail au sein des services et les pratiques managériales déployées (3 classes) ont pu constituer des opportunités mais aussi générer des risques. Conclusion Les résultats de cette étude permettent d’identifier les bénéfices mais aussi les retombées potentiellement délétères du recours au télétravail en période de crise et fournissent des éléments de réflexions quant à son déploiement post-pandémie.

Télétravail en temps de crise, engagement organisationnel affectif et satisfaction de vie professionnelle : le rôle de l’ajustement au télétravail et de la satisfaction vis-à-vis de l’équilibre entre domaines de vie

Résumé Introduction La crise sanitaire a été un considérable accélérateur du recours au télétravail. Objectifs Notre étude explore les effets de la fréquence du télétravail sur la satisfaction de vie professionnelle et l’engagement organisationnel affectif des travailleur·se·s. Par ailleurs, elle évalue le rôle médiateur de la satisfaction vis-à-vis de l’équilibre entre domaines de vie dans ces deux relations. Enfin, elle étudie le rôle modérateur de l’ajustement au télétravail (i.e., adaptation aux changements découlant du passage à un environnement virtuel) dans la relation entre la fréquence du télétravail et la satisfaction vis-à-vis de l’équilibre entre domaines de vie ainsi que les leviers de cet ajustement. Méthode Au total, 377 télétravailleur·se·s « tout venant » ont répondu à un questionnaire en ligne mesurant ces variables. Résultats L’augmentation de la fréquence du télétravail entraîne indirectement une baisse de la satisfaction de vie professionnelle et de l’engagement organisationnel affectif chez les travailleur·se·s, en raison d’une dégradation de leur satisfaction vis-à-vis de l’équilibre entre domaines de vie. De plus, lorsque les personnes se sont fortement ajustées au télétravail, les effets négatifs – directs et indirects – de la fréquence du télétravail s’atténuent. Enfin, l’ajustement au télétravail est en grande partie prédit par le fait d’avoir choisi ou subi cette modalité de travail, par l’environnement de télétravail au domicile et par le soutien organisationnel fourni aux travailleur·se·s. Conclusion Nous discutons des implications théoriques de ces résultats et proposons des pistes pour accompagner au mieux le déploiement du télétravail. Introduction The COVID-19 health crisis considerably accelerated the use of telework. Objective The present study focuses on the impact of telework frequency on workers’ work-life satisfaction and affective organizational commitment. This study also evaluates the mediating role of satisfaction with work-family balance in these two relationships. Finally, it investigates the moderator role of telework adjustment (i.e., adaptation to changes resulting from the transition to a virtual environment) in the relationship between telework frequency and work-family balance satisfaction, as well as the drivers of this adjustment. Method In all, 377 teleworkers replied to an online questionnaire measuring the above-mentioned variables. Results The increase in telework frequency is directly associated with a decrease in workers’ work-life satisfaction and affective organizational commitment, due to the degradation of their work-family balance satisfaction. Yet, once workers have made significant adjustments to telework, direct and indirect negative impacts of telework frequency are reduced. Finally, telework adjustment is largely predicted by whether telework resulted from choice or obligation, by the telework environment at home, and by the organizational support provided to workers. Conclusion Theoretical and practical implications of these results will be discussed, with potential avenues to best support the deployment of remote work.

Far Away, So Close? The Role of Destructive Leadership in the Job Demands-Resources and Recovery Model in Emergency Telework

During the Covid-19 pandemic, people started teleworking intensively, which has led to some benefits in terms of economic continuity, but also some complaints. International teams of scholars have pointed out the new work-related challenges, underlining leaders' role in successfully managing them. This study aimed at investigating the role of destructive leadership in the job demands-resources and recovery model during the Covid-19 pandemic. In detail, this study intended to assess (1) whether destructive leadership is positively associated with off-work-hours technology-assisted job demand (off-TAJD) and cognitive demands, as well as whether it decreases autonomy, (2) whether two demands-off-TAJD and cognitive demands-and two resources-social support and autonomy-are respectively negatively and positively related to recovery, and (3) whether recovery mediates the relationship between demands, resources, and exhaustion. A total of 716 French remote workers (61% were women) took part in this study. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. A multi-group structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses. The findings confirmed a significant association between destructive leadership, the two job demands, and autonomy;furthermore, all three variables mediated the relationship between destructive leadership and recovery. The findings showed the key role played by recovery as a mediator between, on one hand, off-TAJD, cognitive demands, autonomy, and social support, and, on the other hand, exhaustion. This study highlighted the role of destructive leadership, job resources, job demands, and recovery as determinants of exhaustion, illustrating their relationships in a sample of remote workers. Practical implications are discussed.