ARE MARRIED FEMALE EMPLOYEES SATISFIED WITH WORKING FROM HOME DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?

This study identified and analysed the job satisfaction of married female employees working from home during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted in Jakarta. This study adopted a quantitative approach, using surveys and sturctural equation modelling (SEM). The results were then obtained using the Lisrel 8.5 program. The population in this study were female employees who were married and working from home in Jakarta. The sampling technique used was a nonprobability sampling method, with a purposive sampling technique. The findings are surprising, as work from home (WFH) had no positive effect on work stress and work-life balance. Work-life balance also had no negative effect on job satisfaction. The implication of this finding is that companies can make new policies that regulate working hours and put in place new mechanisms for working in the office or from home. © 2022, Nigerian Economic Society. All rights reserved.

A Mediation Model of the Effect of Visionary Leadership on Teachers' Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is necessary in overcoming emergency conditions, including learning difficulties such as experienced during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, this research explored the visionary leadership effects of teachers' OCB through quality of work-life (QWL) and organizational commitment, and developed a new empirical model of the mediation mechanism. A quantitative approach with a survey method was used in this research, where Likert-scale questionnaires were distributed to 387 social sciences teachers in Indonesia. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, it was found that visionary leadership, QWL, and organizational commitment have a significant effect on OCB;visionary leadership significantly influences QWL and organizational commitment;and visionary leadership has a significant effect on OCB through QWL and organizational commitment. This evidence promotes a new model regarding the effect of visionary leadership on teachers' OCB mediated by QWL and organizational commitment. It not only confirms several previous studies as the basis for developing this research hypothesis, but is also an antithesis to previous research with contradictory conclusions. With such conditions, the new model provides theoretical and practical contributions which require in-depth and critical discussion before it is adopted or adapted as a model in improving teacher OCB via visionary leadership supported by QWL and organizational commitment. © Authors This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Women in the Workplace: COVID-19 and Work-Life Balance: JMI

The COVID-19 pandemic has cost the lives of an enormous number of individuals around the world, isolated people, and disrupted businesses. These are the direct and devastating consequences of the disease, however there are other peripheral impacts as well. The pandemic is continuing to threaten the work-life balance (WLB) of employees, disrupting their domestic lives, intensifying their general stress levels, and impacting their ability to focus on their careers. This is a significant problem for both working women as well as men, however this study suggests the negative impact is more disruptive to women. Women represent approximately 46% of the human resources for organizations and they are major contributors to advancements in domains such as healthcare, education, government, and commercial development. Organizations, as a defensive measure, need to adapt policies and procedures in an attempt to moderate the disruptive influences the virus is having on their human resources. This paper explores the extant literature and defragments diverse COVID-19 studies to capture an overall picture of the unique impact the pandemic is having on working women. A qualitative study involving semi-structured in-depth interviews with 20 professional women was conducted. Interviews were reviewed holistically with themes across interviews identified. Resulting themes include WLB expectations post-COVID-19, childcare, employers and expectations, and return to work. Thematic findings are discussed and observations relative to organizational implications are provided. Also offered are thoughts and suggestions for the enhancement of WLB, thereby benefiting both women and their organizations.

An organizational analysis of how managers must understand the mental health impact of teleworking during COVID-19 on employees

PurposeThe unimagined workplace disturbance caused by the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has made many organizations virtual or telework driven workplaces, often without the infrastructure and systems in place to support employees facing these sudden workplace changes (Burrell, 2020). Many stressors accompanied this transition, to include lack of childcare, home-school responsibilities and layoffs and business closings. These stressors have perpetuated concerns for the job and financial security for all workers (Fox, 2020), leading some employees to struggle with the work-life balance out of concern for being laid off due to perceived low productivity (Fox, 2020). This study aims to explore those manifestations.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative research case study explores the impact COVID-19 induced telework has on their job satisfaction, mental well-being and aspects of organizational commitment to fill a gap in the literature concerning emerging workplace dynamics due to COVID-19 for small real estate businesses in the USA.FindingsThe results of this qualitative research case study provide knowledge and information about the need for small businesses to be resourceful and resilient in the way that they support and engage remote workers. This qualitative research case study explores the impact COVID-19-induced telework has on their job satisfaction, mental well-being and aspects of organizational commitment for small real estate businesses. The analysis of current work-life structures through a qualitative lens provides trends among workers to gain a greater perspective of the current accelerators and barriers to worker success in a COVID-19 teleworking environment.Originality/valueThis qualitative research case study explores the impact COVID-19 induced telework has on their job satisfaction, mental well-being and aspects of organizational commitment to fill a gap in the literature concerning emerging workplace dynamics due to COVID-19 for small real estate businesses. The value of this research is that majority of the participants were African-Americans, which represents a participant group that is highly under researched.

Pandemic-induced changes in working practices within a global medical communications agency

Objective: To evaluate whether the COVID19 pandemic continues to affect working practices/patterns in staff working in a global medical communications agency, and establish what impact these have on various factors relevant to their work. Research design and methods: Staff were asked to detail changes in working practices (pre- vs post-pandemic), via an online survey conducted in September 2022. Those with changes in working patterns were asked to assess the resulting impact on key work-related aspects. Categories were: communication, creativity, effectiveness, resolving queries, briefing, career progression/development opportunities, professional relationships and work/life balance;ratings were: very positive, positive, neutral and negative. Result(s): Of 36 respondents, most (n=32, 89%) reported changes in working patterns post-pandemic: 31 (86%) from predominantly office-based to predominantly remote, and 1 (3%) from predominantly remote to predominantly office-based. Four (11%) reported no change. Seventeen (53%) considered the overall impact on their daily work as neutral, 14 (44%) as positive and one (3%) as negative. Most staff reported a very positive/positive impact on effectiveness (69%) and work/life balance (63%). Categories with majority neutral responses were communication with delivery team (63%), creativity (47%), query resolution (50%), providing/receiving briefs (78%), and career progression/- development opportunities (63%). Overall, 56% of staff felt that their new working pattern negatively impacted their ability to form working relationships with peers. Conclusion(s): Most staff work in a hybrid manner post-pandemic. Although hybrid working has minimal impact on key workrelated aspects, it is important to have balance between office and remote working where possible, to develop and maintain working relationships (and thus foster a sense of community), whilst enabling individual flexibility.

Influence of quality of work life on psychological capital of organizational leaders using artificial neural networks: a study on learning in hybrid workplace

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted work, leading to the adoption of remote work practices and changes in power dynamics and trust. Although managing remote work has received much attention, the impact of the quality of work life on the effectiveness of hybrid workplaces has been less studied. This study aims to examine the relationship between quality of work life and psychological capital among organizational leaders using an artificial neural network (ANN) model. Design/methodology/approachThis study used a cross-sectional quantitative methodology. A structured questionnaire was used to collect 268 responses from organizational leaders using the convenience sampling method. The data collected were analyzed using the ANN model in the Python interface. FindingsThe ANN model training and testing revealed that there is a positive relationship between the quality of work life and psychological capital among organizational leaders. The R-squared values for hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism were 85.19%, 82.08%, 78.55% and 81.08%, respectively, in the training set, and 81.30%, 78.95%, 76.52% and 71.41% in the testing set. Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, no previous research in the context of studying the relationship between quality of work life and psychological capital among organizational leaders using the machine learning approach - ANN model.

Eroding Boundaries and Creeping Control: "Digital Regulation” as New Normal Work

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and accelerated two trends that are now fully part of the "new normal” of work. First, the erosion of boundaries between work and life has become very salient with the normalization of work from home. Second, the quantification of organizational control, which was already present in monitoring devices and algorithmic management, has reached news levels with electronic monitoring of employees through "bossware” and Internet of Behaviours devices. This essay chapter analyses these trends and argues that active regulation of technology and its implications at work and outside of work is now an integral part of work for workers in many occupations. Specifically, the new normal of work routinely includes devising and adapting rules and behaviours around three major challenges: (a) constant connectivity (when and where workers are connected and available to work);(b) self-presentation (disclosures on video conferences, social media, and other online spaces);and (c) privacy (protecting personal information despite monitoring software, trackers, and algorithmic work). Colliding worlds and quantified algorithmic control are deep-rooted trends that must be addressed by workers, employers, unions, public policy makers, and scholars, if we are to build a new normal sustainable workplace. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

The Attitude of Flexible Work Arrangement on Academics' Job Satisfaction: The Emerging Market Case

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of academics' attitudes toward flexible work arrangements (FWA). The study has attempted to broaden the scope of FWA methods in academia by integrating educators that perceive job satisfaction as an important feature of human resource management. A quantitative approach using a non-probability sampling technique was used to collect the data and examine the impact of FWA parameters on job satisfaction for instructors who worked under FWA norms during COVID-19 at Tribhuvan University, the largest university in Nepal. The FWA parameters could take place at work, either digitally or physically, by changing the shift or schedule as needed. The study used survey data from academics from different disciplines working at Tribhuvan University, and 418 respondents who directly observed FWA behaviors during the COVID-19 epidemic served as the basis for this study. This study was conducted to ascertain whether the psychological and work-life balance in FWAs impacted employees' work satisfaction. To test the study hypothesis, the partial least squares method was used. This paper provides empirical perspectives on how the adaptation of FWAs affects satisfaction. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated to be beneficial in maintaining contentment with the balance of work and personal life. That means the universities or institutes should assess their experiences with FWA practices during COVID-19 and, as a result, re-examine and observe the best flexible job pattern for further practice in the case of an emergency. This study contributes knowledge by addressing the challenges faced by instructors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the study adds to our understanding by revealing that a positive attitude toward work-life balance significantly impacts a flexible work schedule during a health crisis like COVID-19. © 2023, Success Culture Press. All rights reserved.

A study to explore the linkage between green training and sustainable organizational performance through emotional intelligence and green work life balance

PurposeThis study aims to review the role of green training and green work life balance (GWLB) on sustainable organizational performance (SOP) with a moderating variable "Emotional Intelligence” (EI).Design/methodology/approachFor the development of the construct of the present study, a Scopus database was selected and research papers published in indexed journals were considered. Relevant keywords were selected and literature was searched on green training, EI, SOP, GWLB. The literature was reviewed to find out the linkage and possibility of development of integrated model. The main focus was on highlighting the relevance of green training on GWLB and its influence on SOP.FindingsSOP can be achieved with the intervention of EI and GWLB;further green training is one of the influential practices of human resource development (HRD) which helps to develop the green behavior.Research limitations/implicationsIt can give new insight to the organization for application of green human resource practices for SOP. Development and designing the cohesive environmental work culture and willingness to protect environment through green training can be implemented by HRD. Perhaps, the application of green training encourages GWLB.Practical implicationsQuantitative research and cross sectional study is required to find out the intervening role of EI and work–life balance between green training and SOP across a broader range of sectors.Originality/valueThis research extends the literature review and developed a new integrated model which shows the link between green training and SOP.

Workload, work–life interface, stress, job satisfaction and job performance: a job demand–resource model study during COVID-19

Purpose: This study, using a comprehensive job demand–resources (JD-R) model, aims to explore the pressures of workload, work–life interface and subsequent impacts on employee stress and job satisfaction, with implications for employee job performance, in the context of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional sample of employees at seven universities (n = 4,497) and structural equation path analysis regression models are used for the analyses. Findings: The results show that a partial mediation JD-R model was supported, where job demands (such as workload and actual hours worked) and job resources (including expectations, support and job security) have relationships with work interference with personal life and personal life interference with work. These have subsequent negative path relationships with stress. Further, stress is negatively related to job satisfaction, and job satisfaction is positively related to employee job performance. Practical implications: Potential policy implications include mitigation approaches to addressing some of the negative impacts on workers and to enhance the positive outcomes. Timely adjustments to job demands and resources can aid in sustaining balance for workers in an uncertain and fluid environmental context. Originality/value: This study makes a contribution to knowledge by capturing sentiments on working arrangements, perceived changes and associated outcomes during a key period within the COVID-19 pandemic while being one of the rare studies to focus on a comprehensive JD-R model and a unique context of highly educated workers' transition to working from home. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Manpower is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

A Product Design Approach to Promote: Psychological Detachment in Remote Work from Home

This research seeks to respond to a current problem, which has to do with the impact of remote work, from home, on the mental health of "knowledge workers” in particular. One of the greatest struggles people report having is being able to disconnect from work, a state known in the field of psychology as Psychological Detachment. In this context, the main objective of this work was to create a product capable of helping people in the process of disconnecting from work at home. To this end, we established an interdisciplinary research where the contribution of psychology stood out. After conducting a literature review, which culminated in the definition of a theoretical framework, we carried out user research, starting with surveys to find out about users who are being affected and concluding this stage with an Ideation workshop where users were encouraged to design solutions to help them disconnect from work. This collaborative and iterative process resulted in a number of ideas emerging alongside the theoretical framework, culminating in the proposal of three product concepts specifically aimed at helping people disconnect. These were subsequently evaluated by users and, according to their perceptions, gathered using User Experience Questionnaire. One of the concepts was chosen for refinement. Due to constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic it was not possible to produce a prototype of this concept for evaluation with users, which limits this study. Obtained results and their implications are discussed. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Remote Persons Are Closer Than They Appear: Home, Team and a Lockdown

Since 2020, worldwide COVID-19-related lockdowns have led to a rapid increase of remote collaboration, particularly in the domain of knowledge work. This has undoubtedly brought challenges (e.g., work-life boundary management, social isolation), but also opportunities. Practices that have proven successful (e.g., through increased task performance, efficiency or satisfaction) are worth retaining in future. In this qualitative empirical study, we analyzed four teams' (14 participants in total) mandatory remote collaboration over a period of several days to several months during a nationally imposed lockdown. We report results derived from questionnaires, logbooks, group interviews, and meeting recordings. We identify possible factors influencing quality of task outcome as well as subjective aspects like satisfaction, motivation, and team atmosphere. As a basis for our conclusions, we provide a scheme for categorizing effects of remote collaboration based on an exhaustive literature review on pandemic-induced mandatory remote work and collaboration. © 2023 Owner/Author.

Working from home during COVID-19 Lockdown: Changing Competencies and work-home life Boundaries

Crisis situations often introduces drastic lifestyle changes. This study is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to shed light on an unprecedented context of forcing employees to work from home with a short notice of companies and the government. The goal is three-fold: i) to understand the extent to which employees were indeed prepared to work from home;ii) to uncover the most important competencies that enabled employees to deal better with a crisis situation, such as the COVID-19 pandemic;and iii) to discuss the real impact that working from home had in the employees' lives during the pandemic situation and the quarantine period. Using narrative inquiry, this study explores the experiences of 18 young adult consultants working in different business areas, in Portugal. Semi-structure interviews were conducting during the third wave (12/2020 - 03/2021) and thematic analysis was used to analysis the transcripts. The analysis revealed three main themes: 'management competencies', 'work-life balance' and 'work flexibility'. Each theme consisted of several subthemes which illustrates how the participants perceived working from home and the factors that reflect their experiences and understanding. The research findings illustrate that interpersonal communication, anxiety and stress management, time management, and e-leadership are vital skills to cause a great impact on participants' productivity and well-being at work. Participants all appeared to notice that working from home provides a better work-life balance (e.g. saving time on daily commute) and more flexibility with regards to the work schedule and home commitments. Nonetheless, their experiences of home working depend on the personal situation, personality and the perceived management support offered during the COVID-19 lockdown. The research highlights a need to train employees on soft skills and prepare them to future crisis situations. Theoretical implications suggest that academics should expand research and interventions to include not only the work environment but also other external factors that affect employees. The limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are suggested. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

Post-Covid-19 Pandemic IT Project Management Skills and Challenges

Since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has harmed social, financial, and work life. The novel coronavirus has caused problems in all business sectors, including Information Technology(IT). Many Projects have been stopped or delayed due to the impact of this pandemic. Most of the companies recognized the importance of IT to achieve competitive advantage and to survive. Companies are investing a lot of money in IT projects. More than 60% of IT project fail. Lack of professional IT project management is one of the main reasons for that fail. Managing IT projects is a complex problem. Crises such as COVID 19 and uncertainty are increasing the complexity and challenges in IT projects management. This paper investigates what are the IT project management Key success factors required during and after the Pandemic. Secondary data were collected from literature review in the field of IT project management. an online questionnaire was used to collect the primary data from 107 IT firms. 323 respondents were participated. It is concluded that the following Key success factors are required: e-communication, centralization of data, online project monitoring, designing new policies and guidelines for incorporating new work culture, gaining and establishing project risk management exercises, especially cybersecurity and data protection by gaining access to the latest tools, establishing a culture for strict usage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to help project managers complete projects safely, and top management support. © 2023 IEEE.

Personality and Risk-Perception Profiles with Regard to Subjective Wellbeing and Company Management: Corporate Managers during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

This study examined the role of the Big Five personality traits and risk perception profiles among a sample of corporate managers concerning their subjective wellbeing (SWB) and corporate management practices during the Covid-19 pandemic. Two hundred and fifty-five chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief financial officers (CFOs) of companies listed on the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) in Poland participated in the study by completing the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Ten-Item Personality Inventory, Stimulation-Instrumental Risk Inventory, and a business survey on the Covid-19 pandemic's impact on company management. Latent profile analysis revealed the existence of diverse profiles among the participants regarding personality traits and risk perception, which were variously related to their SWB and managerial practices during the pandemic. It seems that individual differences in personality traits and risk perception not only matter for the individual life satisfaction of managers but may also translate into effective company management in times of crisis. The results of our study may be an adjunct to understanding underlying sources of managerial biases in corporate management as well as to developing more effective methods of psychological counseling of corporate managers, a topic that remains still a highly understudied research area.

Gender differences in work-life conflict during Covid? A research agenda for work-life conflict post-pandemic

Studies on gender differences in work-life conflict have shown that women often report higher levels of work-life conflict due to social mores of undertaking a larger proportion of childcare and household work. Similarly, emergent research on the impact of the Covid pandemic on work-life conflict have shown that women experienced more work-life conflict. During the pandemic, educational work and provision took place within the home. The current study therefore sought to investigate work-life conflict for employees in the further education sector during the pandemic. The findings of the current study suggest that there were no gender differences, at least in the case of the further education sector, which is contrary to extant research on work-life conflict. Thus, there is scope to explore through future research whether there is trajectory towards gender equalitarianism in the sharing of household work, whether the pandemic as a crisis was an episodic event that necessitated gender equalitarian work distribution, or whether the blurring of boundaries between work and non-work domains is a continuum of neoliberal institutional demands.

A Workplace Environmental Scan of Employed Carers During COVID-19.

The carer-employee experience has undergone multiple shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study seeks to understand how changes in the workplace as a result of the pandemic have impacted employed carers with their ability to perform both care obligations and paid work responsibilities. Using an online workplace-wide survey at a large Canadian firm, we conducted an environmental scan of: the current state of workplace supports and accommodations, supervisor attitudes, and carer-employee burden and health. Our findings demonstrate that while employees are generally in good health, care burden and time spent caregiving has been higher during COVID-19. Notably, employee presenteeism is higher during the pandemic than it was previously, with carer-employees experiencing significantly reduced levels of co-worker support. The most common workplace adaptation to COVID-19, work-from-home, was preferred by all employees as it allowed greater schedule control. However, this comes at the cost of reduced communications and sense of workplace culture, especially for carer-employees. We identified several actionable changes within the workplace, including: greater visibility of existing carer resources, and standardized training of managers on carer issues.

Psychological Well-Being: An Empirical Study of Indian Industry on Work-Life Integration During Covid 19

Minimizing the effects of COVID-19 is one of the world's highest priorities, and India is taking essential measures to curb the outbreak. Many businesses promoted social distancing through the announcement of compulsory work-from-home. In this backdrop, Remote Work has become a significant model mainly to retain talent and attrition. The present study analyses whether work-life integration and work-life satisfaction are related to psychological well-being. Research hypotheses are formulated based on the investigation of the literature review. This data was collected in India during July and October 2020 while the Covid pandemic was coming down to normal. The survey was aimed at people who work in Indian-based companies. Workers received an electronic version of the questionnaire, and organizations received e-mail requests. The decision was made to use the comfort sampling method. During the pandemic, a sample of 400 employees from the Information Technology industry in the cities of Hyderabad and Bangalore, India. Work-Life integration leading to Psychological Well-being were analyzed considering the role of work-life satisfaction as a mediator. This research focuses on job and life satisfaction, showing the mechanisms that help workers in remote working conditions stay mentally healthy during a pandemic. This mediation study revealed that Work-life satisfaction has an optimistic and robust relationship with psychological health, with this relationship being influenced by work satisfaction and life satisfaction among the Indian IT companies surveyed. These studies' findings suggest that a successful workfrom-home community is built on a foundation of work-life integration based on contentment. The research findings are that positive work-life integration contributes to employees' positive levels of psychological well-being. We found that the higher the job and life satisfaction, the better the psychological well-being. Since the current study is a cross-sectional analysis, there are some restrictions on how long the investigation can last. Longitudinal research should be conducted to improve the results of the studies.

Automated Text-Based Psychological Support to Improve Work-Life Balance and Sleep Quality: A Pilot Study Report of Work-from-Home Workers in Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Work-at-home jobs may raise the risk of mental health concerns as they blur the boundaries between one's job and personal responsibility. This study aimed to develop and test the feasibility of an online psychological intervention using the WhatsApp (c) messaging application.MATERIALS AND METHOD: During the 14-day intervention period, two messages were sent twice a day consisting of positive psychological affirmation aimed at assisting participants (N= 48;13 males and 35 females) to achieve work-life balance and better sleep quality. The Indonesian-adapted Fisher's work-life balance scale and the sleep disturbance scale were used to measure both constructs. These measures were administered at the beginning and end of the intervention. In addition, we provided participants with brief open-ended questions to check the program's feasibility and acceptance of the intervention.RESULTS: A paired t-test analysis revealed that although there was an increase in work-life balance scores in the post-test com pared to the pre-test, the difference was not significant (t (47) =-1.75, p >.05). Nevertheless, individuals' sleep quality scores improved significantly after the intervention (t (47) = - 2.85, p <.05). DISCUSSION: The findings of this study are expected to provi de a preliminary argument to further pursue the development of behavioral interventions using online strategies in Indonesia during the pandemic.