The Impact of Smart Working on Organization Performance

In the last years, several studies dealt with smart working (SW) and its evolution during the pandemic. Most of them discussed benefits, drawbacks and drivers for successful implementation. Few studies investigated the impact on organization performance. It is not clear to what extent SW, especially in the emergence phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, has impacted the organizations, both at macro- and micro- structure level, and whether it may result into increased productivity and better innovation performance. The paper aims at investigating whether and under which conditions companies that adopted SW during the Covid-19 pandemic improved their performance. To achieve such a goal, based on a literature review, we develop a theoretical framework to describe the impact of SW on organization performance. Then, we design and administer a survey to test it. In particular, a questionnaire to empirically test the framework is developed, administered, and validated. In the paper we present a preliminary analysis of the results of the survey, which offers some interesting insights for theory and practice. In particular, by analysing the impact of the implementation of this new work modality on the organization performance, the paper contributes to the research on SW. Also, by developing a valid and reliable questionnaire, we provide a useful tool to help investigate whether and to what extent SW allows for productivity increase and better innovation performance. The tools also help retrieving information about the workers' perceptions regarding the implementation of smart working in their own company. © 2022 Academic Publishing International. All rights reserved.

The bright and dark side of smart working in the public sector: employees' experiences before and during COVID-19

Purpose: The paper aims to understand how the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) influenced public employees' perception of smart working and how this approach was used during the pandemic. The authors asked about smart working's positive and negative aspects and how these changed during the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: The authors explored the strengths and weaknesses of smart working before and after COVID-19. The authors interviewed 27 Italian public employees who had experienced smart working before the pandemic. The questions and discussion aimed to broadly explore the strengths and weaknesses of smart working and smart working's impact on working performance, work relationships and work–life balance (WLB). Findings: Smart working had a widespread and positive impact on organizational flexibility. Smart working improved the response and resilience of Italian public organizations to the pandemic. However, some critical factors emerged, such as the right to disconnect and the impact on WLB. Research limitations/implications: The authors suggest that the pandemic exposed the need for public administrations to consolidate work flexibility practices, such as smart working, by paying more attention to the impact of these practices on the whole organization and human resources management (HRM) policies and practices. Originality/value: This study makes an important contribution to the literature on the public sector by discussing the positive and negative aspects of smart working. The study also provides managerial and policy implications of the use of smart working in public administrations. © 2023, Lucio Todisco, Andrea Tomo, Paolo Canonico and Gianluigi Mangia.

Reifying Kintsugi Art in Post-covid Era: A Remote Smart Working Model, Augmented Intelligence-Based, for Antifragile Companies

The aim of this conceptual paper is to understand if augmented intelligence may be considered a driver of antifragility that can be allegorically represented by the Japanese art of Kintsugi, which consists of the use of gold or silver to repair broken objects in ceramic to get a better aesthetic form. Covid-19, like a black swan, represented, for many companies, understood as systems, a complex situation capable of upsetting their equilibrium. It had thus forced them to accelerate the digitization process. Digitalization, based on artificial intelligence (AI) tools, brings in many fields new perspectives, such as new business scenarios and models. By using the Viable System Approach (vSa) lens, we investigated the impact of smart working, widely spread to manage a complex situation (Covid-19), in allowing companies to cope with changes and to be antifragile. A remote smart working model is proposed, as an evolution of smart working, based on a new culture of "doing business” to search for new viable conditions. It can allow companies a more efficient resources management, an endless orientation towards results, but also new synergies in new contexts thanks to new and increased networks, for new collaborations and new forms of interactions, as well as more profitable relationships with employees, based on a strong relationship of trust and on better opportunities for work-life balance. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Italians and smart working: A technical study on the effects of smart working on the society

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, "smart working” (hereafter SW) has become the norm for millions of workers around the world. A new way of working for most workers and in particular in Italy, a country where the use of SW was extremely rare before the pandemic. The aim of this paper, was to highlights whether smart working, adopted to face and survive global crises, could be really a suitable tool to generate benefits for companies, society, reduce environmental impacts and guarantee autonomy and flexibility for workers as well as a balance between private life. The analysis was conducted on a sample of 2753 individuals based in Italy during the period January and February 2021 using PLS-SEM model. The contribution of this study to research is identified in clarifying the potential of SW to create sustainable Smart Cities. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Smart working as an organisational process or as a social change? An Italian pandemic experience

Purpose: Along the coronavirus pandemic, huge business challenges are facing as a result of collapsing customer demand and organisational significant changes supported by digital development, while the increasing social and environmental needs involve business and individuals. The authors argue that this trend is modifying organisational and market logic, replacing them with values and practices linked to community-based models. The present work aims to study the impact that smart working (SW) has on the worker, seen both as a member of the organisation and the social community. Design/methodology/approach: The study data were collected from a computer-assisted web interview administered in 2020 to public employees working for health agencies across the Campania region, in South Italy. To test the conceptual model, partial least squares-structural equation modelling is used. Considering the abductive soul of the research, the study represents a pilot survey that will deliver stochastic results to be subsequently replicated in all Italian health agencies. Findings: The results of the research highlighted how the evolutionary dynamics of SW employees tend towards a reconceptualisation of workspaces, a redefinition of time and emotions and a better balance between work and personal life, thus creating a greater space for social and community aspects and determining a greater involvement in their working life. Originality/value: This research introduces a new win-win logic in the labour market, one capable of generating advantages for people, organisations and the entire social system by allowing workers to better reconcile working times with their personal needs and with flexibility demands coming from companies. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

What makes work smart in the public sector? Insights from a bibliometric analysis and interpretive literature review

Debate on smart working in the public sector is rich, yet poorly systematized. The article fills this gap through a domain-based literature review. A bibliometric investigation enabled us to cluster 72 relevant papers in 5 research streams based on bibliographic coupling. An interpretive approach was undertaken to analyse key themes addressed within and across the clusters. A blurred account of smart working emerged. Despite the triggers fostering the transition towards smart working, its contents are ambiguous. Smart work arrangements fall short in augmenting the individual control over job and impair interpersonal relationships at work, paving the way for dumb work.

PV Self-Consumption and Self-Sufficiency for Household and Office Users: The Lockdown Effects During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The lockdown period due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent adoption of homeworking had effects also on the energy sector, by shifting electrical consumption from tertiary to residential sector. This article analyzes the electric load curves in the office and at home for a group of employees, estimating the change of the Self-Consumption (SC) and the Self-Sufficiency (SS) when PV plants are installed, during the two months of the lockdown period (2020) with respect to the previous year. This investigation can help to explore the impact of homeworking, which is now usually adopted by many employees. For this purpose, the impact of different PV sizes on SC and SS rates, and the improvements due to the adoption of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), are analyzed. Sizing the PV production equal to the annual consumption and the BESS capacity equal to the difference between the average PV production and the average consumption, the annual SC (=SS in this case) increases from 35% to 68% in households and from 50% to 71% in the office building. The lockdown restrictions increase and decrease these rates of about 5-7 points in households and office building respectively. © 2022 WITPress. All rights reserved.

Italians and smart working: A technical study on the effects of smart working on the society

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “smart working” (hereafter SW) has become the norm for millions of workers around the world. A new way of working for most workers and in particular in Italy, a country where the use of SW was extremely rare before the pandemic. The aim of this paper, was to highlights whether smart working, adopted to face and survive global crises, could be really a suitable tool to generate benefits for companies, society, reduce environmental impacts and guarantee autonomy and flexibility for workers as well as a balance between private life. The analysis was conducted on a sample of 2753 individuals based in Italy during the period January and February 2021 using PLS-SEM model. The contribution of this study to research is identified in clarifying the potential of SW to create sustainable Smart Cities.

Home office and COVID-19: Meta-analytical research about effects of working from home

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, unprecedented challenges emerged for the global workforce, which needed to quickly adapt to new conditions and ways of working, specifically home office/remote work. In this context, the present meta-analysis study aimed to explore the effects of positive and negative aspects of working from home on symptoms associated with burnout before and during the pandemic. The SCOPUS and ScienceDirect databases and reference lists of the studies were consulted. Six articles were included, covering 4,082 participants with a mean age of 38 years, 67% male. The results suggest that remote work had a different impact on workers who needed to adapt to this new working condition during the pandemic period, evidencing that the protective and risk aspects are more relevant in developing burnout symptoms. Further research is still needed to recognize specific home office implications in the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Portuguese) Com a pandemia da COVID-19 surgiram desafios sem precedentes para a forca de trabalho global, que precisou se adaptar rapidamente a novas condicoes e formas de trabalho, especificamente ao home office/trabalho remoto. Nesse contexto, objetivou-se com este estudo de metanalise explorar os efeitos de aspectos positivos e negativos de trabalhar em regime de home office sobre os sintomas de Sindrome de Burnout antes e durante a pandemia. Foram consultadas as bases SCOPUS, ScienceDirect e listas de referencias dos estudos. Seis artigos foram incluidos, abrangendo 4.082 participantes com idade media de 38 anos, sendo 67% do sexo masculino. Os resultados sugeriram que o home office impacta diferentemente os trabalhadores que precisaram se adaptar a essa nova condicao de trabalho no periodo pandemico, sendo tanto aspectos protetivos quanto de risco mais relevantes no desenvolvimento de sintomas de burnout. Novas pesquisas ainda sao necessarias para reconhecer implicacoes especificas do home office na pandemia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) Con la pandemia de COVID-19 surgieron desafios sin precedentes para la fuerza laboral global, que debio adaptarse rapidamente a nuevas condiciones y formas de trabajo, especificamente al home office / trabajo remoto. En este contexto, el objetico de este estudio de metaanalisis fue explorar los efectos de los aspectos positivos y negativos de trabajar bajo el regimen home office sobre los sintomas del Sindrome de Burnout antes y durante la pandemia. Se consultaron las bases SCOPUS, ScienceDirect y listas de referencias de los estudios. Se incluyeron seis articulos, que abarcan 4.082 participantes con edad media de 38 anos, 67% del sexo masculino. Los resultados sugieren que el home office impacta de forma diferente en trabajadores que debieron adaptarse a esta nueva condicion laboral durante el periodo pandemico, evidenciando que aspectos protectores y de riesgo son mas relevantes en el desarrollo de sintomas de Burnout. Aun se necesitan mas investigaciones para reconocer implicaciones especificas del home office en pandemia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Supporting Smart Workers During a Pandemic. Lessons Learned from a Case Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze the adoption of practices and tools finalized to support smart workers to improve their work conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, we believe that such a peculiar situation has represented an important “opportunity” for companies to reaffirm the centrality of the wellbeing of their people and the need to take care of it, to put at the heart of internal policies wellbeing and inclusion reinforcing - and in some cases redesigning - their already existing systems. In detail, our research aims to examine how some practices even more fostered through electronic channels have been used and how these are expected to change the usual people management with an impact on future organizational behaviours. The analysis was carried out on the case study of a big MNC. During the pandemic, this company has implemented an ongoing survey articulated in three waves (April 2020, July 2020, and October 2020) to understand employees’ feelings toward working in the new situation and their perception of organizational inclusion in conditions of physical distance – being aware that the “new” approach represents a no-return point in the evolution of HRM. These results offer interesting stimuli for practitioners and scholars in the field of HRM and OB towards the new normal. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Remote Working: A Way to Foster Greater Inclusion and Accessibility?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought several changes in everyday life, one of them being the application of Remote Working (RW). RW is the new way of working, thanks to this new modality all workers, with certain work requirements, were able to carry out their work from home without having to go to the office. Given the strict rules relating to lockdown, if this method had not been applied many people would not have been able to work and today many companies would probably be closed. But which advantages and disadvantages can RW have compared to classical work? Can it bring more inclusiveness and accessibility for every one or only for workers with specific requirements (for example, for workers that need to take care of family members with disabilities)? This paper attempts to answer these questions. The University of Perugia in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development has created the “Job-satisfying” project. In this project 24 participants were divided into two groups (home-space group and office-space group) and each of these had to complete some tasks and complete questionnaires. Generally, no significant difference emerged but some interesting results were encountered: those who took the experimentation from home, that have children, obtained higher scores relating to the sense of working autonomy, support from superiors and satisfaction of relationships at work. This data seems to argue that working from home can improve inclusiveness. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Work Engagement as a Moderating Factor between Positive Attitude toward Smart Working and Job and Life Satisfaction.

Attitude toward smart working reflects feelings of favorableness towards this object; attitudes influence intentions, which in turn guide behaviors. Recent research confirms the positive influence that attitude toward smart working has on expected usage of it. Despite a direct influence, other factors could interact in the context of opportunities for ICT usage for teleworkers; among these factors, work engagement stands out. In turn, work engagement influences the perception of job satisfaction and life satisfaction. Considering that literature suggests that among the antecedents of work engagement are attitudes, the present study analyzes the role of positive attitude towards smart working on work engagement, and consequently on job satisfaction and on life satisfaction, hypothesizing that work engagement could mediate between positive attitude towards smart working and job and life satisfaction. The participants were 342 workers (115 males and 227 females) in private and public organizations, aged 24 to 66 years. The results showed that a positive attitude towards smart working, along with work engagement as a mediator, positively influences job satisfaction and life satisfaction. This means that employers and human resources managers (HRM) can organize training sessions to enhance the positive attitude toward smart working and this can help workers feel more engaged and satisfied.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind? A Longitudinal Investigation of Smart Working and Burnout in the Context of the Job Demands–Resources Model during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The academic interest in smart working, a form of flexible work characterized by the use of technology to conduct one’s work, has dramatically increased over recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on the job demands–resources (JD-R) model, in this study we investigate whether smart working affects the longitudinal association between perceived work characteristics, such as workload and social support (SS), and workers’ health and well-being, in terms of exhaustion. Overall, 185 workers completed a self-report questionnaire at two time points (four-month time-lag) during the COVID-19 outbreak. The results from moderated multiple regression analysis partially support our predictions. The longitudinal association between workload and exhaustion was positive—although marginally significant—for smart workers, but nonsignificant for in-person workers. Contrarily, the longitudinal association between SS and exhaustion was negative for in-person workers, but nonsignificant for smart workers. Overall, this study suggests that, to support employees’ health and productivity, work characteristics—both physical and psychosocial—should fit the new way of working as well as remote workers’ specific needs and expectations. Hence, to promote sustainable work, interventions should be aimed at helping smart workers to manage their workload effectively, as well as reducing professional and social isolation.

Smart working in the travel agencies and employees’ quality of life

Purpose>This paper aims to understand the impact of smart working on employees’ quality of life. The service-dominant logic indicates that key actors, including employees, are resource integrators. This empirical study contributes to the current knowledge of transformative service by expounding on smart working practices and their relationship with self-efficacy and, ultimately, quality of life of employees.Design/methodology/approach>This study contends that smart working enhances employees’ self-efficacy. The current research uses conservation of resources (COR) theory as a basis in hypothesizing that self-efficacy serves as a key resource, which can stimulate workplace creativity, job satisfaction and quality of life. An onsite survey is conducted among employees who have been involved in smart working in the travel agency context.Findings>Smart working has a positive effect on self-efficacy, which positively influences workplace creativity, job satisfaction and quality of life. Workplace creativity enhances job satisfaction but does not influence quality of life. Job satisfaction boosts quality of life, which is important to tourism services and their employees amid various crises.Research limitations/implications>Consistent with COR theory, the immediate recommendation to managers is to invest in smart working, which can lead to employees’ creativity, job satisfaction and quality of life.Originality/value>To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this empirical study is the first to assess the viability of smart working in the travel agency context. Smart working offers positive outcomes, such as convenience for employees to work independently, improving workplace creativity, job satisfaction and quality of life. Travel agencies are mainly categorized as small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In the future, SMEs may also introduce smart working that can eventually become their competitive advantage to retain talented employees.

Industrial Smart Working: a socio-technical model for enabling successful implementation

With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have been pushed to re-think their traditional working models to comply with the need for social distancing. In this context, Smart Working practices have been proposed to re-arrange the workforce activities ensuring the minimization of risks as well as business continuity. Despite traditionally most of the smart working practices have been applied to white collars job profiles, the COVID-19 pandemic opened the way to the introduction of Smart Working practices also in the factory environments, introducing the concept of Industrial Smart Working (ISW). This paper aims at contributing to the development of the concept of ISW proposing a socio-technical model discussing the main enabling factors that can support the successful industrial implementation of time and space flexible working models.

Covid, document production and administrative efficiency: a case study

The article outlines the document production process in some Italian research institutions and compares it to the same pre-pan-demic time span by analyzing whether or not the work organization models that have been adopted have had an impact on the completion time of administrative procedures. The aim was to verify the trend of the performance indicators after the pandemic impact and how the absence of employees at work may have influenced the organizational models. Within specific administrative realities, human relationship is often a pillar to carry out activities correctly. The transition to the management of remote procedures carried out totally in digital form caused inevitably important consequences on the expected results. © 2022, The Author(s).

Working at home during the Covid-19 pandemic: impact on quality of working and quality of life

The restrictions implemented by governments in order to contain Covid-19 pandemic have forced millions of people around the world to adapt to new demands in their daily lives, work and studies. Such reformulation of personal, work and social experiences has increased the perception of precariousness and instability, and has questioned the routines and the habits linked to the working and personal behaviours. The aim of the study was to explore: (a) the psychological impact of the restrictions on work activity and on the perceived quality of life;(b) the way in which people using their psychological resources, adapted or changed their daily habits and behaviours according to the limitations imposed by the pandemic. The survey used was composed as follows: satisfaction with life scale;flourishing scale;ad hoc questionnaire exploring quality of life and work during the pandemic, and personal resources. Data were analysed through mixed methods. The results have highlighted the different impact of the restrictions on the quality of life, the quality of work and the perceived work performance according to the different psychological resources deployed by participants and to their perception of social distancing, time at home, and life-work balance. Furthermore, gender differences were explored. Finally, the study provided useful insights for psychologists and career counselling professionals, who have to face new challenges in supporting their clients even in adverse conditions. © 2021 Sapienza Universita Editrice. All Rights Reserved.

Smart Working in Public Administration: Anti Pandemic Tool or Work Organization Model?

This article focuses on the first outcomes due to the implementation of Smart Working (SW) before and after the COVID-19 emergency within Italian public administrations. Aware of describing a still ongoing situation, the authors adopt a deductive approach to analyse the Ministry of Economy and Finance case study in order to integrate the main indications obtained from current literature and regulatory framework. The implementation of SW within Italian public administration (both in ordinary conditions and in emergency conditions) is first described;then, the authors describe the main implications of SW. Particularly, the paper aims to investigate to answer the following questions: (i) what are the combination of the different elements affecting the configuration of SW? (ii) what are the outcomes of SW likely to be for smart workers, organizations and society? (iii) what are the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic disease on SW adoption? © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Emergency remote education and smart working at three European higher education institutions

Due to the threat posed by COVID-19, many colleges and universities around the world opted to switch to online courses and smart working to keep their students, professors, and staff safe during the pandemic emergency. Face-to-face classes, including labs and workshops, have been canceled and substituted with online activities. New administrative procedures have also been established to support the emergency remote education. This article analyzes these changes in light of the experiences of three higher education institutions in different countries, namely Latvia, Poland, and Italy. From this analysis, some aspects have emerged that have stimulated a deeper reflection on the use of digital technology in higher education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Measures aimed at supporting families during the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy: A focus on disability and smart working

The article provides an overview of the main measures adopted by the Italian government to support families during the period of pandemic. The package of measures included the extension of the possibilities to take paid or unpaid parental leave, monetary allowances and incentives to use remote work, in primis smart working. Moreover, particular attention is paid to the issue of disability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Italian) L'articolo fornisce un'analisi della evoluzione delle principali misure adottate dal governo italiano per aiutare le famiglie durante il periodo della pandemia. Il pacchetto delle misure include l'estensione delle possibilita di usufruire dei congedi parentali pagati e non pagati, incentivi finanziari e possibilita di utilizzo del lavoro agile. Una particolare attenzione e riservata alle problematiche legate alla disabilita. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)