A systematic review of the research on telework and organizational economic performance indicators

Abstract

IntroductionA systematic review is conducted in the study to investigate the relationship between telework and organizational economic performance indicators such as self-reported employee performance, organizational performance, actual employee turnover rates, or intentions.MethodsThe databases Scopus, Business Source Premier, and Web of Science were used to conduct a literature search. Original articles published from 2000 and up to May 2021 were selected. Studies were screened for inclusion independently by review pairs and data were extracted. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to evaluate the quality of the studies included.ResultsForty-three studies were included with some addressing multiple outcomes. Self-reported performance was higher for teleworking employees compared to those working in the ordinary workplace. The extent of the change in performance was dependent on individual characteristics and the extent of the teleworking practice in the organization. Telework was also associated with increased organizational performance, particularly in homogenous samples with unique work tasks. When telework is voluntary, it appears that both actual employee turnover rates and intentions to leave the organization are lower.DiscussionFurther research with high-quality prospective designs is necessary to properly understand the contribution of telework to organizational economic performance indicators.

Teleworking Components and Scientific Productivity in Spanish ERC-Granted Teams: The Mediating Role of Climate and Well-Being

“…The relationship between telework and productivity has been addressed in previous research considering different indicators (Hackney et al, 2022;Mutiganda et al, 2022). In general terms, a positive relationship was found between such two variables, though it is relevant to point out four main gaps on which it is urgently required to shed light on with empirical studies.…”

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“…De literatuur voorafgaand aan de pandemie laat in het algemeen zien dat beperkt thuiswerken een positieve relatie heeft met objectief meetbare productiviteit (zoals gegenereerde output tijdens een werkdag) en dat de productiviteit zelfs hoger kan liggen tijdens het thuiswerken in vergelijking met werken op kantoor (Bloom et al, 2015;De Ruiter en Peters, 2021;Hager, 2018;Kazekami, 2020;Martin & MacDonnell, 2012;Mehdi & Morissette, 2021;Mutiganda et al, 2022;Nakrosiené et al, 2019;Popovici & Popovici, 2020;Profeta, 2020;Thulin et al, 2019).…”

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“…After the outbreak of the coronavirus in March 2020, teleworking has become a common practice in all societies around the world [ 1 ]. Currently, evidence of the features of this new way of working points to an increasing number of companies that, driven by the search for more efficient teams and work processes, performance, and productivity, have chosen to put their employees to work from home [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. According to recent statistical data from the International Labor Organization [ 5 ], in the European Union, an average of 3 out of 10 employees work remotely and assume, autonomously, their professional activity, managing time, and execution of tasks.…”