Exploring the influence of telework on work performance in public services: experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose Telework has been widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, distance work performed through teleworking may hinder organisational operations in public services owing to lower-than-expected work performance. This research paper aims to explore how teleworking relates to work performance and flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The sample included 178 managers and employees in public services. The relationships between the variables were evaluated using linear regression. Findings The findings indicated that telework affected work performance in public services in different ways. This research also explored the relationship between work performance and work flexibility. The findings revealed that telework had not improved the efficiency of public service work performance; however, the implementation of flexible work schedules owing to teleworking has improved the work performance of public services. Research limitations/implications This study only focussed on organisations operating in the public services in Greece. Practical implications Teleworking in public services may negatively affect organisational operations due to lower-than-expected work performance. Social implications This study could assist managers by showcasing that telework may be better implemented to improve work performance through work flexibility rather than as organisational change. Originality/value This novel research aims to gain a better understanding of the impact of telework on factors such as work performance and flexibility.

“No Need to Dress to Impress” Evidence on Teleworking during and after the Pandemic: A Systematic Review

“…Performance is also positively linked to the intention to continue teleworking and employee engagement (Ameen et al 2023). On the other hand, it is also reported that few employees perceive that their performance matters (Lopes Júnior and Daniel 2022) or that it helps them to improve (Varotsis 2022a). As a result of mandatory teleworking from home, performance eroded (Magnier-Watanabe et al 2022) and the extensive use of teleworking systems also negatively affected this outcome (Kuruzovich et al 2021).…”

New Ways to Perform: Employees’ Perspective on Remote Work and Psychological Security in the Post-Pandemic Era

“…On the other hand, one of the most widely accepted understandings of telework points to the accumulation of several factors, such as work being done somewhere else than the physical location of the company, and the usage of technical devices and software equipment [53]. A 14-year span analysis [54] shows that the chronology of concepts related to telework includes terms such as teleworking, homeworking, virtual work, telework, distributed work, telecommuting, and remote working.…”

“…This classification is of great use to our study because, in the context of working from a distance, sometimes employees lose contact with the ancillary activities of their job descriptions, so they need additional abilities such as autonomy and flexibility. Nevertheless, remote and hybrid work performance have begun to be interesting study topics with promising results [54,57].…”

Improving Work Performance Among Academic Staff Through Transformational Leadership: A Conceptual Analysis

“…For example, soft skill acquisition and training methodology in Malaysian private companies significantly predict employee work performance (Ibrahim et al, 2017). During the pandemic of COVID-19, telework had different impacts on work performance in Greek public services, and information and communication technologies (ICTs) based on task-technology fit can make employees from different countries feel less lonely even when working at home and generate high performance in their tasks (Abelsen, et al, 2023;Varotsis, 2022). Researchers focusing on work performance in China are mainly from business schools of universities, with such hotspots of work performance research as work engagement, organizational identity, innovative performance, etc.…”