Job Satisfaction and Perceived Structural Support in Remote Working Conditions—The Role of a Sense of Community at Work

Abstract

Changes in work assets due to the COVID-19 pandemic posed several challenges to employees’ well-being, especially in the light of the changes in the work organization, such as remote working and the massive use of IT. According to the literature on the role of technologies at work, the organization’s ability to support remote working is a valuable protective factor. At the same time, social distancing due to the pandemic forced employees to use a new relational asset. This, in turn, can shed new light on how the sense of connection and belonging to an organization impacts remote working experiences. This paper will test the mediational effect of structural support and sense of community at work in the link between job demands and job satisfaction in a sample of remote workers. The study involved 635 participants aged 21 to 70 (mean = 46.7, SD = 11; females = 61%). Among them, 33% had remote working experiences before the first Italian lockdown (March 2020). The research protocol included scales from the COPSOQ-III (job demands, sense of community, job satisfaction) and a questionnaire to evaluate the structural support related to the remote working asset. Results from a structural equation model showed a partial mediating effect of sense of community, but not of structural support, in the link between job demands and job satisfaction (χ2(22) = 76.918, p = 0.00, CFI = 0.966, TLI = 0.944, RMSEA = 0.063 (90% CI = 0.048–0.078, p = 0.079), SRMR = 0.044). The role of such associations for future technology-based work assets is detailed in the discussion.

Job Satisfaction of Nurses in the Context of Clinical Supervision: A Systematic Review

“…To increase job satisfaction, the management of organizations should also give high priority to improving working conditions. Organizations that create a positive and conducive work environment, such as providing comfortable physical surroundings, promoting worklife balance, ensuring safety, and offering necessary resources and support, can contribute to higher job satisfaction among employees [31,32]. Conversely, evidence suggests that high levels of stress and depersonalization contribute to job dissatisfaction.…”