Remote Work Efficiency from the Employers’ Perspective—What’s Next?

Modelling the significance of psychological, social, and situational factors on work efficiency and the preference for working from home in Southeast Asia

The shift in work paradigm owing to the implementation of new policies in the developing countries of Southeast Asia to reduce the spread of COVID-19 has created new challenges for both employers and employees. The study aimed to address the lack of extensive research on the effects of psychological, social, and situational factors on the work-from-home shift in Southeast Asia. This study incorporates the job characteristic theory, emphasizing how specific job characteristics influence motivation and performance. The study emphasizes the importance of creating an innovative and supportive work environment, improving digital capabilities, and promoting sustainable development through high-skill jobs to enhance remote employees' productivity. Valid responses from 288 full-time employees who have the option to work remotely were collected through online survey. The findings indicate that self-discipline, digital capability, and perceived organizational support significantly influence the preference for remote work. Managers should focus on motivating employees, providing support, and establishing a digital infrastructure to maximize productivity. Training and recruitment strategies should adapt to the changing work culture, while social support is crucial for encouraging innovative problem-solving. Trusting employees with autonomy and providing appropriate technologies fosters collaboration, efficiency, and creativity in different work settings.

Hierarchical Analysis of Forms of Support for Employees in the Field of Health Protection and Quality of Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Desired Post-Pandemic Forms of Support

Issues of employee support during the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic period are of an interdisciplinary nature. Moreover, these should be considered from both an epistemological and a practical perspective. The aim of this study was to determine what forms of support for employees in terms of health and quality of work were provided by employers during the pandemic and what forms of support will be expected by employees after it ceases. The research process was carried out in two stages: primary and secondary exploration and quantitative clarification. In the first stage, a systematic review of the literature and a critical analysis of the so-called grey literature was performed. In the second stage, computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) methodology was used. Ward's method was used for data analysis. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic forced employers to search for new solutions to enable the continuation of their business activities, which consisted of switching from the traditional form of work to a remote form. The transition to the remote work mode changed the approach to the forms of work support provided for employees, with particular emphasis on the health of employees and the quality of work. The changes in the forms of support for employees in terms of health and quality of work were either bottom-up or top-down. Employers tried to provide access to remote infrastructure as much as possible, but the consequences of remote work in terms of the physical and mental health of employees were rarely noticed or considered. After the pandemic, online health support and access to the appropriate equipment and tools for remote work are unlikely to be needed.

The pros and cons of remote work in relation to bullying, loneliness and work engagement: A representative study among Norwegian workers during COVID-19

Remote work became the new normal during COVID-19 as a response to restrictions imposed by governments across the globe. Therefore, remote work’s impact on employee outcomes, well-being, and psychological health has become a serious concern. However, the knowledge about the mechanisms and outcomes of remote work is still limited. In this study, we expect remote work to be negatively related to bullying and assume that bullying will mediate remote work’s impact on work engagement and loneliness. To test our hypothetical model, we applied a cross-sectional design using data from a large representative sample of 1,511 Norwegian workers. The data were collected in September 2021 during a period of COVID-19 restrictions in Norway. The results confirmed our hypotheses: remote work was positively related to loneliness and work engagement but negatively related to bullying. Further, bullying was positively related to loneliness and negatively related to work engagement. Moreover, bullying was also found to play a partial mediating role, supporting our hypothesis. This study suggests that remote work is related to both positive and negative mechanisms in the workplace. Remote work can potentially reduce bullying and have a protective function in preventing bullying. However, since remote work has positive relations with both loneliness and work engagement, this study illustrates that organizations should be cautious and perhaps consider a moderate level of remote work. Hence, the results have several implications for HR policies and management.

Conceptual Framework of a Simulation-Based Manpower Planning Method for Construction Enterprises

The authors put forward a concept of a method to support workforce demand planning intended for construction contractors. The construction business suffers from shortages of skilled labor. The method facilitates analyzing the possibilities of project-to project resource sharing and uncertainties in the flow of new orders, both characteristics of construction. Construction contractors’ manpower planning is based on a production plan. A precise and deterministic plan is possible only for a short planning horizon covering a fixed set of acquired orders. New orders are won irregularly, and the type and quantity of work they involve is uncertain. For this reason, the authors argue for using a simulation model of the company’s production plan. Such a plan facilitates mapping the variability in the number of orders, their start dates and delivery times, as well as workloads. Simulating the flow of prospective orders helps assess the degree of utilization of the enterprise's human resources and the influence of the size of employment on the timeliness of the execution of individual projects. This provides a basis for determining reasonable employment levels. The approach helps determine the demand for manpower and provides the data necessary in the process of staff development and recruitment. Moreover, it provides a tool for assessing the feasibility of using in-house resources to fulfill new orders and the need to hire subcontractors. The novelty presented in the article is the method of manpower planning in construction companies, making it possible to take into account risk conditions in acquiring new orders and the variability of construction process execution times due to factors disturbing the work flow. The concept of the method was the basis for the development of a simulation model of the construction company's order execution under random conditions, allowing for the evaluation of the effects of maintaining different levels of employment of the workforce in terms of the degree of utilization of the production potential and timeliness of individual projects. Thus, the result of the research is a tool supporting the decision making of construction managers in human resources management practice.