Do you get stuff done at home? Remote work and productivity

Master Thesis

Author: Kimon Stavros Vratsikidis

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Isabell M. Welpe

📌 Key facts

• Research questions: How does remote work impact productivity and well-being? Which factors and work settings support remote workers in improving their productivity? • Purpose: Provide new insights to build a strong foundation for future research

Contents

• 💡 Infographic
• 🎓 Abstract
• ✨ Motivation
• ✏️ Methodology
• 📈 Key findings
• 🔬 Future research directions
• 📚 Key literature

💡 Infographic

🎓 Abstract

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 remote work has become a widespread practice which has gained a lot of popularity among both employers and employees. This study examines the impact of remote work on employee productivity and well-being as well as the factors and work settings which support remote workers in improving their productivity. Using data from an anonymous online survey of 212 employees who work predominantly from home, this study finds that, overall, remote work positively influences productivity and work-life balance. Having a dedicated workspace at home proves to be particularly important for establishing a productive work setting. Moreover, this study identifies common adverse physical and psychological effects employees experience when working from home as well as their causes. These findings provide valuable insights for employers and employees and show what both sides can do to make working from home successful and prevent productivity losses.

Keywords: remote work, working from home, productivity, well-being, work-life balance

✨ Motivation

In the past two years, humanity had to cope with an uncontrollable health crisis, which required strict containment measures to slow its spread. COVID-19 kickstarted a rapid shift from traditional forms of employment to more modern and flexible arrangements, which often do not necessarily require employees’ presence on-site. Although most countries managed to contain the spread of infection, remote work is gradually becoming a permanent form of employment with a growing prevalence in the working world. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how this change impacts employees' productivity and well-being.

✏️ Methodology

📈 Key findings

• Overall positive impact of remote work on employee productivity
• Most remote workers are satisfied with their work environment
• There is a strong demand for flexibility and especially for hybrid work models
• Having a dedicated workspace significantly increases productivity
• A good work-life balance is important to easier cope with stress and stay productive

🔬 Future research directions

As an exploratory study on the topic of remote work and productivity, this thesis is limited in scope and has several limitations. It should be viewed as a foundation for future research. In order to assess productivity with precision, it would be necessary to have objective and accurate large-scale data on input and output as well as to take into account other crucial factors like creativity and invention. Employees typically engage in casual talks and idea exchanges while they are at work, which often results in creativity and invention. Hence, it would be interesting to study how remote work affects innovation, idea development, and creativity. Although the importance of having a dedicated workspace was emphasized in this study, no specific work environments were examined. It would be interesting to compare remote workers' performance based on where they are working (e.g., in a dedicated workroom, from a dedicated desk, from the kitchen table, from the couch, or from the bed). Additionally, the study time was insufficient to determine the long-term implications of remote work. Although some concerning negative physical and psychological effects were found, it is yet uncertain how they would affect workers' productivity and well-being in the future or what additional effects might emerge. Long-term investigation over a number of years or decades would be necessary to provide an accurate answer. Considering that remote work is expected to stay, its widespread implementation since COVID-19 can be viewed as a mass experiment and an excellent opportunity to carefully examine its long-term effects.

📚 Key literature

Bloom, N., Liang, J., Roberts, J., & Ying, Z. J. (2015). Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 130(1), 165–218. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qju032

Emanuel, N., & Harrington, E. (2021). “Working” remotely? Selection, treatment, and the market provision of remote work. https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/eharrington/files/harrington_jmp_working_remotely.pdf

Gajendran, R. S., & Harrison, D. A. (2007). The good, the bad, and the unknown about telecommuting: Meta-analysis of psychological mediators and individual consequences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1524–1541. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1524

Gibbs, M., Mengel, F., & Siemroth, C. (2021). Work from Home & Productivity: Evidence from Personnel & Analytics Data on IT Professionals. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3841567

Isham, A., Mair, S., & Jackson, T. (2020). Wellbeing and Productivity: A Review of the Literature (CUSP Working Paper No. 22). Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity. https://cusp.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/pp-wellbeing-report.pdf#ppw

Lopez-Leon, S., Forero, D. A., & Ruiz-Díaz, P. (2020). Recommendations for working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic (and beyond). IOS Press, 66(2), 371–375. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-203187

Simenenko, O., & Lentjushenkova, O. (2021). Advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Working. International Conference at the Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Business and Management, 125–142. https://konference.fbm.vutbr.cz/ic/index.php/ic/article/view/163

Xiao, Y., Becerik-Gerber, B., Lucas, G., & Roll, S. C. (2021). Impacts of Working From Home During COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical and Mental Well-Being of Office Workstation Users. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 63(3), 181– 190. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000002097

Yang, L., Holtz, D., Jaffe, S., Suri, S., Sinha, S., Weston, J., Joyce, C., Shah, N., Sherman, K., Hecht, B., & Teevan, J. (2022). The effects of remote work on collaboration among information workers. Nature Human Behaviour, 6(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01196-4