Affiliation:
1. School of Industrial Relations Université de Montréal Montreal Quebec Canada
2. Department of Psychology Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Montreal Quebec Canada
3. Department of Management ESCP Business School Paris France
4. Organisation and Human Resources Department, School of Management (ESG) Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Montreal Quebec Canada
Abstract
AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic has thrust millions of workers into high‐intensity telecommuting. While much research has examined the first months of the pandemic, little is known about how workers have responded to this new work arrangement over time. The stressor‐reaction perspective suggests that any strain related to the physical separation from coworkers may persist as long as the stressor is present, while the adaptation perspective implies that individuals adopt new behaviours that help them adjust once the initial shock is over. This research examines the changes in work belongingness, meaningful work, and emotional exhaustion following a shift to high‐intensity telecommuting, between September 2020 and March 2021. We conducted a four‐wave study among an organizational sample of 716 workers who transitioned to high‐intensity telecommuting during the pandemic. Latent growth modelling analyses showed that new high‐intensity telecommuters experienced declines in work belongingness over time, which in turn led to decreased perceptions that their work was meaningful and increased emotional exhaustion, supporting the stress‐reaction perspective. Contrary to theoretical predictions, trajectories were worse for those with a higher initial affective commitment to coworkers. We discuss how our findings can inform scholars and practitioners about the unfolding consequences of a collective shift to high‐intensity telecommuting.
Funder
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Subject
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management,Applied Psychology