The efficiency scope of work from home: A multidimensional approach and the significance of real estate

The world of work, particularly the physical organization of work, is undergoing a profound transformation process. The causes of this transformation process are technological innovations, organizational changes, and the increasing pluralization of employee requirements. Even though this transformation process of the physical organization of work began several years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased its speed. As a measure to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home enabled office workers worldwide to gain experience with this workplace. Work from home describes regular working from home, which is made possible using information and communication technologies. This gives employees a direct comparison between working in the office and working from home and allows them to choose their place of work more purposefully depending on their work activities. The widespread introduction of work from home influences life and work on several levels. At an individual level, the question arises as to which employees are generally suitable for working from home. At the level of the working environment, there needs to be more knowledge about the extent to which work from home influences the digital equipment of residential properties. Furthermore, it remains unclear how the interaction between the employee (person) and the working environment (environment) in work from home affects individual work success (fit). This dissertation explores these research questions with the help of a total of five research articles. The first article classifies work from home in a hybrid working environment and uses an international comparison between the United States and Germany. Hybrid working is defined by the distribution of working hours between the office, work from home, and third places of work, and describes a combination of these places of work. The article shows that WFH is a high priority for many employees in a hybrid working environment. While working hours in the office are almost identical in both countries at around one-third, it is clear that third places of work (e.g., coworking spaces) are more important for employees in the United States than Germany. The article shows that this divergence is primarily cultural. Overall, this article shows that employees internationally attach great importance to WFH in a hybrid working environment. The second article addresses the importance of work from home in a hybrid work environment and examines in a preliminary study which aspects enable successful work from home. The results of the article show correlative relationships between spatial, personal, and work-related characteristics on the one hand, and satisfaction and productivity on the other. Consequently, successful work at home is only possible if all three dimensions are met. This article indicates that only around 25 % of employees who can work from home are successful there. The third research article takes up the results of the second study. The aim is to take a closer look at these 25 % of employees who successfully work from home. The results make it clear that more experienced employees who live in well-equipped residential properties and have a high degree of work autonomy can work successfully from home. Career starters, who often live in properties that are not suitable for work from home, are less successful in working from home. The fourth article is specifically dedicated to examining the influence of real estate characteristics on satisfaction and productivity in work from home. Furthermore, the relative importance of real estate characteristics is compared with organizational and socio-psychological characteristics. It is shown that real estate characteristics highly influence satisfaction and productivity in work from home. Compared to organizational and socio-psychological characteristics, real estate characteristics are the most important. The fifth research article delves into the factors that impact the purchase intention of smart homes, shedding light on the heightened inclination towards technology, notably spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and the surge in remote work. This study investigates the intricate interplay between these aspects, unravelling the nuanced role that the increased affinity for technology, especially in the context of the widespread shift to remote work, plays in shaping consumer attitudes toward smart home adoption. The social environment primarily influences the intention to buy smart homes. However, the results also make it clear that the increased affinity for technology improves attitudes toward such residential properties, leading to a higher purchase intention. With these findings, this dissertation expands research on work from home. Work from home offers potential for both companies and society. At the same time, the dissertation also shows the risks associated with working from home. These potentials can only be realized by taking an individual view of an organization’s workforce and combining the office, work from home, and third places. The dissertation offers a theoretical-conceptual classification in the current state of research and supported by the results, provides implications for practice to meet the challenges in the transformation process of the physical organization of work.