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The Impact of Work-from-Home on Employee Performance and Productivity: A Systematic Review

Author

Listed:
  • Godfred Anakpo

    (Department of Economics, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6001, South Africa)

  • Zanele Nqwayibana

    (Department of Economics, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6001, South Africa)

  • Syden Mishi

    (Department of Economics, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6001, South Africa)

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has unquestionably become one of the most extensively employed techniques to minimize unemployment, keep society operating, and shield the public from the virus. However, the impacts of work-from-home (WFH) on employee productivity and performance is not fully known; studies on the subject are fragmented and in different contexts. The purpose of this study is therefore to provide systematic review on the impact of WFH on employee productivity and performance. A sample of 26 studies out of 112 potential studies (from various databases, including Scopus, Google Scholar, and the Web of Science database from 2020 to 2022) were used after a comprehensive literature search and thorough assessment based on PRISMA-P guidelines. Findings reveal that the impact of the WFH model on employee productivity and performance depend on a host of factors, such as the nature of the work, employer and industry characteristics, and home settings, with a majority reporting a positive impact and few documenting no difference or a negative impact. This study recommends that an improvement in technology and information technology (IT) training and capacity-building would yield more significant results to those who are willing to adopt the WFH model even after the pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Godfred Anakpo & Zanele Nqwayibana & Syden Mishi, 2023. "The Impact of Work-from-Home on Employee Performance and Productivity: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4529-:d:1086524
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Godfred Anakpo & Fikile Hlungwane & Syden Mishi, 2023. "The Impact of COVID-19 and Related Policy Measures on Livelihood Strategies in Rural South Africa," Africagrowth Agenda, Africagrowth Institute, vol. 20(2), pages 4-7.
    4. Monica Aureliana Petcu & Maria Iulia Sobolevschi-David & Raluca Florentina Crețu & Stefania Cristina Curea & Anca Maria Hristea & Mihaela Diana Oancea-Negescu & Daniela Tutui, 2023. "Telework: A Social and Emotional Perspective of the Impact on Employees’ Wellbeing in the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-18, January.
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    8. Kanyisa Jafta & Godfred Anakpo & Mishi Syden, 2022. "Income and Poverty Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic and Coping Strategies: The Case of South Africa," Africagrowth Agenda, Africagrowth Institute, vol. 19(3), pages 4-7.
    9. Esihle Komanisi & Godfred Anakpo & Mishi Syden, 2022. "Vulnerability to COVID-19 Impacts in South Africa: Analysis of the Socio-Economic Characteristics," Africagrowth Agenda, Africagrowth Institute, vol. 19(2), pages 10-12.
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    Cited by:

    1. Miriana Ferrara & Nicola Capolupo, 2025. "Unveiling the Role of Emotional Intelligence in the Relationship between Work-Life Balance and Performance. Insights from SMEs’ Smart Workers," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 20(1), pages 195-195, February.
    2. Carlo Drago & Luisa Errichiello, 2024. "Remote Work admist the Covid-19 outbreak: Insights from an Ensemble Community-Based Keyword Network Analysis," Working Papers 2024.05, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    3. Tim Hampel & Nora Hampel, 2023. "Returning to the workplace after COVID-19: determinants of employee preferences for working onsite versus working from home in generation Y," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 50(3), pages 321-331, September.
    4. Syden Mishi & Nomonde Tshabalala & Godfred Anakpo & Weliswa Matekenya, 2023. "COVID-19 Experiences and Coping Strategies: The Case of Differently Sized Businesses in South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, May.
    5. Mert Akan & Jose Maria Barrero & Nicholas Bloom & Thomas Bowen & Shelby R. Buckman & Steven J. Davis & Hyoseul Kim, 2025. "The New Geography of Labor Markets," NBER Working Papers 33582, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Jorck, Gerrit von & Börger, Tobias & Ghirardello, Linda & Meyerhoff, Jürgen & Praetorius, Barbara, 2025. "The impact of work arrangements on the choice to work from home: a discrete-continuous choice experiment," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 59, pages 1-029.
    7. Makoto Sakuma & Kazushi Matsuo & Morito Tsutsumi & Toyokazu Imazeki, 2024. "Measuring office attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic with mobility data to quantify local trends and characteristics," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 185-237, March.
    8. Pajdzik Marcin, 2025. "From Mainframe to Cloud and Beyond: A Short History of IT Management Consulting," Management Consulting Journal, Sciendo, vol. 8(1), pages 29-42.

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