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Working in the digital economy: A systematic review of the impact of work from home arrangements on personal and organizational performance and productivity

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  • Amy Hackney
  • Marcus Yung
  • Kumara G Somasundram
  • Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia
  • Jodi Oakman
  • Amin Yazdani

Abstract

Work-from-home has become an increasingly adopted practice globally. Given the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, such arrangements have risen substantially in a short timeframe. Work-from-home has been associated with several physical and mental health outcomes. This relationship has been supported by previous research; however, these health and safety issues often receive little resources and attention from business perspectives compared to organizational and worker performance and productivity. Therefore, aligning work-from-home practices with business goals may help catalyze awareness from decision makers and serve to effectively implement work-from-home policies. We conducted a review to synthesize current knowledge on the impact of work-from-home arrangements on personal and organizational performance and productivity. Four large databases including Scopus, PubMed, PsychInfo, and Business Source Complete were systematically searched. Through a two-step screening process, we selected and extracted data from 37 relevant articles. Key search terms surrounded two core concepts: work-from-home and productivity/performance. Of the articles published prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 79% (n = 19) demonstrated that work-from-home increased productivity and performance whereas 21% (n = 5) showed mixed or no effects. Of the articles published during the pandemic, 23% (n = 3) showed positive effects, 38% (n = 5) revealed mixed results, and 38% (n = 5) showed negative effects. Findings suggest that non-mandatory work-from-home arrangements can have positive impacts on productivity and performance. When work-from-home becomes mandatory and full-time, or external factors (i.e., COVID-19 pandemic) are at play, the overall impacts are less positive and can be detrimental to productivity and performance. Results will help foster an understanding of the impact of work-from-home on productivity and performance and inform the development of organizational strategies to create an effective, resilient, and inclusive work-from-home workplace by helping to effectively implement work-from-home policies that are aligned with business goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Amy Hackney & Marcus Yung & Kumara G Somasundram & Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia & Jodi Oakman & Amin Yazdani, 2022. "Working in the digital economy: A systematic review of the impact of work from home arrangements on personal and organizational performance and productivity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(10), pages 1-25, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0274728
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274728
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    References listed on IDEAS

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