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Work-From-Home During COVID-19 Lockdown: When Employees’ Well-Being and Creativity Depend on Their Psychological Profiles

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  • Estelle Michinov

    (LP3C - EA1285 - Laboratoire de Psychologie : Cognition, Comportement, Communication - UBS - Université de Bretagne Sud - UBO - Université de Brest - UR2 - Université de Rennes 2 - IBSHS - Institut Brestois des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société - UBO - Université de Brest)

  • Caroline Ruiller

    (CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Frédérique Chédotel

    (IAE Angers - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Angers - UA - Université d'Angers, GRANEM - Groupe de Recherche Angevin en Economie et Management - UA - Université d'Angers - Institut Agro Rennes Angers - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement)

  • Virginie Dodeler

    (LP3C - EA1285 - Laboratoire de Psychologie : Cognition, Comportement, Communication - UBS - Université de Bretagne Sud - UBO - Université de Brest - UR2 - Université de Rennes 2 - IBSHS - Institut Brestois des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société - UBO - Université de Brest)

  • Nicolas Michinov

    (LP3C - EA1285 - Laboratoire de Psychologie : Cognition, Comportement, Communication - UBS - Université de Bretagne Sud - UBO - Université de Brest - UR2 - Université de Rennes 2 - IBSHS - Institut Brestois des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société - UBO - Université de Brest)

Abstract

With the COVID-19 pandemic, governments implemented successive lockdowns that forced employees to work from home (WFH) to contain the spread of the coronavirus. This crisis raises the question of the effects of mandatory work from home on employees' well-being and performance, and whether these effects are the same for all employees. In the present study, we examined whether working at home may be related to intensity, familiarity with WFH, employees' well-being (loneliness at work, stress, job satisfaction, and work engagement) and creativity (‘subjective' and ‘objective'). We also examined whether the psychological profile of employees, combining preference for solitude and associated personality variables from the Big Five, may influence the effects of WFH. The data were collected via an online survey from November 13th to December 15th 2020 among 946 employees from various organizations during the second lockdown in France. In addition to identifying two distinctive psychological profiles for employees having to WFH, results revealed that those with a "Solitary" profile reported higher loneliness at work, higher levels of stress, and lower levels of job satisfaction and work engagement than those with an "Affiliative" profile. It was also found that employees with a "Solitary" profile perceived themselves as less creative and produced objectively fewer ideas than individuals with an "Affiliative" profile. The present study suggests the necessity to distinguish the profiles of teleworkers and to offer a stronger support for the less affiliative employees when working from home.

Suggested Citation

  • Estelle Michinov & Caroline Ruiller & Frédérique Chédotel & Virginie Dodeler & Nicolas Michinov, 2022. "Work-From-Home During COVID-19 Lockdown: When Employees’ Well-Being and Creativity Depend on Their Psychological Profiles," Post-Print hal-03671607, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03671607
    DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.862987
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03671607v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michel Ajzen & Laurent Taskin, 2021. "The re-regulation of working communities and relationships in the context of flexwork: A spacing identity approach," Post-Print halshs-03345447, HAL.
    2. Younghwan Song & Jia Gao, 2020. "Does Telework Stress Employees Out? A Study on Working at Home and Subjective Well-Being for Wage/Salary Workers," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(7), pages 2649-2668, October.
    3. Dhruva Pathak & Vijayakumar Bharathi S. & Padma Mala E., 2021. "The Work-Life Balancing Act: A Study on the Mandatory Work From Home Due to COVID-19 on the IT and Non-IT Industry Sectors," International Journal of Human Capital and Information Technology Professionals (IJHCITP), IGI Global Scientific Publishing, vol. 12(3), pages 1-20, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Liyuan Wang & Tianyi Xie, 2023. "Double-Edged Sword Effect of Flexible Work Arrangements on Employee Innovation Performance: From the Demands–Resources–Individual Effects Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-27, June.
    2. Bruna Ferrara & Martina Pansini & Clara De Vincenzi & Ilaria Buonomo & Paula Benevene, 2022. "Investigating the Role of Remote Working on Employees’ Performance and Well-Being: An Evidence-Based Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-12, September.
    3. Begoña Urien, 2023. "Teleworkability, Preferences for Telework, and Well-Being: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-32, July.
    4. Clara De Vincenzi & Martina Pansini & Bruna Ferrara & Ilaria Buonomo & Paula Benevene, 2022. "Consequences of COVID-19 on Employees in Remote Working: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities An Evidence-Based Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-18, September.
    5. Silvius STANCIU, 2022. "Post COVID-19 Lessons. Could the SARS-CoV-2 Virus be a Progress Factor? A Literature Review," Economics and Applied Informatics, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 2, pages 36-46.

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