Abstract
Orientation – The COVID-19 pandemic forced South African organisations to implement flexible work, such as remote working, which was enabled by Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. Flexible work may provide benefits for employee well-being; however, an unintended consequence may be that of work intensification. Therefore, it seems prudent to investigate potential effects of flexible work on well-being through work intensification.
Research purpose – The study aimed to understand the impact of flexible work on employee well-being by evaluating if there is an unintended consequence of work intensification. The mediation effect of work intensification on the relationship between flexible work and well-being outcomes (job satisfaction, work engagement, emotional exhaustion, and job stress) were therefore investigated.
Motivation for the study – The study aimed to add to existing literature regarding the impact of flexible work on well-being. Further, it aimed to investigate the mediating effect of work intensification between flexible work and work intensification. Due to the context in which this research took place, the study aimed to contribute to knowledge regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employee well-being.
Research design, approach, and method – A quantitative cross-sectional research design was used. An online questionnaire was distributed to persons in the researcher’s personal networks. Data was collected through a biographical questionnaire, the work flexibility scale, the intensification of job demands scale, the 9-item Utrecht work engagement scale (UWES-9), the job satisfaction survey 2 (JSS-2), the South African developed burnout scale and the Sources of work stress inventory (SWSI). A final sample of n = 286 participants was used for statistical analysis. Statistical analysis included Pearson correlations, linear regression analyses and mediation analysis.
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Main finding-The findings showed that all the variables in the study (flexible work, work intensification, job satisfaction, work engagement, emotional exhaustion, and job stress) had statistically significant relationships with each other. Flexible work significantly predicted work intensification. Flexible work and work intensification significantly predicted the four well-being outcomes (job satisfaction, work engagement, emotional exhaustion, and job stress). Work intensification was found to mediate the relationship between flexible work and all four well-being outcomes. In all instances, flexible work caused reduced work intensification, which in turn had a positive influence on well-being.
Practical/managerial implications – The study demonstrated the role flexible work plays in reducing work intensification and improving positive well-being. Strong endorsement was found for organisations to make flexible work options available to employees. This holds important implications for organisations and employees alike, not only during the ongoing pandemic, but also beyond it, when flexible work options may remain available at least to some extent. This will be enabled even more as technology continues to develop.
Key words - Flexible work, well-being, work intensification, job satisfaction, work engagement, emotional exhaustion, job stress, job demands, job resources, COVID-19 pandemic, Fourth Industrial Revolution.