Research Methods for Manager

Part A: Qualitative Methods: Exploring Employee Perceptions of Working From Home

Introduction

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way people and businesses operate due to the infectious nature of the disease. Different methods have been used to reduce the spread of Covid-19 to improve health outcomes, including social distancing, isolation, masking, vaccination, and improving sanitisation. The non-profit organisation in Brighton has also changed its working policy for its approximately 40 full-time employees from working in the office to working at home. As the pandemic continues to turn endemic hence people have to learn to live with it, it is crucial to understand the suitability of the employees working from home. Through the pandemic, several advantages and disadvantages have been noted from working from home, including work-life balances, efficiency, and reduction of cost of operations. In deciding on office resumption, it is critical to consider the employee perception of resuming working in the office compared to working from home and its impact on productivity. The study aims to understand employee perceptions about working from home and its impact on their well-being and productivity.

Literature Review

During the Covid-19, Gibbs, Mengel, and Siemroth (2021) indicate that working from home had different impacts on productivity and the number of hours that employees engaged in. The study indicated that working from home increased hours worked outside normal business hours but a fall in average output and productivity. Rupiettaa and Beckmannb (2016) identify working from home to be interlinked with a high intrinsic motivation that positively influences employees’ work efforts. Employees put more effort when working from home due to their high autonomy of scheduling work and keeping track of it.

In your readings this week in Northouse (2012) you have learned abo...