Remote employee work performance in the meta COVID-19 era: evidence from Greece

Purpose

By drawing on the reciprocity norm and the employee engagement theory, the aim of this study is to investigate the influence of workplace characteristics (e.g. individual, job, group and organizational levels) on remote employee work performance (i.e. task, adaptive and proactive) and to examine the potential role of work engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a phased investigation in a branch of a multinational telecommunication company located in Greece. The research was carried out from September 2022 to December 2022. Firstly, 364 exclusively remote employees completed questionnaires examining work-related characteristics (i.e. change self-efficacy, work autonomy and perceived organizational support (POS)) as well as their work engagement. Consequently, their supervisors evaluated their work performance. The research model was tested with the use of structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The research findings suggest that change self-efficacy, work autonomy, support from supervisors and organizational support positively influence employee work engagement as well as that work engagement mediates the relationship among change self-efficacy, support from supervisors, organizational support and employee work performance (i.e. task and adaptive). Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Practical implications

The results indicate that if organizations manage to influence positively their employees’ work engagement by providing them with the necessary conditions and support (i.e. individual, group and organizational levels), they may increase their work performance in changing and complex times.

Originality/value

The research findings provide new insights into how workplace characteristics and work engagement may influence employee performance during turbulent times. The originality of this study lies in the finding that employees’ work engagement mediates the relationship among change self-efficacy, support from supervisors, organizational support and employee work performance (i.e. task and adaptive). Further, the study refers to exclusively remote employees, and it was conducted in the meta coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) era.