Exploring the Nexus between Teleworking and Job Satisfaction with Mediating Role of Work Family Conflict during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Sri Lanka Government has introduced health guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic and all business bodies had to follow them while fulfilling the daily needs and the targets of their entities. To continue the business operations smoothly the concept of teleworking was introduced to government and private sector institutions. However, the deviation of labour environment and substituting with twin roles in similar time slots will be caused to the reason of the variation in job satisfaction of the employee. Identifying the bond between the experiences of teleworking and job satisfaction was the core objective of the study. To understand the nature of the influence of work-family conflict on the association between teleworking experience and job satisfaction as a role of mediator was the secondary objective. Forty three workers were used as the respondents of the study who were gained virtual office experience for the first time of the selected company in the COVID-19 pandemic period. A standard questionnaire was used to gather primary data through an email survey. The engagement period of teleworking was measured by the degree of teleworking and it was identified as a predictor variable. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to measure job satisfaction in the reference period as the outcome variable. Work-Family conflict was measured through a standard multidimensional scale. To identify the bond between teleworking experience and job satisfaction, the Chi-Square test of independence and to identify the impact, the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used as inferential techniques. The Cronbach’s Alpha was used to verify the reliability and the coefficient was 0.798. That was verified the questionnaire is reliable. Outcomes were disclosed that there is positively affecting the job satisfaction in teleworking, especially the working period six to eight hours and more than that. The hypothesis is proved that there is an influence on the observed mediating role on the linkage of teleworking experience and job satisfaction during the pandemic. Dependence on the results of the study may help the decision-makers of the business entities to decide on investment of virtual working programs within their working schedules.