IS REMOTE MANAGEMENT A REMEDY FOR THE BOREDOM OF TELECOMMUTING? AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF "NEO-TELEWORKERS"

Abstract

The health crisis has led to a massive use of telework, a form of work organization previously in the minority and restricted to certain categories of employees (mainly managers). Telework now involves all types of employees, including those subjected to strict managerial control. In this context of isolation, this form of work can contribute to a feeling of boredom, which can have deleterious organizational consequences. Confronted with this situation, managers are faced with a new difficulty: how to manage their subordinates remotely, in order to limit the boredom that can be associated with this new work situation. To explore the link between managerial practices and boredom in a telework situation, we conducted a questionnaire survey with a mixed sample of employees (1,330 teleworkers and office-based employees) working in a French Social Security organization. Our results show that the perceived quality of management has a significant influence on boredom at work for teleworkers, but that this influence is mediated by overall well-being at work. A comparison with the sample of office-based employees also allows us to conclude that there are strong similarities in the perceptions and attitudes of teleworkers and office-based employees. This study invites us to rethink the management practices specific to telework, while showing that teleworkers are not a separate category of employees, from the point of view of their perceptions.