Digital infrastructure and interpersonal relationship influence on employees' perception on self-productivity during work-from-home

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted unprecedented negative impacts on the labor market. Businesses in different sectors have taken a challenging decision to minimize the congregation of people by allowing work from home (WFH). However, the occupational heterogeneity in the work context determines the employee's ability to WFH. This study examines the physical and social factors that affect self-reported productivity of the employees and their preference for continuity of this ―hybrid way of working‖ even after the Covid-19 crisis has passed in Sri Lanka. A google questionnaire was used to collect data from randomly selected 150 employees who WFH during the second quarter of the pandemic. Data were analyzed using SPSS Package. The majority, 59% of participants were females. The sample represents 21% of Government, 17% of Semi-government and 62% of Private Sector employees. The Chi- square test revealed that the availability of infrastructure facilities like network connection, hard-ware, soft-ware, and interpersonal relationships with partners, management staff, co-workers and, customers were significant to the employees‘ performance and achieving job tasks effectively (p= 0.000(α<0.05)). The employees‘ perception of self-productivity during WFH is positively correlated with infrastructure facilities (p = 0.002(α<0.05). However, the employees‘ self-productivity has changed with interpersonal relationships not only related to the job but also related to their family. There is a relationship between marital status and self-productivity with an associated significance level of 0.003(α<0.05). Married employees manifested lower productivity during WFH due to matters connected with home care. Family commitments in particular is expected to be much more prevalent than previously as employees in the sample prefer WFH even after the pandemic (p = 0.047 (α<0.05)). This survey in turn helps inform policy-makers to understand that WFH itself has largely been beneficial if the main issues are being addressed.