Asia-Pacific Journal of Business (아태비즈니스연구)

KNU The Institute of Management & Economy Research (강원대학교 경영경제연구소)
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The Productivity Impact of Working from Home and the Moderating Effect of Task Characteristics: An Empirical Investigation of Field Data

재택근무가 업무 생산성에 미치는 영향과 업무 특성의 조절 효과: 대규모 현장 데이터를 활용한 실증 분석

  • Jae-Young Kim (Department of Management, Graduate School, Hansung University) ;
  • Dong-Joo Lee (Division of Social Science, Hansung University)
  • 김재영 (한성대학교 대학원 경영학과) ;
  • 이동주 (한성대학교 사회과학부)
  • Received : 2024.02.29
  • Accepted : 2024.03.24
  • Published : 2024.03.31
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Abstract

Purpose - This study aims to empirically identify the quantitative effects of work from home (WFH) on employee productivity using field data. Design/methodology/approach - Based on large-scale field data from a South Korean company which introduced the WFH arrangement in 2020, we conducted fixed effect and moderating effect analyses using individual-level panel data over sixty-three weeks. Findings - The empirical analysis generated several findings. It was found that overall, WFH has a positive effect on productivity. However, the productivity impact of WFH was found to vary depending on task characteristics. Specifically, WFH led to over 20% increase in productivity for simple and repetitive tasks. On the other hand, no significant productivity impact was observed for professional and knowledge-based tasks. Research implications or Originality - As the first study based on field data from South Korea, this study offers convincing causal evidence of the moderating impact of task characteristics on the relationship between WFH and productivity. Further, the above findings provide managers with practical insights concerning their work arrangement decisions.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 한성대학교 학술연구비 지원과제임.

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