Central European Business Review 2023, 12(4):59-76 | DOI: 10.18267/j.cebr.332

Telework Perception and Implications during COVID-19 in the Czech Republic

Jitka Volfová ORCID...1, Kamila Matysová ORCID...2, Diana Maria Vrânceanu ORCID...3, Claudia Elena Țuclea ORCID...4
1 Prague University of Economics and Business, Faculty of International Relations, Department of International Business, Prague, Czech Republic, jitka.volfova@vse.cz
2 Prague University of Economics and Business, Faculty of International Relations, Department of International Business, Prague, Czech Republic, kamila.matysova@vse.cz
3 Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Faculty of Marketing, Department of Marketing, Bucharest, Romania, diana.vranceanu@mk.ase.ro
4 Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Faculty of Business and Tourism, Department of Tourism and Geography, Bucharest, Romania, claudia.tuclea@com.ase.ro

The research focuses on the perception and implications of telework during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic. The aim of the paper is to prove the validity of an existing theoretical model (presented in Romanian research before COVID-19) for the Czech situation during COVID-19 and draw managerial conclusions. Quantitative primary data were collected via questionnaires and analysed using structural equation modelling, evaluating cause-effect relationships between latent variables in two steps: a structural model (showing latent constructs and paths between them) and an outer model (displaying relationships between each latent construct and the indicators defining it). Ten latent variables were defined, and relationships among them were identified. Thirteen hypotheses were tested, of which seven were accepted. Concerning similarities with the previous study, the present study accepted two hypotheses identically to the previous one, while one hypothesis was accepted only in the Romanian research. Model relevancy was proved. The research contributed to extending current literature findings.
Implications for Central European audience: Based on the hypotheses tested, autonomy and homonomy in telework should not be understood as contrary but complementary phenomena; managers should support both. Positive emotions about telework should be cultivated because they contribute to work-life balance and positively affect the intention to work from home. Work-life balance is positively related to the positive perception of the social implications of telework.

Keywords: autonomy; homonomy; social implications of telework; telework; work-life balance
JEL classification: I31, J24, M54

Received: June 17, 2022; Revised: October 27, 2022; Accepted: December 11, 2022; Prepublished online: April 2, 2023; Published: September 29, 2023  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Volfová, J., Matysová, K., Vrânceanu, D.M., & Țuclea, C.E. (2023). Telework Perception and Implications during COVID-19 in the Czech Republic. Central European Business Review, 12(4), 59-76. doi: 10.18267/j.cebr.332
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Abdel, H. S., Bakker A. B., & Haeusser, J. A. (2021). The Role of Leisure Crafting for Emotional Exhaustion in Telework during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Anxiety Stress and Coping, 34(5), 530-44. https://10.1080/10615806.2021.1903447. Go to original source...
    2. Abulibdeh, A. (2020). Can COVID-19 Mitigation Measures Promote Telework Practices? Journal of Labor and Society, 23(4), 551-76. https://10.1111/wusa.12498. Go to original source...
    3. Angyal, A. (1965). Neurosis and treatment. New York: Wiley.
    4. Allen, T. D., Golden, T. D., & Shockley, K. M. (2015). How effective is telecommuting? Assessing the status of our scientific findings. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(2), 40-68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100615593273. Go to original source...
    5. Beòo, M. (2021). E-working: Country versus culture dimension. AGRIS on-Line Papers in Economics and Informatics, 13(2), 23-34. https://doi.org/10.7160/aol.2021.130202. Go to original source...
    6. Coban, S. (2022). Gender and Telework: Work and Family Experiences of Teleworking Professional, Middle-Class, Married Women with Children during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Turkey. Gender Work and Organisation, 29(1), 241-255. https://10.1111/gwao.12684. Go to original source...
    7. Chong, S-H., Huang, Y., & Chang, C-H. (2020). Supporting Interdependent Telework Employees: A Moderated-Mediation Model Linking Daily COVID-19 Task Setbacks to Next-Day Work Withdrawal. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(12), 1408-1422. https://10.1037/apl0000843. Go to original source...
    8. Dima, A. M., Țuclea, C. E., Vrânceanu, D. M., & Țigu, G. (2019). Sustainable social and individual implications of telework: A new insight into the Romanian labor market. Sustainability, 11(13), 3506. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11133506. Go to original source...
    9. Dimitrova, E. K. (2021). Satisfaction with working time before the covid-19 pandemic in european societies: Results of multilevel analysis. Ekonomika Regiona, 17(4), 1210-1223. https://doi.org/10.17059/ekon.reg.2021-4-12. Go to original source...
    10. Fornell, C., & Larcker, D.F. (1981). Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104. Go to original source...
    11. Frantíková, Z., Vlèková, M., Vrchota, J., & Sládek, J. (2017). Comparison of Homeworking In The Czech Republic And Spain. In Economic and Social Development: Book of Proceedings (pp. 693-700). Madrid; Varazdin Development and Entrepreneurship Agency (VADEA).
    12. Garcia, M.-G., Aguiar, B., Bonilla, S., Yepez, N., Arauz, P. G., & Martin, B. J. (2022). Perceived Physical Discomfort and Its Associations With Home Office Characteristics During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Human Factors, 0(0), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208221110683. Go to original source...
    13. Gajendran, R. S., & Harrison, D. A. (2007). The good, the bad, and the unknown about telecommuting: Meta-analysis of psychological mediators and individual consequences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1524-1541. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1524. Go to original source...
    14. Gerding, T., Syck, M., Daniel, D., Naylor, J., Kotowski, S. E., Gillespie, G. L., Freeman, A. M., Huston, T. R., & Davis, K. G. (2021). An assessment of ergonomic issues in the home offices of university employees sent home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Work: A Journal of Prevention Assessment & Rehabilitation, 68(4), 981-992. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-205294. Go to original source...
    15. Hair, J. F., Ringle, C.M., & Sarstedt, M. (2011). PLS-SEM: Indeed a Silver Bullet. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19(2), 139-152. https://doi.org/10.2753/MTP1069-6679190202. Go to original source...
    16. Hair J. F. Jr., Sarstedt, M., Hopkins, L. & Kuppelwieser, V. G. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): An emerging tool in business research. European Business Review, 26(2), 106-121. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-10-2013-0128. Go to original source...
    17. Hair, J. F., Hult, T. M., Ringle, C., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Los Angeles: Sage.
    18. Hlaïo, P., Dosedlová, J., Harvánková, K., Novotný, P., Gottfried, J., Reèka, K., Petrovová, M., Pokorný, B., & ©torová, I. (2020). Work ability among upper-secondary school teachers: Examining the role of burnout, sense of coherence, and work-related and lifestyle factors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 9185. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249185. Go to original source...
    19. ILO (2020). (policy brief). Working from Home: Estimating the worldwide potential. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---travail/documents/briefingnote/wcms_743447.pdf.
    20. Jesus, T. S., Landry, M.D., & Jacobs K. (2020). A 'new normal' following COVID-19 and the economic crisis: Using systems thinking to identify challenges and opportunities in disability, telework, and rehabilitation. Work-A Journal of Prevention Assessment & Rehabilitation, 67(1), 37-46. https://10.3233/WOR-203250. Go to original source...
    21. Kawashima, T., Nomura, S., Tanoue, Y., Yoneoka, D., Eguchi, A., Shi, S., & Miyata, H. (2021). The Relationship between Fever Rate and Telework Implementation as a Social Distancing Measure against the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan. Public Health, 192, 12-14. https:// 10.1016/j.puhe.2020.05.018. Go to original source...
    22. Lee, H. (2021). Changes in workplace practices during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of emotion, psychological safety and organisation support. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 8(1), 97-128. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-06-2020-0104. Go to original source...
    23. Lester, D., & Dench, B. (2011). The holistic theory of Andras Angyal: measuring the system principle. Psychological reports, 108(1), 213-216. https://doi.org/10.2466/02.07.21.PR0.108.1.213-216. Go to original source...
    24. Malhotra, N. K., Nunan, D., & Birks, D.F. (2017). Marketing research: an applied approach, Fifth Edition, New York: Pearson. Go to original source...
    25. Marica, M. (2018). Hoeworking / teleworking. atypical forms of employment: Between usefulness and precariousness. Juridical Tribune, 8(1), 73-85.
    26. Martin, L., Hauret, L., & Fuhrer, C. (2022). Digitally transformed home office impacts on job satisfaction, job stress and job productivity. COVID-19 findings. Plos One, 17(3), e0265131. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265131. Go to original source...
    27. Messenger, J.C. (2019). Telework in the 21st Century: An evolutionary perspective. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Go to original source...
    28. Miglioretti, M., Gragnano, A., Margheritti, S., & Picco, E. (2021). Not all telework is valuable. Revista De Psicología Del Trabajo y De Las Organizaciones, 37(1), 11-19. https://doi.org/10.5093/jwop2021a6. Go to original source...
    29. Mouratidis, K., & Papagiannakis, A. (2021). COVID-19, Internet, and Mobility: The Rise of Telework, Telehealth, e-Learning, and e-Shopping. Sustainable Cities and Society, 74, 103182. https://10.1016/j.scs.2021.103182. Go to original source...
    30. Müller, T., & Niessen, C. (2019). Self-leadership in the context of part-time teleworking. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 40(8), 883-898. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2371. Go to original source...
    31. Nguyen, M. H. (2021). Factors Influencing Home-Based Telework in Hanoi (Vietnam) during and after the COVID-19 Era. Transportation, 48(6), 3207-3238. https://10.1007/s11116-021-10169-5. Go to original source...
    32. Nguyen, M. H., & Armoogum, J. (2021). Perception and Preference for Home-Based Telework in the COVID-19 Era: A Gender-Based Analysis in Hanoi, Vietnam. Sustainability, 13(6), 3179. https:// 10.3390/su13063179. Go to original source...
    33. Pfeifer, M. R. (2021). Human resources during COVID-19: A monthly survey on mental health and working attitudes of czech employees and managers during the year 2020. Sustainability, 13(18), 10055. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810055. Go to original source...
    34. Prosser, T. (2017). Explaining implementation through varieties of capitalism theory: The case of the telework and Work-related stress agreements. Journal of Common Market Studies, 55(4), 889-908. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12514. Go to original source...
    35. Rai¹ienė, A. G., Luèinskaitė-Sadovskienė, R., & Gardziulevièienė, L. (2021). Telework experience of pedagogues during the COVID-19 pandemic: Strong learning seniors and relaxed leaders? Education Sciences, 11(10), 631. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11100631. Go to original source...
    36. Ranatunga, R. V. S. P. K., Priyanath, H. M. S., & Megama, R. G. N. (2020). Methods and Rule-of-Thumbs in The Determination of Minimum Sample Size When Appling Structural Equation Modelling: A Review. Journal of Social Science Research, 15, 102-109. https://doi.org/10.24297/jssr.v15i.8670. Go to original source...
    37. Vaishar, A., & ©»astná, M. (2019). Smart village and sustainability. Southern moravia case study. European Countryside, 11(4), 651-660. https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2019-0036. Go to original source...
    38. Vlèková, M., Frantíková, Z., & Vrchota, J. (2019). Relationship between the financial indicators and the implementation of telework. Danube, 10(1), 45-66. https://doi.org/10.2478/danb-2019-0003. Go to original source...
    39. Vrchota, J., Frantíková, Z., & Vlèková, M. (2019). Why some SME's in the Czech Republic adopt telework and others not? European Countryside, 11(4), 599-615. https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2019-0033. Go to original source...
    40. Vrchota, J., Maøíková, M., & Øehoø, P. (2020). Teleworking in small and medium enterprises before the onset of coronavirus crisis in the Czech Republic. Management, 25(2), 151-164. https://doi.org/10.30924/mjcmi.25.2.8. Go to original source...
    41. Windeler, J. B., Chudoba, K. M., & Sundrup, R. Z. (2017). Getting away from them all: Managing exhaustion from social interaction with telework. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(7), 977-995. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2176. Go to original source...
    42. Yüceol, N., Urfa, A.M., Pinar, S.A.R.P., & Binici, C.M. (2021). The Impact of Work-Life Balance on Mental Well-Being of Remote Working Generation Y Academicians Due to Covid-19 Pandemic in Turkey. Marmara University Journal of Economic & Administrative Sciences, 43(2), 266-284. https://10.14780/muiibd.1052073.
    43. Schur, L. A., Ameri, M., & Kruse, D. (2020). Telework After COVID: A 'Silver Lining´ for Workers with Disabilities? Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 30(4), 521-536. https://10.1007/s10926-020-09936-5. Go to original source...
    44. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2009). Research methods for business students. Harlow: Pearson education.
    45. Song, Y., & Gao, J. (2019). Does telework stress employees out? A study on working at home and subjective well-being for Wage/Salary workers. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21(7), 2649-2668. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00196-6. Go to original source...
    46. Zadra¾ilová, D. (2017). Mezinárodní management. Praha: Oeconomica.

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content