Combining work and vacation: workation as an attractive work arrangement

Purpose The fulfilling blend of work and leisure experienced by digital nomads has inspired some organizations to offer “workation” (work-vacation) as a new fringe benefit, allowing employees to work remotely from international locations while simultaneously engaging in travel and leisure activities. This study seeks to understand to what extent and under what conditions this workation arrangement is attractive to candidates compared to other work arrangements. Design/methodology/approach The research employs two vignette experiments that manipulate work arrangements, involving a total sample of 351 participants. The data and results were analyzed using multilevel regressions, moderation tests and simple slope tests. Findings The results indicate that job offerings featuring workation demonstrate significantly higher organizational attractiveness compared to those featuring other work arrangements. The appeal of workations is especially pronounced and attractive among candidates with previous international experience and positive attitudes towards such experiences, contingent upon their degree of community embeddedness. Originality/value Within the evolving landscape of changing work arrangements, this study contributes to the literature by distinguishing workation as an innovative and attractive work option. Additionally, the findings offer insights for human resource practices by identifying the specific reasons that make workation particularly enticing for certain candidates.