When Do Teleworkers Feel both Job-Satisfied and Productive? Boundary Conditions of the Telework Satisfaction-Productivity Relationship

Recent research suggests that employee well-being plays a key mediating role in transmitting the positive effects of telework on productivity. However, there are circumstances in which employee satisfaction with telework is insufficient for employee productivity. To improve our theoretical understanding of the circumstances under which satisfied teleworkers do not necessarily feel productive while teleworking, we drew on the conservation of resources and job demands-control theories. We tested the hypothesis that there is a strong relationship between satisfaction with teleworking and self-perceived productivity when the alternative to telework required depleting many personal resources. Also, we hypothesized that when teleworking conditions make it challenging to meet job demands this relationship was attenuated. To test our hypotheses, we performed moderation analysis using data from 426 employees teleworking from Mexico City. We shed light on the circumstances under which employees see working from home as a win-win arrangement for them and their employers.