Hybrid work model in IT companies for effective employee performance: a qualitative approach

Purpose There is a paradigm shift in the work culture of the organisations, as they move from working from office to working from home to a hybrid work model in the backdrop of the global pandemic of COVID-19. This paper aims to explore and present a comprehensive view of the hybrid work model adopted by information technology (IT) companies and its impact on employee performances in post-pandemic era from the perspective of the employees. Design/methodology/approach The exploratory nature of the study led researchers to adopt qualitative research methods. The researchers sought to listen to the respondents through open-ended questions and structured interviews. The inductive and thematic method was applied to analyse the selected 61 responses. The patterns, categories and themes were built by following a bottom-up approach by organising the responses in a more abstract form. Data analysis was done by using a systematic approach. Findings The data analysis led to imperative insights into the hybrid work culture and factors impacting employee performance were identified. These are personal factors are employee well-being and employee motivation. Organisational factors are employee engagement, technological challenges and team management. Social factors which are related to the organisational culture. Originality/value The present study explored the hybrid work model in IT companies from the employee perspective and its impact on their performance, well-being and engagement. The findings are presented in the form of a framework of themes and sub-themes, a pictorial presentation of factors of the hybrid work model and a hypothesised conceptual model. The research determines how this new paradigm impacts employee performance and is extended to job satisfaction, work-life balance and employee well-being. The contribution of this study is in theoretical advancement to the field of hybrid work models, which is new and emerging, as well as managerial implications by providing insights from the employees’ perspective.