Motivated to telework? Voluntariness and involuntariness as mechanisms linking supervisor support to productivity and life satisfaction

Purpose This study investigates the relationship between perceived supervisor support and teleworkers' productivity and life satisfaction, examining voluntariness and involuntariness as motivational mechanisms. Drawing on Conservation of Resources Theory and Self-Determination Theory, the research explores how supervisor support relates to employees' motivational experiences and subsequent outcomes in telework settings. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey was administered to 316 teleworkers in Portugal. Participants completed validated measures of supervisor support, telework voluntariness and involuntariness, perceived productivity, and life satisfaction. A parallel mediation model was tested using Hayes' PROCESS macro (Model 4), with 5,000 bootstrapped samples and bias-corrected confidence intervals. Findings Supervisor support was directly associated with increased productivity and life satisfaction. Additionally, although the link between supervisor support and voluntariness was marginal, a significant negative relationship with involuntariness in telework was observed. As expected, voluntariness in telework was linked to higher perceived productivity and life satisfaction, while involuntariness in telework was linked to lower perceived productivity and life satisfaction. Practical implications The findings highlight the importance of supervisory practices in reducing telework involuntariness. Human resource strategies and leadership development should foster supportive environments that minimise coercion and promote employee productivity and life satisfaction in remote settings. Originality/value This study adds to the limited literature on telework motivation by distinguishing between voluntariness and involuntariness as separate motivational constructs. It introduces a dual-path mediation model integrating contextual (supervisory) support and motivational pathways to predict telework outcomes, namely perceived productivity and life satisfaction.