| Pub. Date | : October, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Product Name | : The IUP Journal of Organizational Behavior |
| Product Type | : Article |
| Product Code | : IJOB81021 |
| Author Name | : Kalaa Chenji and Sode Raghavendra |
| Availability | : YES |
| Subject/Domain | : Arts & Humanities |
| Download Format | : PDF Format |
| No. of Pages | : 8 |
Many organizations were forced to adopt Work From Home (WFH) practices during the lockdown due to Covid-19. As employees are experiencing WFH for the first time, the study aims to understand the positive and negative experiences of 25 respondents from the manufacturing sector, service sector and academia. Boundary dynamics of work-family conflict and the theory and constructs of work-life integration are reviewed to identify and understand the existing literature. The study examines the trends that contributed to the area, and studies the theoretical perspectives of boundary/border management, integration/segmentation and related constructs.
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world today. Work From Home (WFH), flaunted
as the future of work till recently, has now become the only alternative to survive for
employees as well as employers. Remote working has always been a motivational tool
for most as it protected many from the confines of a physical office and saved commuting
time. A few words like "quarantine", "social distancing", "containment", "community spread",
"pandemic", never heard before, are most frequently used today. Unprecedented challenges
introduced by Covid-19 have thrown the world into a new universe. Busy office premises
are now deserted, dark and lonely, wondering where the army of inhabitants has suddenly
disappeared. Millions are no longer confined to the offices but are locked in their own homes.
This paper focuses on the hardships faced by employees due to WFH during the
lockdown, provides insights from the border and boundary theories of work-family boundary
dynamics of work-life integration during these testing times propounded by Allen et al.
(2014), and finally suggests opportunities and strategies available to employees to make
best use of the present time to overcome the uncertain future. The current study conducted
interviews with 25 employees working in different sectors, who are under different age
groups, to identify and understand their experiences with the new work regime.