Impact of Work from Home on Work Productivity: Mediating Effects of Work-Life Balance and Work Stress

Abstract

Employees performing work tasks effectively and interacting effectively with peers and subordinates, the Coronavirus which hit in early 2020, changed the way people live and work, and it affected industries and organizations all over the world. The purpose of this study to assess the impact of work from home on work productivity by mediating the effect of work-life balance and work stress. This study followed quantitative research design and deductive approach. This study was carried out as a cross-sectional field study among a sample of 121 executive level employees in the selected manufacturing organizations in BOI Zone, Horana. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the sample and primary data were collected using a standard questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, regression and correlation analysis were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). It is found that work from home and work life balance have significant effect on work productivity, but work stress hasn’t significant effect on work productivity. And this study revealed that the mediation effect of work life balance on work from home and work productivity was accepted, however the mediation effect of work stress on work from home and work productivity was rejected. Findings of the study have the potential of practical implication for organization to assess the overall interest and feelings of the employees towards work productivity in the pandemic period. And this study can serve as a basis for measuring work productivity in terms of balancing employees’ work and managing their work stress by practicing work from home. In response to the collectivist setting, working from home can be a positive sign that needs to be paid attention to for the organization.