Navigating Challenges and Reactions of Working from Home Workers: An Integrative Literature Review and HRD implications

Abstract: As the COVID-19 pandemic brought rapid changes globally, employees had to quickly adapt to new ways of working, such as remote access and virtual meetings, with one-third of the U.S. workforce making the shift to working from home (WFH; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). While major technology companies, including Google, Amazon, and Facebook, offered long-term remote work options (Emily Courtney, 2021), researchers and practitioners explored various workplace strategies and the pros and cons of WFH at individual, organizational, and national levels.
Numerous studies highlighted WFH's positive aspects, including cost savings, increased productivity, better work-life balance, and reduced commuting stress (Feng & Savani, 2020; Manko, 2020; McGuire et al., 2020; Putri & Amran, 2021). However, many studies also reported negative impacts, such as mental and physical health issues, blurred work-leisure boundaries, communication problems, decreased concentration, and longer working hours (de Klerk et al., 2021; Ekpanyaskul & Padungtod, 2021; Gibbs et al., 2021; Huls et al., 2021; Radulovic et al., 2021). WFH has become an employment trend driven by cost-efficiency and time-saving advantages; consequently, there is a pressing requirement for a thorough literature review to tackle WFH challenges and formulate effective solutions in this ever-evolving environment (Awada et al., 2021; Feng & Savani, 2020).
Given the need of integrative investigation, this research aims to examine the challenges related to WFH employees and the consequences of their reactions. With this key goal, three research questions were investigated: 1) What factors have challenged WFH employees? and 2) What were the reactions to these challenges by WFH employees? 3) What are the implications for HRD research and practices?
To answer research questions, the integrative review method was applied, ensuring a rigorous literature analysis (Evans & Pearson, 2001; Whittemore & Knafl, 2005). This literature review process follows Whittemore and Knafl's integration approach. Firstly, we identified the problem, defined the review purpose, and focused on challenges faced by WFH employees during the pandemic. Secondly, we involved a systematic literature search in six databases, using specific keywords “working from home”, “work from home”, “WFH” and “challenges”, “difficult*”. I refined the search to peer-reviewed, English-language empirical studies, resulting in a final sample of seventeen articles.
This review examined seventeen articles using an integrative approach to classify data into challenges faced by WFH employees and their reactions. Four categories of challenges were identified at the individual, job-related, organizational, and physical environmental levels. Challenges at the individual level included increased family responsibilities, gender-based imbalances in household chores, sedentary behavior, and decreased work-life balance. Job-related challenges encompassed the increased workload, longer work hours, and the need for effective time and communication management. At the organizational level, challenges related to insufficient support and unclear guidelines impacted employee engagement and well-being. Physical environmental factors included inadequate workspace and equipment, impacting work efficiency and productivity. The blurred boundary between work and personal life due to uncompartmentalized home workspaces was also noted.
WFH employees' reactions to challenges can be categorized into physiological, psychological, and behavioral responses. Physiologically, they experienced musculoskeletal discomfort and increased vocal effort during remote communication. In addition, they had emotional symptoms like anxiety, burnout, depression, and stress, as well as work-related issues such as reduced job enthusiasm and satisfaction. WFH employees also faced difficulties balancing work and family responsibilities, often working longer hours with minimal productivity gains, particularly among female workers. Finally, the challenges resulted in decreased engagement, productivity, and dedication. Although job autonomy and flexibility were motivators, work-home interference increased job demand and turnover intentions.
This review has the potential to contribute by identifying the challenges that WFH employees experience and their reactions to the challenges. It can support future theory development by describing the complex interactions of various factors that create challenges for WFH employees. Furthermore, it provides insights for HRD practitioners, suggesting interventions to address the analyzed WFH-related issues, enhance social interactions, mentor female WFH workers, and promote a supportive corporate culture. In conclusion, this review underscores the importance of HRD strategies that consider the physiological, psychological, and behavioral reactions of WFH employees and encourages further research on mediating factors that intervene between the challenges and reactions experienced by WFH employees.