Successful Work-From-Home Practices in the US- IT Sector: A Literature Review

The reason for this analysis is successful results and robust productivity, even after the work location has been shifted to completely remote. The purpose is to basically understand how these work-from-home practices are enabling flexibility among employees, and cooperating toward the incline of the IT sector in the USA.

Objectives

• To understand the meaning and concept of work-from-home practices in the IT industry

• To explore the benefits of work-from-home practices in the IT industry

• To identify the issues associated with work-from-home practices in the IT industry

• To present the strategies to support employees working from home in the IT industry

Critical Literature Review 

This critical literature review detailed below focuses on a range of articles and published journal papers, which prove the impact of WFH practices in the IT industry of the USA, boosting productivity.

Introduction 

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a disastrous yet disruptive external event in the world, and so in the business world. Most industries, including the IT sector, have been influenced by such outbreak of COVID-19, which resulted in approx. 72% of employees globally switch to WFH practices overnight (Beck et al., 2020).

What is Work-From Home in Brief?

As a work practice, WFH can be simply understood as the practice of employees performing their work-related activities from their homes using digital technologies rather than coming to their workplace/ offices. The focus of analyzing WFH practices will be to contribute more toward future work in this area.

Work-from-home practices in the IT industry

According to Vyas and Butakhieo (2020), the outbreak of COVID-19 has brought several transitions in the ways businesses operate, and the WFH regime is one of the most important transitions seen in the past years.

However, Alsharef et al. (2021) argued and stated that WFH practices were not introduced with the rise of COVID-19 cases they already exist in different parts of the world in different industries. 

Brynjolfsson, et al. (2020), stated that there was a time when thinking about working from home in the IT industry was not even a possibility due to the non-existence of technology. There were no options to contact each other through texts, emails, or direct messages in case of urgent tasks. However, approx. 10 years ago, remote working was essentially meant for telemarketing operators or people in customer care executive positions who were working for less than minimum wages.

Ipsen et al. (2021), mentioned that it was possible because a job role in IT was barely considered a full-time role or career. But with the evolution of technology, now most jobs can be done remotely without any complications as the channels of communication have become strong, and the tools and software required to complete the task at home are also available and evolving with time.

In the opinion of Lippe and Lippényi (2020), the major and the most helpful technology supporting the WFH practices has been the video conferencing tools which made it easier to connect two people from anywhere in the world through video calls. The live video feeds are crucial to help the remotely working employees communicate with each other in real-time with the help of a sound internet connection and also conduct face-to-face meetings to feel that personalized touch.

However, Jones et al. (2021) argued in their research that video conferencing tools could never be replacements for in-person meetings as the factor of personal touch and seamless conversation is missed in digital communication channels.

In the opinion of Feng and Savani (2020), this technology has advanced to such an extent that various offices have just been away from their traditional office spaces, and they have started to run their businesses through coworking spaces so that their largely remote workforce can be accommodated. Meaning of coworking spaces simply mean shared office spaces that are used by remote employees to gather at a place and work together. These coworking spaces are also widely available in different major cities reflecting the increasing number of remote employees working from their homes or anywhere else in the past few years.

In the views of Kramer and Kramer (2020), the advancement of technology and external factors like the pandemic have made teleworking or WFH an accepted practice at various offices, especially in the field of IT. The USA is an advanced nation with access to unlimited communication technology and internet access. The IT industry in the USA has seen a drastic transition of shifting towards a WFH regime, and the employees also seem to be very satisfied with such arrangements. However, some of the employees in different companies have also demonstrated their disagreement with this notion as they have faced various problems such as frustration, increased isolation as well as distractions at home while working.

Benefits of working from home in the IT industry 

Williamson et al. (2020), mentioned in their studies that WFH practices within the IT industry have potential benefits for the employees as well as the organizations.

The empirical studies such as the article presented by Oakman et al. (2020), have described that the favorable outcomes of the WFH practices include high job satisfaction, improved productivity and performance, lesser imbalance in work life and personal life, reduced stress rates among the employees, saving of commute expenses and office costs as well as the reduced turnover within the companies.

However, such benefits are contradicted by Ipsen et al. (2021) in their research, as many of the employees in the survey responded that they felt isolated and stressed while working from their homes as there was no social interaction at work with colleagues.

With WFH practices, their management has also lost control over the activities and employees, and handling the virtual teams has become a very difficult task. But on the other hand, Galanti et al. (2021), mentioned that there is a positive effect of WFH practices on employees as they are able to manage their personal commitments and their work while staying at home and not wasting time on their commute to the workplace.

Moreover, Lippe and Lippényi (2020) also stated that the quality of life of individuals in the IT industry had improved drastically with the introduction of WFH practices after the pandemic. They have more time now to focus on themselves and also on work.

Vyas and Butakhieo (2020) also presented their views and findings that there has been an improvement in the happiness and satisfaction levels of employees after starting working from home. However, these benefits are only evident in such organizations where the employees working remotely are getting sufficient managerial, technological, and peer support through digital communication channels.

Such support from colleagues also helps to reduce the negative influences of WFH practices, such as work-family conflicts, social isolation as well as the stress of work (Bonacini et al., 2021).

The USA is technologically advanced, and there are plenty of IT companies and firms operating all over the nation. This resulted in increased traffic and pollution as so many employees commuted to their offices through their own vehicles or public transport, causing increased traffic, gas emissions as well as air pollution. Keeping this point in mind, the influence of WFH practices on corporate image and reputation, as green companies are concerned about the protection of the environment and its sustainability, are important points. In the current scenario, air contamination, as well as heavy traffic, are some of the global issues, and teleworking can be considered a viable solution to such problems to reduce the traffic and improve the quality of air as well as the quality of life in urban areas of the nation.

Jones et al. (2021) also mentioned that the digitization process and the new communication tools could also be helpful in improving the efficiency and process of standardisation. One of the major issues related to equality and discrimination is also addressed by these WFH practices as women can now participate with the increased opportunities for jobs, and there are also work opportunities created for disabled people through introducing the WFH practices.

In the analysis presented by Vyas and Butakhieo (2020) in their study, it was also identified that work autonomy could also be achieved by employees through working from home as they can have influence over the place, time, and method of completing any task. This process will help improve the productivity and performance of employees in the IT industry.

Moreover, the existing research works also support the notion that the burden on companies of absenteeism allows the employees to complete their work obligations even if they are facing trouble in reaching the offices. It can clearly be stated that WFH practices greatly contribute to improved job satisfaction, employee well-being, organizational commitment as well as productivity levels. With the shift towards WFH practices, some of the variable costs of the companies in the IT industry have been reduced to a great extent which is quite beneficial for overall organizational growth (Chanana and Sangeeta, 2021).

Issues and Challenges of Working from Home in the IT Industry 

Despite having several benefits of working from home, there are plenty of issues and challenges associated with this transition. In the opinion of Ralph et al. (2020), it has become very difficult for companies and managers to control and monitor the activities of employees in virtual teams.

Kniffin et al. (2021) also mentioned that social isolation from the work team of the employees is also a very big issue and risk for companies. Through this social isolation, the employees disconnect from the work environment, and it gradually leads to lower levels of motivation and performance at work.

Moreover, Jones et al. (2021) also mentioned that long-term isolation could lead to increased turnover intention among employees along with work-family conflicts. It is not as easy as it seems to be for WFH as, at times, the employees might need to keep aside their personal commitments due to work, and at times, they might need to avoid work to please their families and spend sufficient time with them. There can be conflicting interests in these situations leading to an imbalance in their personal and professional lives.

Oakman et al. (2020) also indicated that WFH practices could also hinder the learning process of employees, as collaborative learning can be possible if everyone works from the same workplace and communicates with each other in person. Apart from that, WFH practices also require the employees to possess high organizational skills, which is only possible for people with self-organization abilities who are good at time allocation for different tasks.

Kramer and Kramer (2020) stated that with the reduced visibility in the workplace, the chances of growth and shrinking of career prospects could also lead to anxiety and stress among people. As evident, it can clearly be stated that the concern among the managers can increase regarding the possibility of decreased productivity and performance of the employees.

Reichelt et al. (2021) also stated some common problems are associated with digital environments. For example, overloaded information/emails, inadequate technological skills, low trust among the team members, poor transparency and accountability, limited managerial control, etc., can cause some major negative impacts on the overall productivity and performance of the organization.

In the list of drawbacks, Lippe and Lippényi (2020) added some final comments in their research work regarding the ethical concerns arising associated with e-leaders, such as increased exploitation of the employees working from home as well as an intrusion in the personal lives of the employees. The given benefits are helpful for the company and employees, but the costs associated with such advantages are also unavoidable. There is a need for managers and companies to support employees with WFH practices to minimize the negative influences of such practices on the organization and employees.

Theoretical Underpinnings 

One of the most popular theories that can be applied to the current situation of employees working from home in the IT industry is the social exchange theory. According to Vyas and Butakhieo (2020), this theory suggests that individuals engage in social relationships based on cost and benefit analysis. In the context of WFH practices, this theory can be applied to demonstrate the relationship between IT professionals and their employees in terms of costs and benefits associated with teleworking.

The focus mainly remains on mutually beneficial exchanges. For example, autonomy, flexibility as well as increased satisfaction at the job are some of the benefits for the employees. On the other hand, cost savings, improved performance and productivity as well as corporate reputation are some of the benefits realized by the company. The reciprocal nature of the relationship is established through this theory in the WFH practices employed by the companies in the IT industry of the USA.

On the other hand, Williamson et al. (2020) mention the costs, such as employees might feel isolated, frustrated, and anxious. On the other hand, companies might lose control over their employees and their activities.

The Job-Demand Resource Model can also be a helpful approach here which mainly emphasises the interaction between job demand and resources as well as their influence over the well-being and performance of the employees. As per the views of Alsharef et al. (2021), job demands may include psychological, physical as well as organizational aspects requiring the efforts of the employees. On the other hand, the job resources include the organization, physical, and psychological aspects supporting the employees to achieve organizational objectives as well as fulfill the job demands. In the WFH practices in the IT industry, the technologies, communication tools, workload, infrastructure as well as social support are some of these demands and resources.

Strategies to support WFH employees in the IT Industry

As per the opinion of Kramer and Kramer (2020), working from home has become a new norm in the IT industries, and companies are required to encourage their employees to stay healthy and focused on their work.

Kniffin et al. (2021) have stated different strategies and supports to encourage employees to WFH, which include investing in optimal WFH setups, supporting employees' wellness at home, providing adequate technology and tools to perform work-related tasks, and reinforcing the organizational culture.

According to Vyas and Butakhieo (2020), staying healthy at home will be useful in increasing productivity and self-satisfaction among employees. The employers can provide guidance regarding setting up ergonomic and healthy work setups at their homes. Moreover, activities like virtual games as well as fun activities can help the employees feel refreshed. It can also be helpful in reducing the stress of work.

In the opinion of Ralph et al. (2020), employers can also invest in WFH setups such as required appliances, electricity as well as an internet connection so that the employees can effectively complete their tasks without any problems. In order to optimize the productivity of the employees, the company can also consider negotiating discount arrangements with the retailers providing services like personalizing the home offices.

Oakman et al. (2020) have also mentioned that sufficient technology support is necessary for employees working from home. Sound digital communication channels should be used by companies to communicate with their employees and to know about their work status. It is also very important to protect the confidential data of businesses inside and outside of the workplaces, so the employees must refine the process at regular intervals to encourage saving centralized files on the cloud, rather than saving the important files on the local computers.

As per the opinion of Reichelt et al. (2021), the pandemic has also reinforced the value of organizational culture and structures in helping employees to be more productive and informed about their roles and responsibilities. Employers are required to instill the organizational culture, even in WFH settings, to keep the company values and ethics fulfilled.

Williamson et al. (2020) supported this notion and stated that effective support from the employer and management could help in reducing the negative influences of WFH practices on employees.

Literature Gap 

The scant examination of the sustainability and long-term repercussions of remote work is a hole in the literature in the study of WFH practices in the USA IT industry. There are few studies evaluating the long-term effects and difficulties of remote work arrangements for IT professionals, despite the fact that the COVID-19 epidemic sparked a rapid move to remote work.

For both organizations and individuals, it is essential to comprehend the long-term viability of remote work practices, including their implications on output, job satisfaction, and work-life balance. To develop successful policies and practices for long-term remote work environments, further study is required to examine the long-term effects of remote work in the IT sector.

Conclusion 

Finally, successful WFH strategies in the USA IT industry necessitate careful consideration of a number of factors. Successful remote work arrangements are facilitated by a strong technological foundation, excellent communication channels, work-life balance, and organizational support. Organizations may build an environment that encourages productivity, engagement, and general job happiness for IT professionals by recognizing and putting these traits into practice. This critical review has tried to present both positive and negative aspects of WFH practices within the IT industry.

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References

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