JOB DESIGN AND HYBRID WORK MODELS DURING COVID-19: A STUDY OF THE SERBIAN IT INDUSTRY

Eighth International Scientific Conference Contemporary Issues in Economics, Business and Management [EBM 2024], [pp. 43-50]

AUTHOR(S) / АУТОР(И): Aleksandra Stevanović , Vesna Stojanović-Aleksić , Jelena Erić Nielsen

Download Full Pdf   

DOI: 10.46793/EBM24.043S

ABSTRACT / САЖЕТАК:

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the way organizations structure their work models, with remote and hybrid work becoming more prevalent. This study explores the impact of remote and hybrid work models on job enrichment in the Serbian IT (information communication technology) industry, focusing on five key job design characteristics: autonomy, task variety, task identity, task significance, and feedback. While previous research has reported mixed outcomes of remote work, the impact of these work models on overall job enrichment, especially in emerging markets like Serbia, has yet to be fully understood. Using data from IT industry employees, this study examines how different work arrangements (in-office, hybrid, and fully remote) affect their perceptions of job enrichment. Results from one-way ANOVA and post-hoc tests reveal that employees in hybrid work models report the highest levels of job enrichment, with significant differences between hybrid and remote workers. These findings suggest that hybrid work may offer a more balanced approach to job design by providing autonomy and flexibility while maintaining access to essential resources and feedback. The study emphasizes the importance of considering job enrichment in the design of hybrid work environments. Findings will also offer practical recommendations for organizations seeking to optimize their work models post-pandemic in order to maximize employee engagement and productivity in the future.

KEYWORDS / КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ:

job design, enriched job design, remote work, hybrid work

REFERENCES / ЛИТЕРАТУРА:

  • Aleksić Mirić, A., Bogićević Milikić, B., & Janićijević, N. (2020). Organisational learning in Serbia during the transition: The legacy of Božidar Cerović and his contribution to transition research. Economic Annals, 65(225), 73-104.
    https://doi.org/10.2298/EKA2025073A
  • Allen, K. S., Grelle, D., Lazarus, E. M., Popp, E., & Gutierrez, S. L. (2024). Hybrid is here to stay: Critical behaviors for success in the new world of work. Personality and
    Individual Differences, 217, 112459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112459
  • Bailey, K., & Breslin, D. (2021). The COVID‐19 pandemic: what can we learn from past research in organizations and management?. International Journal of Management Reviews, 23(1), 3-6. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12237
  • Bošković, A. (2021). Employee autonomy and engagement in the digital age: The moderating role of remote working. Ekonomic horizons, 23(3), 231-246.
    https://doi.org/10.5937/ekonhor2103241B
  • Choudhury, P., Foroughi, C., & Larson, B. (2021). Work‐from‐anywhere: The productivity effects of geographic flexibility. Strategic Management Journal, 42(4), 655-683. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3251
  • Choudhury, P., Khanna, T., Makridis, C., & Schirmann, K. (2022). Is hybrid work the best of both worlds? Evidence from a field experiment. In SSRN electronic journal (No. 22–063). Cambridge: Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.2139/SSRN.4068741
  • Demerouti, E., & Bakker, A. B. (2023). Job demands-resources theory in times of crises: New propositions. Organizational Psychology Review, 13(3), 209-236.
  • Diab-Bahman, R., & Al-Enzi, A. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on conventional work settings. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 40(9/10), 909-927. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-07-2020-0262
  • Foss, N. J. (2021). The impact of the Covid‐19 pandemic on firms’ organizational designs. Journal of Management Studies, 58(1), 270-274. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12643
  • Gajendran, R. S., & Harrison, D. A. (2007). The good, the bad, and the unknown about telecommuting: meta-analysis of psychological mediators and individual consequences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1524-1541. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1524
  • Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1975). Development of the Job Diagnostic
    Survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60(2), 159–170. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076546
  • Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(2), 250–279.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90016-7
    https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866221135022
  • Janićijević, N. (2012). The influence of organizational culture on organizational preferences towards the choice of organizational change strategy. Economic annals, 57(193), 25- 51. https://doi.org/10.2298/EKA1293025J
  • Lamovsek, A., Radevic, I., Mohammed, S.S., & Cerne, M. (2024). Beyond the office walls: Work design configurations for task performance across on-site, hybrid and remote forms of work. Information Systems Journal, special issue,
    https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12542
  • May, D. R., Gilson, R. L., & Harter, L. M. (2004). The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety, and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(1), 11–37. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317904322915892
  • Morgeson, F. P., & Humphrey, S. E. (2006). The Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ): Developing and validating a comprehensive measure for assessing job design. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(6), 1321–1339. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.6.1321
  • Morgeson, F. P., Delaney-Klinger, K., & Hemingway, M. A. (2005). The Importance of Job Autonomy, Cognitive Ability, and Job-Related Skill for Predicting Role Breadth and Job Performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(2), 399–406. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.2.399
  • Oldham, G. R., Hackman, J. R., & Pearce, J. L. (1976). Conditions under which employees respond positively to enriched work. Journal of applied psychology, 61(4), 395-403. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.61.4.395
  • Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600–619.
    https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940610690169
  • Sims, H. P., Szilagyi, A. D., & Keller, R. T. (1976). The Measurement of Job Characteristics. Academy of Management Journal, 19, 195-212. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/255772
  • Verma, A., Venkatesan, M., Kumar, M., & Verma, J. (2023). The future of work post Covid19: key perceived HR implications of hybrid workplaces in India. Journal of Management Development, 42(1), 13-28. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-11-2021-0304
  • Wang, B., Liu, Y., Qian, J., & Parker, S. K. (2021). Achieving effective remote working during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A work design perspective. Applied
    psychology, 70(1), 16-59. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12290