Telework and Contextual Performance: How Affective Reactions to Telework Influence the Relationships Between Telework, Lmx and Ocbs

Emily S. Medvin

Advisor: Stephen Zaccaro, PhD, Department of Psychology

Committee Members: Seth Kaplan, Lauren Kuykendall

David J. King Hall, #2038
July 29, 2019, 01:00 PM to 03:00 PM

Abstract:

Telework is a common practice, with about 70% of U.S. organizations allowing for telework in some form, and its prevalence is expected to continue to increase. However, opinions in both research and practice remain mixed on the overall effects and implications of telework. Little to no research has examined the relationship between this work arrangement and important organizational outcomes. This study looks at the relationships between extent of telework, LMX, and OCBs through a social exchange theory lens, proposing two similar, yet distinct, affective reactions to telework (gratitude and indebtedness) as mediators of these relationships and trait gratitude and benefit appraisals as moderators. Employees and their direct supervisors were surveyed multiple times over the course of four months. Results offered limited support for these propositions; extent of telework was related to both affective reactions, which had differential relationships with the outcomes of interest. Additionally, trait gratitude was found to moderate the relationships between extent of telework and the affective reaction of gratitude. Implications for both research and practice are discussed.