Working From Home and Job Performance: The Role of Employee Work Motivation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of work-from-home (WFH) practices on the performance of academics under the drastic circumstances of coronavirus disease 2019 . This study's population comprised faculty members from a higher education institution in Kelantan, Malaysia. Work-from-home policies are widely used due to their great efficacy in reducing physical encounters in the workplace and reducing Covid-19 transmission. Remote employment has emerged as a fresh technique to conducting business activities. Many people are discovering profitable alternatives for home-based enterprises.However, several industries are unable to run smoothly when people work remotely, which has added stress to already difficult situations for both firms and individuals. Numerous scholarly studies have revealed that remote work arrangements have both positive and negative outcomes. A systematic questionnaire in printed form was created and distributed to 69 employees in Jeli, a rural location in the state of Kelantan. With a special focus on the Malaysian environment, this study examines the limited amount of information on the implications of remote work on employee performance during lockdown measures adopted to reduce the spread of Covid-19. The study's findings reveal that remote work has a significant influence on employee performance, creating a strong and positive link with motivation acting as a moderator. The findings of this study provide a foundation for improving existing approaches for obtaining optimal performance among faculty members in the higher education area when working remotely.