Thriving with Remote Work During a Crisis: Effects of a Mandatory Technology-mediated Work Environment on Job Outcomes

Abstract

Most workers had to adapt to a technology-mediated work environment due to various restrictions and mandates imposed on the workforce due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Workers often thrived in this “new normal” work environment even when they lacked ordinarily available comprehensive technical support. Under such circumstances, we need to understand how effective coping with crises can result in positive employee outcomes. Inspired by the transactional model of stress and coping (TMSC) and the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, we developed a conceptual model to assess the influence of pandemic-induced work exhaustion, computer self-efficacy, and problem-focused coping strategies on contextual performance, innovation with IT, and job satisfaction. We tested our model using an online survey of 170 workers who adapted to a mandatory computer-mediated work environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings indicate that problem-focused coping strategies in the context of sudden, unplanned, and mandatory technology-mediated work led to positive employee outcomes. Our research enhances our knowledge about how displaced workers adapt to emergent norms in a technologically mediated work environment when disruptive global crises occur. We also propose avenues for future research and offer practical guidance for organizations adapting to the evolving workforce landscape and preparing for potential crises in their contingency plans and risk-management strategies.