The Working-from-Home Natural Experiment in Sydney, Australia: A Theory of Planned Behaviour Perspective

Abstract

The rapid rise of working-from-home practices has led to a paradigm shift in the way many workers interact with cities, with major potential impacts on sustainability, health, and quality of life. Whilst the technology responsible for this shift is not new, the disruptive way that it is now interfacing with workplaces, homes, cities, and society is both novel and profound. To inform an understanding of the implications of this change, this article provides survey data from Sydney, Australia, on drivers, and patterns of behaviour linked with the change. Furthermore, we use of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to successfully interrogate what drives intentions, attitudes, norms, and competencies. We also provide data on the influence of job type and emerging employer attitudes. These data and analyses provide a unique contribution to the growing body of knowledge about working from home and builds potential for prediction of its prevalence across cities. This can inform updates of urban planning, infrastructure investment decisions, and to identify how this practice can be best supported, in a way that promotes sustainability outcomes.