How Is Telework Experienced in Academia?

Linda Widar, Marina Heiden, Eva Boman and Birgitta Wiitavaara
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Linda Widar: Department of Occupational Health Sciences and Psychology, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, SE-80176 Gävle, Sweden
Marina Heiden: Department of Occupational Health Sciences and Psychology, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, SE-80176 Gävle, Sweden
Eva Boman: Department of Occupational Health Sciences and Psychology, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, SE-80176 Gävle, Sweden
Birgitta Wiitavaara: Department of Occupational Health Sciences and Psychology, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, SE-80176 Gävle, Sweden

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: An increasing number of academic institutions offer their staff the option to work from other places than the conventional office, i.e., telework. Academic teaching and research staff are recognized as some of the most frequent teleworkers, and this seems to affect their well-being, work performance, and recovery in different ways. This study aimed to investigate academics’ experiences and perceptions of telework within the academic context. For this, we interviewed 26 academics from different Swedish universities. Interviews were analyzed with a phenomenographic approach, which showed that telework was perceived as a natural part of academic work and a necessary resource for coping with, and recovering from, high work demands. Telework was mostly self-regulated but the opportunity could be determined by work tasks, professional culture, and management. Telework could facilitate the individual’s work but could contribute to challenges for the workgroup. Formal regulations of telework were considered a threat to academics’ work autonomy and to their possibility to cope with the high work demands. The findings provide insight into academics’ working conditions during teleworking, which may be important for maintaining a sustainable work environment when academic institutions offer telework options.

Keywords: telework; academics; autonomy; working conditions; well-being; experiences; interviews; occupational health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:10:p:5745-:d:812015

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