I.

Introduction:
In the present, working from home is no longer a foreign concept to us. The Covid-19 pandemic
has driven the majority of workers to isolate themselves and work remotely via platforms such
as Zoom and Google Meet. When making the move from traditional work to working from
home (online), it is critical to consider the psychological well-being of employees and other
objective aspects. Working from home is a contentious issue among employees, and resolving it
will need significant study, money, and time. The author has discovered and will use a research
paper by Wang, W., Albert, L., and Sun, Q. (2020) to discuss and research this topic.
Employees may work from any location, including client locations, residences, cafés, and
airports, thanks to increased free access to information technology, mobile devices, and
ubiquitous Internet connectivity. Although work performed outside of employer-provided
spaces has been known by a variety of names (e.g., telecommuting, telework, virtual work,
remote work, and distributed work arrangements), this study adopts Nilles' (1994) term
"telecommuting" and defines it as working anywhere other than the organization's primary
office(s) for at least some portion of an employee's working hours. Telecommuting, whether
full-time or part-time, is quickly becoming the new standard as the office expands beyond the
cubicle. According to a recent research on the future of work, many of the 1,000 recruiting
managers polled thought that up to 38% of their full-time employees will be hired or migrated
to working remotely over the next decade (Upwork, 2019). According to the most recent data
from GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com (2018), 4.3 million employees (3.2 percent of the
workforce's organizational commitment to telecommuting) work at least half of their hours
from home. The number of telecommuters has increased by 140 percent since 2005,
approximately ten times faster than the rest of the workforce. By 2025, it is estimated that over
70% of workers would work remotely at least five days each month (Molla, 2019).
The writer will conduct an investigation on the link between psychological isolation and
employees’ satisfaction in the Vietnamese market - a market that is rarely acknowledged by
researchers worldwide. The writer will examine the psychological health of firm employees who
are required to work remotely, which results in many employees being dissatisfied with their
jobs.
 II. Literature review:
A. Employees satisfaction
1. Definition and concept
Job satisfaction is the subject of several theories and models. Each of them considers one or
more of the four major factors of job satisfaction (personality, values, work environment, and
social impact) and explains in further depth why one employee is content with his or her job
while another is unsatisfied. We examine four of the most important ideas in this section: the
aspect model, Herzberg's motivator-hygiene theory, the discrepancy model, and the steady-
state model. These many theoretical perspectives on job happiness are mutually reinforcing.
Each contributes to our understanding of the many dimensions of work satisfaction by
highlighting the reasons and challenges that managers must examine in order to increase their
subordinates' levels of happiness. (Jenifer, 2012)
Despite its widespread use in scientific study and everyday life, there is still no universal
consensus on what constitutes work satisfaction. Indeed, there is no definitive description of
what a job entails. Therefore, before a definition of job satisfaction can be established, it is
necessary to explore the nature and significance of work as a universal human activity.
Different writers define job satisfaction differently. The following material analyzes many of the
most often referenced definitions of work satisfaction. Hoppock described job satisfaction as
"any combination of psychological, physiological, and environmental factors that lead an
individual to honestly state, "I am content with my job" (Hoppock, 1935). Although job
satisfaction is influenced by a variety of external circumstances, this viewpoint maintains that it
is an internal state that is determined by how the person feels. That is, work satisfaction is a
collection of characteristics that contribute to a sense of fulfillment. Vroom's concept of job
satisfaction emphasizes the employee's responsibility in the workplace. Thus, he defines job
happiness as individuals' emotional orientations toward the work positions they are now
performing (Vroom, 1964).
One of the most frequently referenced definitions of job satisfaction is Spector's, who states
that it refers to how individuals feel about their jobs and its many facets. It has to do with how
much individuals enjoy or despise their jobs. That is why job happiness and discontent may
manifest themselves in virtually every work environment. Job satisfaction is a composite of
good and negative thoughts about one's employment. Meanwhile, when a worker is hired by a
corporate organization, he or she takes with them the wants, desires, and experiences that
shape the expectations that he or she has set aside. Job satisfaction reflects the degree to
which expectations are met and actual rewards are received. Job happiness is inextricably tied
to an employee's conduct in the workplace (Davis et al.,1985). Job satisfaction is defined as an
employee's sense of accomplishment and success on the job. It is often believed to be
intimately related to both productivity and personal well-being. Job satisfaction entails
engaging in work that one likes, doing effectively, and receiving recognition for one's efforts.
Additionally, job satisfaction entails excitement for and contentment with one's employment.
Job satisfaction is a critical factor in achieving recognition, salary, promotion, and the
accomplishment of other goals that contribute to a sense of fulfillment (Kaliski,2007).
Employment satisfaction may also be described as the degree to which an employee is satisfied
with the benefits derived from his or her job, particularly in terms of intrinsic motivation (Statt,
2004). The word "job satisfaction" relates to an individual's attitude and sentiments toward
their employment. Positivity and favorability toward the job are indicators of job satisfaction.
Negative and negative attitudes about work reflect discontent with the job (Armstrong, 2006).
Job satisfaction is a combination of people's feelings and ideas regarding their current jobs. Job
satisfaction levels can vary from great satisfaction to extreme discontent. Additionally, they
have attitudes about their professions in general. Additionally, individuals may have attitudes
about many elements of their occupations, including the type of work they perform, their
coworkers, supervisors, or subordinates, and their compensation (George et al., 2008).
2. Theory or important research on DV (What other factors can affect DV)
Herzberg's Motivator-Hygiene Theory of Job Satisfaction:
Frederick Herzberg's motivator-hygiene theory, one of the oldest theories of job satisfaction,
focuses on the influence of certain job components on job happiness. According to Herzberg's
theory, each employee has two distinct sets of needs or requirements: motivational needs and
cleanliness needs. Motivator requirements are linked to the nature of the task and its degree of
difficulty.
Job characteristics such as job interest, job autonomy, and job responsibility all meet
motivational needs. Hygiene requirements are dependent on the physical and psychological
environment in which work is conducted. Physical aspects of the workplace (for example, the
warmth and pleasantness of the surroundings), the kind of supervision, the quantity of income,
and job stability all meet hygiene requirements.
Herzberg hypothesized the following links between motivational demands, hygiene needs, and
work satisfaction:
1. Employees will be satisfied when their motivational needs are addressed; employees will be
dissatisfied when these requirements are not met.
2. When employees' hygienic needs are addressed, they are content; when these needs are not
met, they are unsatisfied.
According to Herzberg, an employee might be both satisfied and dissatisfied with his or her
employment at the same time. An employee may be fulfilled if his or her motivational
requirements are met. For instance, an employee may find his or her job intriguing and difficult
yet remain unsatisfied because his or her hygiene needs are not addressed. (Perhaps the
position carries a low degree of job security.) According to the conventional view of work
satisfaction, contentment and dissatisfaction are poles of a single continuum, and employees
are either satisfied or unhappy with their jobs.

Numerous research investigations have been conducted to evaluate Herzberg's formulations.

Herzberg conducted several early investigations that substantiated the notion. He gathered his
data using the critical incidents approach. Herzberg and his colleagues questioned employees
and asked them to recall a period when they were extremely pleased with their employment
and a time when they were especially dissatisfied with their jobs. After compiling comments
from several employees, they discovered the following: whenever employees mentioned an
occurrence that made them feel good about their jobs, the incident involved the work itself (it
was related to their motivator needs). Whenever they mentioned an occurrence that made
them feel awful about their employment, the incident concerned their working environment
(specifically, their hygiene requirements). These findings appeared to corroborate Herzberg's
idea.
However, when other researchers employed alternative approaches to evaluate Herzberg's
idea, the notion received little support. Why did critical incident research corroborate the
theory? They take pride in the positive things that happen to them and blame others or
external causes for the negative. This fundamental propensity presumably explains why people
attribute positive events to their job, since work is something an employee can take direct
credit for. On the other hand, working conditions are mostly out of an employee's control, and
it is human nature to ascribe negative outcomes to circumstances outside one's control.
While data does not support Herzberg's thesis, his emphasis on motivational requirements and
work as drivers of fulfillment drew academics and managers' attention to the critical subject of
job design and its implications on organizational behavior.
B. Psychological Isolation:
1. Definition and concept:
Definition of
 2. Theory or Important research on IV (What IV can affect)
Need-to-belong theory
The purpose of this study is to acquire a deeper understanding of the dynamics between
psychological and physical isolation and telecommuters' organizational commitment using the
need-to-belong theory (Baumeister and Leary, 1995) and relational cohesion theory (Thye et
al., 2014). According to Baumeister and Leary's (1995) need-to-belong hypothesis, humans have
an inbuilt urge to develop and sustain pleasant, dependable, and meaningful connections with
others. These connections are crucial for human beings' mental, emotional, and even physical
well-being. To develop meaningful connections, it is necessary to engage in continuing,
pleasurable contacts with individuals who have mutual emotional concern and an expectation
of continued interpersonal bonding (Bowlby, 1958; Kessler, 2013; Maslow, 1943). The need to
belong theory can help to explain how telecommuters' physical and psychological isolation may
impair their capacity to develop emotional and normative ties with coworkers. The relational
cohesiveness theory describes how individuals might develop emotional attachments to
organizations as a result of their emotional relationships to other members of the organization
(Thye et al., 2014). The process of developing person-to-organization relationships, according to
this notion, begins with regular and good social interactions between individuals. Social
interactions between members of organizations begin as benefit-seeking (instrumental) or
uncertainty-reducing activities, but with time, favorable interactions elicit pleasant
interpersonal emotion. Under some circumstances (e.g., the presence of durable network
connections, the ability to choose trade partners, acknowledgment of organizational
membership, and a greater degree of network embedding), this good affect amongst people
may be transmitted to the organization. As a result, individuals impute their good interactions
with certain organizational members to all organizational members, including those with whom
they have no relationship, resulting in organizational-level commitment behaviors such as
intentions to remain, gift giving, and effort sharing (Lawler and Yoon, 1996; Thye et al., 2014).
The theory of relational cohesion focuses on how an individual's power within a network (his or
her likelihood of obtaining positive exchanges) and network density (how connected he or she
is to others in a network) can influence the frequency of positive exchanges and thus contribute
to the formation of positive interpersonal and organizational affect (Thye et al., 2014).
The need-to-belong idea highlights people's intrinsic drive for good emotional relationships
with others, for acceptance, and for recognition as a team member. While this theory shares
some similarities with relational cohesion theory, it has a distinct focus. The need-to-belong
idea illuminates why employees need deep and long-lasting relationships with their coworkers.
The relational cohesiveness theory describes how good emotion and commitment generated by
these interpersonal ties may be transmitted to a larger network of individuals to generate
organizational commitment. These two ideas work in tandem to give a helpful prism through
which we may evaluate the significance of psychological and physical isolation in
telecommuters' connections with their colleagues and companies. As a result, both ideas are
employed to establish a theoretical framework for this investigation.
C. Conceptual framework and Hypotheses:
1. Hypothesis and grounding for hypothesis:
Employees, according to the need-to-belong hypothesis, will seek out opportunities to
communicate with coworkers, participate in joint initiatives to reinforce team status and
acceptability, and go the "extra mile" to contribute to the company in order to satisfy their
desire for meaningful connections. These efforts may foster colleague trust, good affect, and
reciprocity, as well as a sense of belonging. According to relational cohesion theory, these
positive emotional connections between individuals can be extended to the larger network,
resulting in affective (emotional attachment) and normative commitment to the organization
(sense of embeddedness and responsibility) (Lawler and Yoon, 1996; Thye et al., 2014). When
telecommuters face psychological isolation, they feel out of touch, isolated, and less inclined to
seek out the regular encounters with coworkers required to generate pleasant feelings,
therefore unsatisfying their need for interpersonal connections and a sense of belonging
(Golden et al., 2008). Without favorable relationships with coworkers, telecommuters' feeling
of organizational belonging, embeddedness, and duty are likely to decrease, resulting in a
reduction in their emotional and normative commitment to the company. Several studies have
been published on this topic (Morganson et al., 2010; Mulki et al., 2009; Thye et al., 2014).
Therefore, we can conduct and examine these hypotheses:
i. H1. Psychological isolation is negatively associated with telecommuters’ affective
commitment to the organization.
ii. H2. Psychological isolation is negatively associated with telecommuters’ normative
commitment to the organization.
In contrast to affective and normative commitment, continuous commitment is motivated by
maximizing value and is hence instrumental rather than emotive. Continuance commitment
arises when workers believe they are obligated to stay with the organization owing to the
benefits provided by the employer (e.g., seniority, schedule flexibility, autonomy, and salary) or
a lack of comparable job alternatives (Meyer and Allen, 1991). According to relational cohesion
theory and research on interpersonal networks, one advantage of staying with an organization
is that it helps maintain an individual's power and density in personal and professional
networks, which can influence employment opportunities, salary growth, and career
development (Durbin and Tomlinson, 2010; Grant et al., 2013; Langford, 2000; Michael and
Yukl, 1993; Wolff and Moser, 2009). The sorts of network connections differ, with some
expressing themselves through the provision of emotional and social support. These networks
are mostly focused on friendship and may establish casually. Other networks have a function
and are developed specifically to enable information sharing and professional growth (Durbin
and Tomlinson, 2010). Telecommuters who are psychologically isolated may have difficulty
establishing expressive network connections, as these connections involve trust and emotive
connection (Grant et al., 2013). Additionally, they may feel alienated from their organizational
and professional peers and lack the confidence essential to develop the formal, instrumental
networks necessary for career mobility and uncertainty reduction. According to Durbin and
Tomlinson (2010), employees without these networks will have fewer alternative employment
opportunities than employees with strong networks; thus, we propose that this decreased
marketability may be associated with an increase in telecommuters' commitment to their
continued employment:
iii. H3. Psychological isolation is positively associated with telecommuters’ continuance
commitment to the organization.
According to the need-to-belong idea, humans are sociable by nature, and regular, repeated
contacts are necessary for them to meet their emotional connection needs and establish a
sense of acceptance (Baumeister and Leary, 1995; Buss, 1991; Gainey et al., 1999). If this need
is not met, unpleasant repercussions such as sadness, anxiety, and psychological isolation might
result. Baumeister and Leary emphasize the value of proximity, arguing that "...simple proximity
is a powerful component in connection building..." 501), although telecommuters' physical
isolation significantly restricts their prospects for direct interaction (Bartel et al., 2012). While
computer-mediated communication tools enable interaction with others, they cannot replicate
the "human touch" experienced when two people meet face to face or foster spontaneous,
informal interactions between colleagues (Crampton, 2001, 2002; Golden and Veiga, 2005;
Golden et al., 2008; Smith and Rupp, 2002). Thus, the encounters that telecommuters do have
make establishing interpersonal attachments more challenging (Kiesler and Cummings, 2002),
leaving their demand for significant emotional connections with people unsatisfied. While
telecommuters can work well and productively with the support of sophisticated ICTs, their
colocated counterparts may nevertheless regard them as unreliable and lounging during the
workday. Managers and on-site coworkers are motivated by these attitudes to compensate for
telecommuters' absences through greater contact via ICTs (Marsh and Musson, 2008; Golden,
2006; and Leonardi et al., 2004). Telecommuters feel forced to maintain a constant connection
and availability to satisfy the organization's requests in order to manage their image. The 24/7
connectedness of telecommuters, or at the very least their colleagues' expectations for their
availability, may leave telecommuters feeling excessively regulated, unaccepted,
untrustworthy, and mentally isolated (Leonari et al., 2010). As a result, we propose:
iv. H4. Physical isolation is positively associated with telecommuters’ psychological
isolation.
According to relational cohesiveness theory, contact frequency is critical for organizational
commitment, implying that frequent and pleasant interpersonal encounters may result in
stronger emotional relationships with colleagues and organizations. Individuals' network power
(probability of successful exchanges), network density (number of network connections), and
capacity to pick trade partners all rise as their contact frequency increases. These favorable
encounters result in positive feelings, which are related with an organization's emotional and
normative commitment. Physical closeness plays a critical role in the establishment of these
emotional bonds. During the workday, colocated colleagues engage in both official and informal
interactions. While spontaneous and informal encounters are beneficial for developing
emotional relationships between coworkers, they are severely limited for telecommuters owing
to their physical isolation (Bartel et al., 2012). Typically, telecommuters' interactions with
coworkers are confined to scheduled activities facilitated by a variety of technology (e.g., video
teleconferencing, phone, and email). Informal and serendipitous connections are uncommon;
telecommuters seldom run into colleagues through email or drop in for a brief chat via
teleconference. Additionally, telecommuters may be afraid to begin informal conversations
with coworkers, fearful of being regarded as lazing or having an excessive amount of spare time
to speak. Reduced informal encounters reduce telecommuters' chances of successful exchanges
(i.e., their network power) and may restrict the number of network relationships they can build
and keep. Additionally, telecommuters' connections with colleagues may be restricted to those
willing and able to communicate via technology-enabled ways, limiting their opportunity to pick
exchange partners as their time away from colleagues rises.