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Exploring the Effect of Flexible Working Hours on Employee Performance and Motivation

Submitted by Sushant Lamichhane

Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College

Submitted to Prof. Kwabena Titi Ofei

Date of

Word Count:
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Key words : Flexible working hours, Employee performance, Work life Balance, Motivation, Job
Flexibility
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Abstract
Flexible time provision and the facility is one of the discussed topics when it comes to employee
performance, engagement, and commitment. The main aim of this paper is to explore whether
flex time has an effect on the performance and satisfaction of employees at the Job. So, to
explore the effect, the researcher conducted a one-to-one interview with the eight employees
working in different positions at the restaurants around Copenhagen. Based on the thematic
analysis of the interview document it is discovered that working hour flexibility has a positive
effect on both performance and satisfaction. The whole design and analysis of this research are
based on the convenience of the research and are qualitative in nature, opening the opportunity
for future research to be conducted using quantitative analysis.
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Table of Contents

Abstract 2
Table of Contents 3
List of Figures 5
I. Introduction 6
1.1 Background of Study 6
1.2 Problem Statement 7
1.3 Research Objective/Question 8
1.4 Structure of the Thesis 9
II. Literature Review 10
2.1 Introduction 10
2.2 Hospitality Management 10
2.3 Working Hour Flexibility 11
2.4 Employee Performance 13
2.5 Job Satisfaction and Working Hour Flexibility 14
2.6 Chapter Conclusion 15
III. Methodology 16
3.1 Research Design 16
3.1.1 Methodological Choice 17
3.1.2 Research Strategies 17
3.1.3 Data Collection Methods 18
3.1.4 Data analysis method 21
3.2 Ethical Consideration 21
3.3 Chapter Conclusion 22
IV: Findings 23
4.1 Respondents’ Profile 23
4.2 Descriptive Thematic Analysis 25
4.2.1 Working hour flexibility 25
4.2.2 Work-Life Balance 27
4.2.3 Employee satisfaction 31
V: Discussions 33
VI. Conclusion 39
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6.1 Recommendation for Future Researchers 41

6.2 Recommendation for Practitioners 41
References 43
Appendices 47
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List of Figures
Figure 4.1: Sex of Participants (in percentage) 23

Figure 4.2: Age of Participant (in percentage) 24

Figure 4.3: Participant's Position at Job in Interview (in percentage) 24

Figure 4.4: Working Hour Flexibility Subtheme 25

Figure 4.5: Work-life Balance Sub-theme 27

Figure 4.6: Employee Performance and Sub-theme 30

Figure 4.7: Employee satisfaction and Sub-theme Categorization 31

Figure 5.1: Theoretical Framework Representing 32

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I. Introduction

1.1 Background of Study

Employees are a major part of any industry and are the key stakeholders whose motivation to
work can either better the business or make the situation worse. This aspect is not new and
exceptional in the hospitality business including restaurants and hotels. To sustain and propose it
is required for the company to closely observe the factors that impact the performance and
satisfaction of the employees. Of the many factors affecting employee performance and
satisfaction, working hour's flexibility is observed to be a crucial factor to consider. Many
studies published to date have considered the idea of work flexibility but the specific focus on
the significance of working hour's flexibility is observed to be less. Thus, to fill the gap in the
literature, this research is expected to assist along the way.

The flexibility associated with jobs concerning flexible time helps individuals to balance both
their personal and professional life. According to Cheremond who references to survey
conducted by Gartner Poll, “48% of employees most likely will decide to work remotely at least
part of the time after COVID-19 compared with only 30% of them before the pandemic; flexible
working will be a new normal after the virus” (Cheremond, 2020). Flexibility in work is the
demand of the job market these days. Societal change has seen a shift in roles, and
responsibilities along with the benefits presented to the employees as compensation. Davidescu
et al. (2020) emphasize that work time flexibility offers employees the benefits of balancing
personal as well as professional life leading to positive consequences for the well-being of the
organization.

As the labor market has changed over the years the preferences of employees regarding their
working hours have become a major element of discussion which is also attributed to the
employees remaining motivated. This general shift in paradigm is seen as a sustainable means of
influencing the performance of individuals. The particular idea of working hour flexibility is
associated with the positive impact and satisfaction shown by employees. The flexibility
associated with work positively impacts the loyalty along with the motivation exhibited by the
employees, indicating greater balance is presented in work-life with flexibility, greater the
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satisfaction of employees (Capnary et al. 2018, p. 225). The practice of balancing the work-life
need helps individuals to take on personal responsibilities while also fulfilling their career and
work-related goals.

Although in an ideal view, the situation of eight hours of work might get perceived as productive
if employees remain productive throughout the time without any absenteeism. Achieving the
ideal and optimum level of productivity while keeping employees motivated and better their
performance is a daunting task that management has to deal with regularly. John mentions in
their study that “72 % of the companies believed that Flexible working had a positive impact on
staff engagement” (John, 2017, p. 2). The flexibility of working hours is consequently seen as a
factor that could have a positive impact on productivity along with motivation of the employees
to better their performance. However, there exists a literature gap in the study using qualitative
methods. So, this study is expected to fill the gap. Although different approaches have been
taken to increase the productivity of employees and keep them motivated, the problem associated
with employees having to work inflexible hours is a problem associated with time management
which could get addressed with the flexibility of working hours presented to employees.

Governments from developed countries have also perceived the importance associated with the
flexibility of work time. In a survey conducted in 2010, “88% of all women and 81% of men
surveyed in the UK said that the ability to combine work and family is very important when
choosing their next job” (Chung, 2020, p. 522). This statement exhibits that the study of
flexibility in work time in a job is important to consider. The flexibility of the job environment
indicates that all the jobs do not necessarily need an individual to remain productive full time,
which is generally eight hours in a working day. There exists a literature gap in the study that
identifies the significance of work time flexibility. The flexibility of jobs where employees are
not required to attend office would help in mitigating costs borne by the employers in regards to
payment. Thus, from an organization as well as employee perspective understanding the effect of
working hour flexibility on performance and employee satisfaction is an important matter. So,
this matter would be the major focus of the study.

1.2 Problem Statement

Organizations seek to gain an optimum level of productivity from employees basing it on the
working hours of the employee. In similar regard, an employee tries to balance both their work
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life and personal life. The idea of developing flexible working hours is seen as presenting
authority to the employees to manage their own working hours, presenting them with autonomy
and empowering them. This helps employees see the situation in a positive light, bettering their
performance which in turn demonstrates motivation held by the employees. Although certain
parallels have been studied linking working hours flexibility with employee motivation and
betterment of their performance. There exists a proper gap to actuate and validate the strong
connection between the relationship that exists between the working hour flexibility and
performance and job satisfaction. Further, there exists a lack of literature on exploring the effect
of working hour flexibility on performance and job satisfaction of employees working in the
hospitality industry including restaurants.

1.3 Research Objective/Question

The major objective of this research is to study the working hour's flexibility effect on
performance along with the job satisfaction of the employees. This also helps in knowing the
possible advantages associated with the flexible working hours, benefits associated with the
arrangement, and creation of work-life balance for the employees while presenting benefits to
employers through the motivated employees who tend to perform better. Relevancy of the
research is associated with the process of mitigating poor performance, high turnover ratio, and
lack of motivation of the employees. The main aims of the research are presented below:

1. To understand the function and operations of the hospitality business through reviewing
the literature.

2. To assess the effect working hour flexibility has on employees’ performance.

3. To assess the effect of working hours flexibility on job satisfaction of employees.

Thus, focusing on the above research objective, to further guide the research, the following
research question is formulated.

1. How do working hours affect flexibility and employee performance?

2. How do working hours' flexibility affect the job satisfaction of employees?

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1.4 Structure of the Thesis

The structure of this paper is divided into five chapters presenting varied views associated with
the topic. The five chapters are introduction, literature review, methodology, discussions, and
conclusion. The first chapter's introduction presents a general overview associated with
flexibility in the working hours along with information associated with previous research
regarding the topic to offer the background with the problem statement that explains the
importance of researching the topic. Likewise, the introduction chapter also clearly presents the
research objectives which are to explore the effect of the working hour flexibility on the
performance of employees and job satisfaction as well as research questions that help in directing
the structure of the research. The second chapter of the research is the literature review which
includes a detailed study and review of the different kinds of literature related to the research
topic. The literature for this chapter is divided based on the theme to structure the study of
findings related to the literature for this chapter. The third chapter of the research focuses on
presenting the methodology used for the research which includes the information on the research
approach, philosophy, methods of data collection and analysis, and information on participants
of the sample. After the fourth chapter includes the detail of the findings and would also discuss
and analyze the findings. The fourth chapter also offers the answer to the research question
presented in the first chapter of the research. Lastly, the final chapter for the research includes
the recommendation based on findings to benefit from the working hour flexibility and
summarization of the overall purpose of the research.
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II. Literature Review

2.1 Introduction
The literature review section looks at different literature published to date associated with job
satisfaction along with the performance of the employees based on the schedule of the work. For
the particular section, the literature was amassed from different scholarly sites, mostly from
Google Scholar. This sector examines several scholarly articles to find information associated
with the pivotal element related to job satisfaction exhibited by the employees and the driving
factor which helps in increasing the productivity of the employees. Several keywords like
hospitality management, working hour flexibility, employee performance, and job satisfaction
were used to perform the search and yield the results.

2.2 Hospitality Management

According to the article presented by M. Quest and D. Battersby, the hospitality industry is
service-oriented to accommodation, restaurants, food service, and other leisure outlets associated
with catering to the tourist (Quest & Battersby, 2015, p. 142). This demonstrates that hospitality
management is a broad field that is associated with different aspects associated with commercial
activities performed for the guest. As hospitality is the industry associated with geist and
presenting services to the customers, the focus of hospitality management is to present solutions,
associated with the needs exhibited by the customers. The article defines hospitality management
as the process of creating values through a combination of both tourism and hospitality. As per
the indication and findings of the article, the hospitality industry is believed to create “43000
new jobs every year with the possibility of a 15% increment in job creation” (Quest & Battersby,
2015, p. 143). This demonstrates the hospitality industry as being one of the major industries for
job creation. This also exhibited a growing workforce associated with the hospitality industry.

The workforce associated with the hospitality industry has increased the interest from different
fields associated with the hospitality industry to understand the development along with factors
influencing the performance of individuals. The article presented by T. Baum (2019) indicates,
“Hospitality is unusual among business sectors in supporting and being supported by a wide
range of specialist departments in universities and single-purpose colleges and monotechnic
universities” (p. 2). The statement exhibits dedication and development of the facilities to better
the hospitality industry and the creation of hospitality management demonstrating its importance.
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The part also exhibits the importance of specialists and workers in the hospitality industry,
defining the extensive nature of the works and programs. Although the need for workers keeps
on increasing in the hospitality industry the turnover ratio is high in this industry. “A low level of
job satisfaction is cited as the reason for high turnover, and this turnover is believed to be caused
by stress and work overload due to the rapid growth of the hospitality industry” (Heimerl et al.,
2020, p. 1).

The statement demonstrates the need for changing tactics and the importance of promoting job
satisfaction among hospitality industry workers to retain them and keep them loyal to the
industry. This is also seen as the factor driving sustainable development of the industry and
betterment of the quality of services given to the customers through the hostile industry. The
article further indicates that 80% of the companies lacked skilled workers in the areas associated
with food cuisine and gourmet cooking (Herimerl et al., 2020, p. 2). This suggests many
employees associated with the hospitality industry tend to leave their work or might have
conflicting interests which could get mitigated with change in working hours and flexibility
associated with it; eventually helping in betterment of satisfaction to the job shown by employees
and also increasing their motivation.

2.3 Working Hour Flexibility

According to the journal article presented by Hess et al. (2018), the flexibility associated with
working hours mitigates decreased strain among the workers and also helps employees to have
work/life balance by presenting them with the control of their time. This demonstrates that
mitigating the work time and presenting a flexible schedule helps workers to take on less strain
on both their body and mind. The idea associated with working hour flexibility is linked with
leisurely time presented to the employees while helping them to balance their life.

The key argument associated with flexible working time is believed to be better health along
with the balance between their work-life. The article presented by Yvonne Lott gives information
associated with flexibility in working hours and the changes it has brought. Notably, the article
indicates that flexibility of working hours does not necessarily help in increasing the motivation
and job satisfaction of the individuals nonetheless mitigating unpredictability along with
unreliability is seen as a major factor that increases the satisfaction associated with a job (Lott,
2018). The particular article further indicated the importance of understanding the outside
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engagement and the role individuals have to play before flexibility of work is perceived as the
major factor associated with job satisfaction.

The flexibility of the working hour is seen as means of bringing balance to professional and
personal life to better the satisfaction of the individuals while also helping the organization to
gain more from the employees as flexible working hours is seen as means of increasing the
performing capability. The flexibility associated with working hours is seen as means of
increasing the longevity of employees working with the organization while also keeping them
motivated and productive to perform more, it is also seen as a benefit for employers who can
benefit from the growing market, while also presenting an employee with an opportunity to
explore where they fit in with the organization before he/she is committed to the position
(Davidescu et al. 2020, p. 45). The statement supports the idea associated with the flexibility of
working hours which corresponds with the job motivation along with satisfaction exhibited by
the employees. The article also highlights the nature of jobs and how certain jobs do not require
full-time and scheduled workers nevertheless still, workers are hired with rigid schedules. The
article uses flexibility as an indicator to understand the impact made on the employees
contributing to details associated with work motivation based on flexibility given to workers
which helps in the development of their relationships both in personal and professional careers.

According to the article presented by Azizi et al. (2021), working hour flexibility that was
presented during the COVID-19 crisis was focused on ensuring satisfaction among the
employees while increasing productivity and it saw adaptability among the workers with an
increase in their productivity. The particular part indicates the flexibility of work hours is
associated with the well-being of the individuals and also helps employees to perform better. The
idea also exhibits employees' desire for a better working environment and conditions which are
often met when working hours are made flexible. As it is seen that flexible working hours
increase the productivity of the employees, it also debunks the idea associated with workers
slacking when flexible working hours are introduced. The capability to schedule their own
working hours presents employees with great freedom which helps them in taking
responsibilities and performing better while also keeping them motivated to work.
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2.4 Employee Performance

If the organization focuses on being an effective business and sustaining its success for a longer
period of time then it is important to have motivated employees who perform better and are
ready to learn (Forson, 2021). This study by Forson emphasizes that job performance is linked
with motivation on one side, on the other it also emphasizes the fact that for ensuring the success
of business performance an employee has a crucial role to play. It is observed that the notion of
employee performance is research from varied contexts with the objectives of understanding the
behavior, structures, and resources that help in promoting the performance (Bono & Judge 2003).

The idea of performance is not a newly discovered idea. According to Pawar (2019) employee
performance refers to the level of output that is generated by the employer which requires the
two features to be noted including the quantity and quality of the output generated on the job by
the employee. A single focus on either quantity or quality does not offer a clear view of
employee performance therefore both views should be equally considered when it comes to
understanding and measuring employee performance.

Further, it seems that there exist various factors which seem to impact employee performance.
Organizational citizenship behavior has an influence on the performance of employees.
Moreover, organizational citizenship behavior focuses on delineating the discretionary aspect
and reflecting on the psychological changes that happen in the workplace that have been
observed to have an impact on performance. The employees in the organization who have
organizational citizenship-behavior exhibit sensitive behaviors towards learning and promoting
performance (Atatsi et al., 2019). Behaviors and attitudes that are prioritized in the organization
have a direct impact on the performance of employees. It appears various factors affect employee
performance and the working environment including workspace flexibility and working hours
flexibility is one of the important factors.

An individual's characteristics related to experience and ability, outcomes, work environment,

and education influence job performance (Davidescu, 2020). In addition to that, self-
determination related to authority, responsibility, and comfort in the workplace also has a direct
influence on the performance of the individuals at the job. Organizational climate impact
behavior and attitude and performance level (Diamantidis et al., 2019). So self-determination
related to working hour flexibility which results in workplace comfort has an impact on job
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performance. Work flexibility is a means of motivation and motivation is linked with improved
employee performance. The suitable working hours for the employee help in maintaining the
balance between working hours and time which is spent with families and at home this employee
feels more motivated (Ahmad et al., 2013). The motivated employee performs better than the
non-motivated employee (Sandhu et al., 2017). Employee performance is crucial for ensuring the
success of the organization and there are various factors to improve the employee performance
through motivating the employee and offering a good working environment.

2.5 Job Satisfaction and Working Hour Flexibility

For retaining the employees for a longer period of time it is crucial to consider whether the
employees are satisfied with their job. The flexibility in working locations as well as work times
offers the employee a sense of control in their job, elevates the engagement level, inclines the
satisfaction with the job, and also includes the well-being of the people (Ray & Pana-Craun,
2021). Employees that are fully satisfied with their job have a positive level of engagement and
motivation to perform the work better. The life of the job has a crucial role as the social and
financial lives of the people are closely associated with the job they have.

Normally, job satisfaction refers to the sentiments of positivity and negativity that are attached to
the employee towards the job or it represents the happiness associated with the employee's job
(Inayat, 2021). The level of satisfaction is derived from the feeling of the employee toward the
job. To study job satisfaction, much literature is focused on identifying the factors which impact
the level of job satisfaction. However, the influence of working hour flexibility is observed to be
available at lesser amounts.

Job satisfaction is the perception of the satisfaction employees hold regarding their jobs and how
they feel regarding the work they perform. “The different labor legislation across European
territories, despite European countries sharing a supranational government, influence working
conditions and job satisfaction” (Díaz-Carrión et al., 2020). The article further defines Nordic
countries as having better economic situations and because of that reason, the hospitality industry
in Nordic countries tends to have better working conditions which are attributed to better job
satisfaction.
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Working hour flexibility is also associated with a change in the job characteristics which is
associated with job satisfaction. X. Bartoll and R. Ramos (2020) define that in many cases
flexibility of the working hours in the hospitality industry is linked with a reduction in the wages
that are paid to the individual, eventually making them increase their working hours to ensure
that they are able to make a commitment to the organization. This particular situation is believed
to negatively impact the job satisfaction held by employees because of flexible working hours.
This further demonstrates the need for different elements that are combined together to help in
job satisfaction while working hour flexibility is one of them.

2.6 Chapter Conclusion

The literature review conducted for the research demonstrated an association between working
hour flexibility and the performance of the employees aligned with job satisfaction. Although the
articles presented in the literature review tie job satisfaction and better performance of
employees to the working hour flexibility, there were certain indications that demonstrated that
combined factors were responsible for job satisfaction and performance of the individuals which
include quality of working environment and nature of work along with flexibility presented to
the workers. This demonstrates a further need to understand the association between working
hours flexibility, the performance, and job satisfaction exhibited by the employees.
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III. Methodology
3.1 Research Design
Research is the process of developing theories, making an observation, investigating, and
designing the elements to study to understand and know more regarding aspects in a rewarding
way (Ioannidis, 2018). The research tries to understand and test theories as a means of
exploration to gain more information that aids in further developing the knowledge and details
associated with the issues that are explored.

The methodology is a strategy that is employed or an approach that is set to understand the
research questions which is the detailed plan associated with how the data and information are
retrieved for the particular research. Research methodology is significant as it leads to the
validity of the research performed and also adds up to the credibility held by the report. In this
regard, research methodology is not only used as a means of selecting the techniques which help
in the completion of the research then also presents reasons associated with why the particular
method is selected and how it benefits the ongoing research (Quinlan et al. 2015). Thus, the
section would detail why a particular approach along with the method was opted for the research
to reach its conclusion.

As per the information presented by Suanders et al. (2016), a process that helps in understanding
the plan while developing the skeleton of the research to formulate different factors associated
with research lie in collecting data, analyzing, and discussing the findings which eventually led
to conclusion is indicated as research design.

The research focuses on finding and understanding the connection between the flexibility of
working hours with the performance of the employees and job satisfaction. Regarding the
inductive approach, when it is applied the starting phase consists of observation of specific
elements which then goes on to formulation and finding of the patterns (Siefreman, 2010).
Research types are divided into different groupings based on their nature and their use.
Exploratory research, descriptive research, diagnostic research, and hypothesis-testing research
are the classification of the research types. Explanatory research focuses on the relationship that
exists between the variables. “The purpose of descriptive research is to gain an accurate profile
of events, persons or situations” (Saunders, 2016, p. 175). Hypothesis-testing research studies the
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relationship between the variables that are casual. As the research focuses on the thematic notion
which requires an understanding of the characteristics to gain proper and accurate information
regarding the situation, descriptive research is the method that is opted for.

3.1.1 Methodological Choice

Before formulating the research strategies, a researcher needs to find proper data which would
help in addressing the need held by the research and fulfill its goal, and for that research methods
are required.

Quantitative Research and Qualitative Research

Quantitative research is the approach where the data is collected and numerical measurement is
used for the particular process focusing on different contexts along with the assumption based on
the data set to get precise results (Gratton & Jones, 2004).

The research that focuses on collection along with the analysis of data in non-numeric format
with an exploration of the particular data to present the depth associated with it is known as
qualitative research (Blaxter et al., 2010). The particular focus of this style of research is to
interpret the data that is formulated through exploration and observation based on statements that
are made regarding the subject. This research would incorporate a qualitative research method
because of its descriptive nature to find out conclusive information associated with the topic
through interviews.

3.1.2 Research Strategies

Research questions should be answered effectively to ensure that they present the possible link
between the works that are performed from data collection to that of analysis which requires
research strategies. “Research study is the methodological link between your philosophy and
subsequent choice of methods to collect and analyze data” (Denzin & Lincoln 2011, p. 8). As the
research is descriptive and qualitative in nature, different research strategies like questionnaires,
interviews, and observation are applicable. The interview method focuses on the experience
along with issues faced by the individuals with greater detail. So, the part below discusses the
research strategies that would be applied in this research

Primary Research
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Data that is collected for the research depends on the type of research that is being conducted,
which directly impacts the action and effectiveness of what is being researched. Fox et al. (2014)
defines primary data and secondary data as two basic categories of data based on the information
that is collected. There exists a major distinction between primary and secondary data which
exists based on the difficulty of finding resources along with difficulty in researching the
particular resources. In this regard, both primary and secondary data hold their own strength and
weakness. (See details in appendix 1). The researcher has chosen to use the primary data for this
paper as it focuses on information that is gathered by the researcher themselves first-hand
without taking help from any other areas. Primary research is a first-hand collection of data and
resources it requires more time and the data that is gathered is raw and requires filtration and
investigation to align the information and indication to the objective of the research. Primary
research consists of data resources consisting but not limited to the information presented by
individuals, a panel of respondents which are set by researchers, and focus groups (Sekaran &
Bougie, 2013). As this research builds data through interviews to formulate and answer the
question associated with the performance and motivation of employees being connected with
flexible working hours, the interview is the primary data in this research.

3.1.3 Data Collection Methods

Data collection is the foundation of the research as it is the collection of the data that is analyzed
to gain detail associated with the research which helps in the fulfillment of the objective held by
the research. Various types of data collection methods are used in research and Yin (2015)
defines four distinctive types of data collection methods which are observing, interviewing,
examining, and feeling. The researcher has chosen the structured interview for this paper as it
will enable the researcher for the in dept analysis of a particular topic as well as generate data to
enable theory development (Saunders and Lewis, 2016).

Structured Interview

Using interviews goes well with the aim of the research paper to understand the responses
presented by the employees from the hospitality industry to know working hour flexibility is
associated with both the performance and the motivation exhibited by the employees. An
interview is a professional conversation where interviewees communicate their views,
understanding, and opinion regarding the particular research topic based on the questions asked
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by the interviewer (Kvale & Flick, 2007). The archival and documentary research with the
interview and observation holds major strength in this research. Archival and documentary
research categorizes textual documents as consisting of “communication between individuals or
within groups” (Saunders, 2016, p. 183). The particular capability led to interviews being
perceived as the proper means of data collection.

In this regard, proper questions that address or encompass aspects that help in focusing upon the
research objective are needed. Braun and Clarke (2013) define questions with the intention of
qualitative studies to remain focused on details presented by the respondent, non-directed or
biased, and open-ended. That indicates that the questions need to remain clear while ensuring
that more information and details can be achieved. The most effective option for data collection
that is efficient and also aligns with the research goal and objective is the interview method. The
structured interview method helps in finding the point answer through the predetermined
question which helps in developing themes associated with the information presented by the
interviewee.

Structure interview consists of questions that are predetermined and identical and that are asked
to the participants by the researcher. The structured interview format is presented in appendices.
The particular process helps in getting standardized information or answers that would further
better the understandability of the research (Saunders et al. 2016). As the focus of this interview
is to gain an adequate and to-the-point answer based on the predetermined questions the research
would apply to structured interviews.

Pilot Study

Even though the research is carefully planned, problems might not become visible until pilot
study is carried. Cox (2012) deifies, that to establish that the question would help in bringing the
desired data, a pilot study is carried out. This helps in understanding whether the questions fulfill
the criteria that are required to be fulfilled and if necessary, changes can be made based on the
knowledge gained from a pilot study. For this particular study, a pilot interview was carried out
with a friend who was working in a restaurant before other interviews were carried out to
understand and reflect upon the needs associated with the questions. The study became very
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helpful in improving the research by better understanding the questions and types of structure
questions to include before it being used for data collection.

Sample

Sampling is the process of making the research more manageable and aligned with the goals and
objectives held by the research. The samples in this research are individuals that are selected by
the researcher, making it convenient for sampling. P. J. Lavrakas (2008) indicated convenience
sampling as the type where people are sampled because of the convenience they present for the
researcher to generate and gather data. The four-step sampling approach is taken to ensure that
the study develops valid and reliable information.

Define the population: The target population for this research is employees that are already
working in the hospitality industry, notably in the restaurant business.

Determine the sample size: Because of the time limitation and along with limitations in the
accessibility, the sample size would consist of 8 individuals that are working in the restaurant
from different demographics.

Outline the sampling design: Accessibility was the key factor that led to the selection of
participants based on the non-probability sampling. Although non-probability sampling presents
a generalized view because the research nature is focused on explaining and analysis, this works
perfectly.

Sourcing the sample: The particular method of sampling employees in this research is
convenience sampling where the participants are selected from Copenhagen based on the
convenience of the researcher and the interview is structured based on the research need.

3.1.4 Data analysis method

The research is descriptive, focusing on qualitative research methods to formulate proper
information and present the findings with a proper conclusion which requires the data to be
analyzed in a systematic as well as a synchronized manner. There are various methods available
for data analysis but a thematic analysis that presents an in-depth understanding of the data while
adhering to the qualitative approach is a common tool following the interpretive approach (Braun
& Clark, 2013). As the study approach followed in this research is through an interview method
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for the collection of data, thematic analysis fits properly. This helps in the examination of
patterns, common ideas, and different topics. Thematic analysis is used as a means of classifying
different patterns, classifying them while exploring the meaning associated with the data to
further understand it.

The research follows the idea and details presented by Creswell (2009) with regard to the open
coding process, which consists of six steps. Firstly, data is collected through the interview and is
reviewed, converting it into a transcript to find thematic patterns. Then the data is analyzed by
focusing on the significance of the information detailed by participants without any
discrepancies. The data coding is through categorization and segmentation which then are
divided based on a theme. The fourth step focused on the description of the transcription for
presenting the description where the theme is analyzed. The fifth stage saw a description of the
themes that were concerned and connected to the research presented with the narrative to present
the information in a logical way. Finally, the interpretation of the data is presented through
theoretical and personal knowledge held by the researcher.

3.2 Ethical Consideration

Saunders (2016) poor practices could lead to different negative consequences associated with the
research which requires adhering to the standards and guides associated with the project while
following principles. Considering the effect, the information associated with the interview is
from the respondents who agreed to get interviewed without actually publishing their names or
any personal information was taken and participants were requested to sign informed consent
before the interview was conducted as presented in appendix 2. The research has followed all the
regulations associated with privacy and guidelines for research strictly. Consent from the
participants was taken before they were interviewed and no pressure was put on the participants
regarding the answers they presented during the interview. The answers presented by the
participants were not modified in any way to gain a favorable outcome and the anonymity of
participants was guaranteed.

3.3 Chapter Conclusion

All in all, the chapter presented details associated with research objectives with the information
associated with research design, a methodological choice that is qualitative, the use of both
 23

primary and secondary sources in different parts of the research, and the data collection method
using a structured interview with the analysis done through the thematic process. Convenience
sampling was adopted for data collection focusing on the questions that were predetermined to
ensure that the objective of the study was met.
 24

IV: Findings
The primary focus of the research is to find whether the provision of working hour flexibility to
the employees working in restaurants has an effect on the job performance and satisfaction of the
employee. So, using the qualitative methodological choice, interview method for the data
collection, and thematic analysis for analyzing the following findings have been obtained. .

4.1 Respondents’ Profile

With the limitation of time, convenience sampling was used for the selection of the participant
for the interview. Likewise, the one-to-one interview is conducted among the 8 employees
working specifically in the restaurant business around the Copenhagen area. All of the selected
participants worked in the different restaurants around Copenhagen, Of the selected participants
for the interview approx. 63% of the participants were female, and the working and the age of
the participant was above 20.

Figure 4.1: Sex of Participants (in percentage)

Similarly, of the total 8 participants 4 were working in mid-level positions, and 4 were working
in lower/entry-level positions. The greater the gender, age, and participant position, could be
clearly observed in figures 4.1, figure 4.2, and figure 4.3 respectively.
 25

Figure 4.2: Age of Participant (in percentage)

Figure 4.3: Participant's Position at Job in Interview (in percentage)

Similarly, of the selected participants for the study 3 of the participants disclosed to have 2 years
of experience while the other five reported having four years of working experience in the
restaurant field. Further, all the participants selected for the research have graduate-level degrees.
Besides that, the employee though was selected using the convenience sampling all of the
employees who are selected are from the different restaurants around the Copenhagen and to
maintain the confidentiality request demanded by the participant, the participant's name and
place where the participant worked are kept confidential and the pseudo name is given like
“Employee A” and so on to “Employee H”. Putting it simply, the alphabet is assigned for each
employee to recognize each participant.
 26

4.2 Descriptive Thematic Analysis

Moreover, since this research is based on a qualitative research design and the communication
between two individuals is recorded for analyzing the script, thematic analysis is used for data
analysis. The details transcript of the interview used in the analysis is presented in the
appendices. Qualitative methodological choice was carried out for data collection and analysis.
And, following the Creswell (2009) steps for thematic analysis four themes or categories were
obtained which include work-life balance, motivation, and commitment. The detailed findings on
the archived theme from the documents of the interview script for each participant are presented
in Appendix are presented below with the sub-theme based on the interview and theme coded by
hand by the researcher.

4.2.1 Working hour flexibility

Figure 4.4: Working Hour Flexibility Subtheme

In ensuring motivation and engagement and improving productivity it is observed that working
hour flexibility has a significant influence (Atasti, 2019). Among the employers, job flexibility is
preferred and among the job flexibility, the working hour flexibility is highly prioritized. In the
interview, the first three questions were focused on understanding the importance of working
 27

hour flexibility among the participants. The subtheme related to this theme could be observed in
figure 4.4. And with the interview, it is found that all the employees prefer the working hour
flexibility in their jobs as all the participants say yes to the question asked: “Do you prefer
working hour flexibility or not?”. It seems that the working hour flexibility has greater
importance to the employee and observed that each of the participants values the working hour
flexibility differently.

In understanding the influence of working hour flexibility it is crucial to understand the meaning
and idea of working hour flexibility which seems to be a well-known concept among the
participants. It is discovered during the interview that normally working hour flexibility is
offered through different variations in shift and this is categorized as the sub-theme. Further,
with the interview, it is discovered that flexibility is offered in the work through different
mediums based on contractual flexibility. Full-time contractual and part-time contractual is
common practice in the organization to offer flexibility (Davidescu et al., 2020). Based on the
contractual agreement of the work, the working hour flexibility is also planned. Out of the 8
participants, seven the participants disclosed that the restaurants where they work offer the
working hour flexibility in terms of part-time shifts and full-time shifts based on either night
shifts or day shifts. Employee H said that “We are provided the facility of working hour
flexibility based on a morning, night, and day shift for both part-time as well as full-time
employees”.

Further, it is also found that of the 8 employees 3 are doing part-time jobs while the other five
are working full-time employees. And each of them likes the working hour flexibility and
discloses that their job has such kinds of provision. Employee B said that “Due to the COVID
pandemic, the working hour flexibility is even prioritized more by the company themselves than
they have to ask for.” Of the eight participants, all the participants told during the interview that
their job already had provisions of a working hour flexibility facility made available to their
employees. Working time flexibility is taken as the optimal solution to improving society as well
as professional relationships.

Similarly, it is disclosed that each of the participants has a distinct preference for working time
flexibility. The number of participants preferring the part-time working hour flexibility is greater
than the full-time working hour flexibility since of the 8 participants 5 participants prefer the
 28

part-time working schedule over the full-time working hour schedule. Employee D said that she
“usually prefers the night shift of the work because I had to attend college and I can take rest in
between and perform smoothly during the night job”. Each of the employees has different
preferences and needs related to the working hour's flexibility.

From this analysis of this theme, it is known that working hour flexibility is highly prioritized. In
the question asked about “when finding a job do you look whether the company offers the
working hour flexibility or not?” All of the participants accept the fact they do look for the
opportunity of working hour flexibility while finding their job. Employee C says to the asked
question that “working hour flexibility is one of the primary things which I look when finding
jobs after the salary and the job responsibility because working hour flexibility is closely
attached to how I plan my life, as well as work accordingly and I, would discard the job offers
which do not offer working hour flexibility in the current situation”. It is found that each
employee to a certain level does look for the availability of working hour flexibility before
finding a job.

4.2.2 Work-Life Balance

Figure 4.5: Work-life Balance Sub-theme

Similarly, analyzing the interview document another theme illustrated in figure 4.5 was
discovered which is the work-life balance and is often attached in the literature with the job
 29

satisfaction and increased performance of the employee (Forson, 2021; Aziz et al., 2021). In the
interview question “What impact does not have the facility of work time flexibility have on your
performance on the job?” Six of the employees offered the reason for the problem in work-life
balance. Employee G shared the experience of her previous job where she did not have the
flextime the job she told that “Every time I used to quarrel with the husband when no facility of
working hour flexibility is offered concerning the time to be made available to family and have
to be stressed related to the quality time with the children. I felt that I was being distanced from
my family since there was no facility of flexible time in the job”.

All of the participants in some ways agree with the argument that not having the working hour
flexibility has a direct impact on their work and life balance. They seem to fear being all over the
place if they are not offered the flexibility during working hours by their employer. Most of the
participants disclosed that if they do not have the working hour flexibility in their job they
disclosed that they would be stressed about the ways to handle their professional as well as
personal life. Employee A says that “I cannot work under pressure because of which also I prefer
working hour flexibility offered in the job”. Working overtime is one of the prominent reasons
resulting in stress (Shagvaliyeva et al., 2014). Employee E says that the benefit of the
experience of having the working hour flexibility is that “one does not have to work overtime
stressing himself mentally, professionally as well as personally.” Like her, other employees also
emphasize that they prefer spending time with their family and friends rather than the job in their
non-working time schedule at work.

Work-life balance is highly prioritized by the employee. It was presented as the need which
demands the presence of working hour flexibility in the job. Under working hour flexibility two
sub-themes were discovered including stress and well-being. During the interview the question
asked “Why do you prefer working hour flexibility in your job?” each of the participants
highlights the significance of a relaxed and stress-free life. Employee F said that “Working hour
flexibility is a means and the only way through which I can balance the stress of my personal as
well as professional life mentally as well as physically. I am really against the idea of overtime”.
For both the part-time and full-time employees, work-life balance is the primary reason why they
seem to desire the working hour flexibility in their job.
 30

Everyone has a different understanding of stress. Some desire to have personal time as a way of
relieving stress because of which they desire flex time while for others it seems that stress is
attached to maintaining personal life like living together with family, managing time for study,
self-health, well-being, and socialization. And in professional life stress is attached to
performance and relationships with colleagues. Employee G mentions that “Health is an
important aspect to prioritize when it comes to working and personally, I do not want to sound
grumpy and I do not want to apply for sick leave every time because of which also I prefer
working hour flexibility”. Personal and health well-being is an important part of the need and
motivation which seems to encourage the employee to look for the provision and facility of
working hour flexibility.

Need is important when choosing the working hour flexibility. Stress and well-being are the
basic needs that appear to motivate the employees for better performance and in structuring the
choice concerning working hour flexibility. Flextime is a need that is derived or motivated by
different needs like through need for being free from stress and the need for health and
professional well-being. These findings indicate that the offering of a working hour flexibility
facility in the workplace has a positive effect on the work-life balance needs of the employees.
And, through the analysis of the theme, it is also found that employees care about the work-life
balance to perform better in their job.

4.2.2 Employee Performance

This is another theme discovered during the interview. With the study, it is found that working
hour flexibility provision has a positive effect on the performance and productivity of the
employee. Time management, commitment, and quality work are the other sub-themes identified
presented in Figure 4.6.
 31

Figure 4.6: Employee Performance and Sub-theme

In the questions asked during the interview “What experience benefits do flexible working hours
offer to you?”. The main focus of this question is to understand how working hour flexibility is
benefiting or affecting participants in their job. Participants focused on the idea of productivity
offering different reasons. Employee B said that “flexible working hours in the job have helped
in becoming productive through motivating me to come to a job at a time”. The ability to come
early, finish assigned tasks within deadlines, and commit to assigned work is presented as the
benefit by the employee of being productive because of our flexibility. For instance, even
Employee G said “because of the flextime I am motivated to perform my work within a fixed
time improving my efficiency and effectiveness in the work”. It appears that the facility of
flextime to employees has a direct influence on the ways they perform their job.

Motivated employees and the employee who is open to learning is the need of the businesses and
employer which could be achieved through working hour flexibility. When the individual is free
of the stress, they are observed to perform well. Employee D expresses that “because of the
flextime provision when I am at work, I could easily focus on the work activities during working
since I have other left time managed to maintain my personal and health life while eventually
helping me to be committed to my professional works at the job”. It seems that three of the eight
participants disclosed that the working hour flexibility opportunity in their job has assisted them
 32

to be committed to their work during office time. Similarly, it seems that with the work and life
balance because of working hour flexibility, the employee was able to perform well.

With the effectiveness, it is observed that employees were able to perform qualitatively at their
job. Employee G highlights that “When you do not have to worry about any kind of stress then
the productivity at your work is at the highest level. When I am stressed free I could physically
as well as mentally work effectively and this has been possible for me because of working hour
flexibility that is available at my work”. Moreover, it seems that the employee performance is
closely connected with the flexibility of working which is made available at the jobs. When the
need of the employee is fulfilled then they are more likely to perform effectively at their job than
those whose basic needs of work-life balance are not fulfilled.

4.2.3 Employee satisfaction

Figure 4.7: Employee satisfaction and Sub-theme Categorization

It is found that the effective working hour facility provision has a direct influence on the level of
satisfaction that the employee feels on their job. It is found that with the identification of
employee satisfaction as the theme other two sub-theme were discovered including personal
satisfaction presented in figure 4.7. In the question to the employee “How satisfied are you on
the job?” It is observed that participants are “satisfied” in their job and this flextime in the job is
 33

observed to be the reason. Employee G expresses that “The way the company has been able to
present the provisions of flextime has helped me to be satisfied in the job. I do not have to worry
about coming late to work and working overtime, rather it has motivated me to be efficient
within the working time”. It is discovered that because of the flexible timing at work employees
are professionally satisfied. Even Employee H said that “Because of flex time I do not have to
worry about life stress and because of which I am satisfied with the job”. From the saying of the
employees, it could be indicated that working hour flexibility has a connection with job
satisfaction.

Further, it is discovered that with the identification of sub-themes that flexible time offers a
personal level of satisfaction to work. Some of the employees including Employee F answered
that “The fact that my job understands that flexible time working facilities are crucial made me
satisfied with my job”. Flextime has become the reason for the coerciveness of personal
satisfaction at work. Simply put, employees are not satisfied with their job. It seems that they are
personally encouraged to perceive that they are personally satisfied because of the existence of
flexible working time at their job.

They are personally motivated to feel positive about their job because of the benefit of the
working hour flexibility. Even on the question asked during the interview “How motivated are
you while working at your job?” Most of the employees replied by saying “highly” “100
percent”, “positively”, “extremely” motivated, and so on, representing positive sentiments of
motivation. Employee A said that “If working hour flexibility was not offered then I would not
have been able to complete my study, and get promoted to this mid-level position. So, I am
extremely motivated and satisfied in what I am doing here at my job”. Satisfaction at the
personal level of a job arises because of the motivation and this appears to be supported by the
flexible working time at the job. Job satisfaction refers to the perception of employees when they
work (Inayat, 2021). And in encouraging a positive perception of job satisfaction, working hour
flexibility is observed to have a vital role in motivating them and helping them to manage their
stress as well as well-being.
 34

V: Discussions
Working hour flexibility represents the need of the employee at the job and the fulfillment of this
need has crucial significance on the productivity of the employee as well as in the stratification
which employee feels towards their job. But, in connecting the working hour flexibility with the
performance and satisfaction exist the significance of work-life balance. Simply put, the
provision of the working hour flexibility aids in the balance between work and life which helps
in the better performance and satisfaction at a job. The findings through analysis of themes from
archival documents of interviews assisted in the development of the following framework
illustrated in figure 5.1.

Figure 5.1: Theoretical Framework Representing Relationship between Working Hour Flexibility
and Performance and satisfaction

Working hour flexibility is highly preferred by the employee in their jobs, instead of rigid
working time at the job. Most of the employees enjoy and prefer working hour flexibility. All of
the participants during the interview questioned whether they preferred working hour flexibility
or not. Everybody answered yes to the question. It seems that working hour flexibility is one of
the needs attached to the employee vehicle choosing the job. Various needs of the employee
appear to affect the preference for the working hour flexibility. The findings of this research
aligned the working hour flexibility with the study of Hess in the argument that “downward the
flexibility of working hours mitigates work-related strain and, thus, enables employees to work
 35

longer and delay retirement” (Hess, 2018). During the interview, many employees prefer the
working hour flexibility to feel free of the stress and strain emphasizing the importance of
working hour flexibility in their personal as well as professional life.

The availability of flexible working hours could be divided into different schedules. It is
discovered during the findings the most common time of flexible working hours offered in the
restaurant business includes part-time, flex time, and full-time and these findings is agree with
the study of Ahmad et al. (2013) where the author mentions that “the flexible working hours
consist of part-time, overtime, long term leaves, job sharing, flextime, and shift work”.
Particularly, this finding adds agreement and knowledge to the existing literature. The provision
of allowing the facility of flexible working hours is similar in Europe and adds to the knowledge
that flextime is a common practice in the employment market. A flexible schedule is crucial for
performing better and for satisfaction.

With the findings of the way working hour flexibility aids in the greater this research also adds
the understanding for the employer to understand that working hour flexibility is the need of the
employee which should be given close attention. It appears that employees really do prefer the
working hour flexibility even to work for longer times by being stress-free. One of the
employees during the interview mentioned that working hour flexibility is the way through
which he could last long in the employment market indicating that working hour flexibility is the
need required to secure the future. With the analysis of the theme of working hour flexibility, it
is discovered that it is crucial for employers to focus on flexible time because of its connection
with performance and satisfaction which aligned with the study of Davidescu et al. Working
hour flexibility is the need to prioritize by an employer because “employee development and a
mix of flexible working time and new types of workspaces are particularly important from the
perspective of their impact on two main outcomes of sustainable HRM: job satisfaction and job
performance” (Davidescu, 2020). Working hour flexibility has an impact on the outcomes
regarding the level of satisfaction and effective performance of the employee.

Similarly, with thematic analysis, it is discovered that working hour flexibility is highly preferred
by the employee because of the need for work-life balance. The desire and need to manage the
work and life appear to highly motivate the employee to work for a company that offers flexible
working facilities desired by the employee. Participants disclose that flexible working time offers
 36

personal time and helps in proper time management between work and life. These findings are
closely attached to the finding from the literature that if the flexible time desired by the employee
is offered then the employee is likely to work for a longer period of time for the job (Davidescu,
2020; Lott 2018).

Every time an employee is not able to perform effectively under the pressure prioritizing the
need for a balance between work and life. In a scenario like when the employees are not able to
switch between their work and personal life, then in such a situation conflict would exist between
work and home life (Lott, 2018). This situation is well connected with the findings during the
interview. The participants mainly focus on working hour flexibility because of the need for
work-life balance. So, for maintaining the work-life balance flexible working time is required
and demanded by employees at the recent time.

Similarly, it is observed that awareness of mental health also seems to have promoted the
demand for working-hour flexibility. The employee does not want to work under stress and
pressure because of this also it is discovered the significance of working hour flexibility among
the employees is in greater amount. The employee is more adaptive to the idea of working hour
flexibility even during COVID (Aziz, 2021). The situation after the COVID pandemic does not
seem to be easy for the employee of a restaurant and the impact it has on mental as well as
physical well-being contributes to the demand and greater likelihood of flexible working hours
among the employees on the job.

Work for the employee is the source of earning and the family is the means for adhering to long
relationships and support. Thus, employees prefer both work life and personal life demanding the
provision of desired working hours to balance the two aspects that are important to them. It is
discovered that employees prefer working during their desired working hours to have balance in
their life. And these findings from the research support the idea that working life flexibility is
important to allow the employee to balance their work and personal life. The flexible working
time offers the employee an environment where they could work comfortably, peacefully, and
stress-free assisting in balancing both work and personal life (Ahmad et al., 2013). The matter of
flextime is not a matter to be ignored by employers if they want their employees to retain for a
longer time in the job and perform effectively as well as efficiently in their job.
 37

The personal perception that the employee feels seems to play a tremendous role in determining
whether they feel that their work and personal life are balanced. From the findings, it is
discovered the employee participants were more concerned about the work-life balance because
of the responsibility towards the family. And this finding supports the argument of Hess (2018)
“women benefit more than men, possibly because…women are burdened with other tasks
(family care, housework) more than men”. It is observed that both men and women stress the
significance of working hour flexibility from the perspective of work-life balance but
comparatively, women are more concerned about flexible working time because of the
household work and the need to earn for themselves.

Henceforth it seems that flexible working time has greater importance among the employees.
The findings of this research are likely to support the idea to do further research connecting
working hour flexibility and work-life balance because it is one of the important parts of a
research that connects the actual purpose of the research to find the effect of flexibility time on
the performance and job satisfaction of the employee. The research discovers the close
relationship between the work-life balance and performance and satisfaction felt by the employee
on the job.

An employee who seems to be able to balance their work-life is motivated to work productively
and is satisfied with their job. And, this finding supports even the finding of Shasvaliyeva et al.
(2014) where the author mentioned that flexibility results in “Higher satisfaction with the work
and employer, better employee performance, greater organizational commitment, and lower
employee turnover and absenteeism”. Flexibility offers the control to the people in the work time
as well as in the life which aids in the process of being satisfied with the job, being more
committed to the job, performing better at the job, and do not have to go through stress between
choosing the work and personal life.

Another finding of the research is that flexible working time assisting in the work-life balance
has a positive or favorable effect on employee performance and job satisfaction. It is discovered
that only when the employee is motivated at the job they are satisfied with the job and could
perform well. When the employee is assured of their health and well-being and perceives that
there exists a balance between the works they are likely to be satisfied with the work they are
performing. The employee when they feel that they have a satisfactory level of involvement in
 38

their dual life including work life and personal life then they are likely to be more satisfied with
their job (Capnary et al., 2018). The finding of the research and the finding of the literature
match and support the understanding that working hour flexibility assists in the work-life balance
and aids job satisfaction.

The implications of the findings could be well understood by the employer and employee to take
a stand when it comes to working hour flexibility. With this finding, the employer could focus on
designing the flexible time provision keeping in mind the work-life balance. Job satisfaction is
the outcome of the flexible time along with the motivated workers thus employees could take
this finding as the information to emphasize presenting the employee with the opportunity of the
flexible time. Similarly, the understanding of this finding would encourage the employee to
demand working hour flexibility for balancing work and life and for a positive level of
satisfaction towards the job. Job satisfaction is attached to working conditions and flexible
working hours are measures to represent the working conditions of employees (Díaz-Carrión et
al., 2020). The presence of flexible time represents the openness of the company to show that
they care for the employees.

If the employees are aware of the fact that the company is making an effort to offer the facility of
flexible working time it seems that employees feel that their needs of work-life balance are cared
for by the employee which further seems to make the employee have a personal level of
perception that they are satisfied in the job. It is found that working hour flexibility offers a
different level of job satisfaction by linking with reducing the working hours instead of the
wages as expressed by Bartoll and Ramos (2020) in their study. The employee is satisfied with
the idea of flexible time and at their job because they have to work less. Since the research focus
was on the satisfaction of the job the consideration of wages-related connection is avoided which
identifies the limitation of the research. However, the research finds a close relationship between
working time flexibility and job satisfaction that is felt by the employee on the job. By helping to
maintain work and personal life, flexible time helps in achieving satisfaction at the job for the
employee.

Especially, with the work-life balance, the employee is committed to working and eventually
helps in improving the performance of the employee. Similarly, if the employees are stressed
free they perform effectively and qualitatively. The output in the form of quality and
 39

commitment representing productivity is obtained through the flextime by the employer at a job
(Diamantidis et al., 2019), Flexible time represents the organization's climate to openness for
change and this eventually helps in improving the performance of the employee. An increased
level of performance is not easy to expect from the employee, but the flexible time provision
could push the employee towards an increased level of productivity and performance. This
finding for the research will help in supporting the literature and adding the information that the
working hour flexibility provision offered by the business has a positive effect on both
performance and satisfaction as expressed in the framework (see figure 8).
 40

VI. Conclusion
The research was performed to understand the impact of working hour flexibility and how it
helps in the betterment of the performance of the workers, notably working in the hospitality
industry. The findings were synthesized from the interview data that was collected through
structured questions to gain proper information related to the topic that aligns with the aim held
by the research. The particular data was then transcribed to gain a clear understanding and also
prepare it for coding. The transcribed data were analyzed through thematic analysis to
understand the implication associated with the data to present the findings. The analysis revealed
that working hour flexibility helps in increasing the efficiency of the employees while also
bettering their productivity. It was also revealed during the analysis that those employees who
have the flexibility of working hours tend to remain more committed to their work and are
satisfied with the job they hold. This represents the direct relations associated with work hour
flexibility to that of performance and satisfaction associated with the job.

The findings demonstrate that employees that have the flexibility of working hours are able to
perform positively in their work and are more committed to their work while also being satisfied
with their job because of the work-life balance they achieve from working hour flexibility (Ray
& Pana-Craun. 2021). With the introduction of working hour flexibility in jobs, employees get
more time for themselves allowing them to complete various tasks and work at their own
convenience which helps in the betterment of the work-life balance.

The purpose of this research was to understand working hour flexibility on the job performance
along with the satisfaction held by the employees from their job. It became evident that there
exists a strong relationship between work-life balance, motivation, and commitment exhibited by
employees based on the flexibility of the working hour. The major takeaway from the research is
changing the work schedule or presenting employees with working hour flexibility helps in
mitigating the stress they associate with their work while also helping them to balance their work
with their personal life. With working hour flexibility, the likelihood of satisfaction with the
employees held along with the performance they exhibited increased significantly (Forson,
2021). Employees tend to feel comfortable and empowered when they are presented with the
flexibility in working hours which in terms increases their motivation along with productivity.
This reason shows that flexibility of working hours is preferred by employees which also
 41

demonstrates the need for employers to understand the importance of presenting flexibility
associated with working hours with priority given to it.

Working hours influence the perception along with understanding held by the employees
regarding their work, with the flexibility offered to them in different variations. It also became
evident that the culture of introducing work hour flexibility has flourished during and after the
COVID as the understanding related to the need of addressing stress held by employees and
flexibility became the key during this period. Flexibility in the working hour was also deemed as
one of the primary factors that were sought by employees in their job and indicated that they
were more likely to leave their jobs for jobs that presented them with flexible hours. The findings
demonstrated that lack of working hour flexibility directly makes employees feel that they are
distancing themselves from their families and are sacrificing their family life and time for their
professional careers. This particular feeling was significantly mitigated with the job that had
working hour flexibility.

Stress held by employees from their work also impacts their personal life, directly or indirectly.
Moreover, the particular stress can cause various issues among the employees impacting their
well-being. Working hour flexibility helps in mitigating the stress held by employees by
presenting them with an opportunity to balance their work-life needs (Bartoll & Ramos, 2020).
This further demonstrates that the responsibility of bettering the work-life balance falls under the
employer through the adoption of flexibility in the working hours, presented to the employees.

Moreover, employers tend to also benefit from the flexibility presented to the employees as the
increase in the satisfaction benefits the organization in which the employees are working. An
increase in employee satisfaction helps in bettering their performance while also making them
more committed to the organization. That prevents employees from leaving their jobs and
decreases their turnover along with absenteeism which is one of the major issues in the
hospitality business. This demonstrates that an increase in the flexibility of the working hours
helps companies to profit from better performance and increase in productivity shown by
motivated and satisfied employees.
 42

6.1 Recommendation for Future Researchers

There is more to research regarding this topic notably with the connection of flexibility of
working hours and its connection with job performance along with other elements that fulfill the
desire of employees. The sample size was a small group of individuals that were selected by the
researcher because of the time constraint and for convenience. A larger sample size could have
presented different results regarding the topic which would have further helped in understanding
the relations and their strength. As time was limited the attention given to different elements that
were studied might have been limited which leaves different dimensions associated with the
topic yet to remain explored.

Although researchers relied both on the primary and secondary sources, the primary data that
was generated was limited because of the sample size. A questionnaire method with a larger
sample size would help in further understanding the research topic as it would allow for further
exploration. A survey would work properly and in this regard use of social media focusing on the
employees that are working in the hospitality industry from different parts of the country would
help in gaining greater insight into the flexibility of working hours and its impact on the
performance exhibited by the employees. Regarding the interview, it would be more helpful if
the researcher finds a participant that has more experience in the hospitality industry and has
shifted from a work environment that lacked flexibility in the working hours to one that has the
flexibility to properly compare the situation and present the findings.

6.2 Recommendation for Practitioners

Using descriptive thematic analysis helps in properly synthesizing the interview which was
converted into a transcript for better analysis. Practitioners could use quantitative methods with
correlational research to find similar information. This would present the understanding
associated with the strength held by the relationship which in this case was working hour
flexibility being associated with work-life balance which helped in increasing performance along
with satisfaction shown by the employees in their job. Moreover, this also helps in the tabulation
of data which is more applicable. It is also seen as proper because it is not being manipulated by
the analysis and interpretation presented by the researcher. People skill is very necessary to carry
out an interview with the individual and use open-ended questions to ensure that more details can
be extracted from the participants. Critical thinking capability, friendliness, and honesty are
 43

something that one should exhibit to the participants to make them comfortable in giving
information while the design of the method and process should remain proper and thorough to
ensure that the ultimate goal of the research is met.
 44

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 47

Appendices
Appendix 1: Strength and Weakness of Primary and Secondary Data (Ghauri & Gronhaug,
2010).

Appendix 2: Informed Consent

Informed Consent
You are invited to support research on finding the effect of working hour flexibility on
the performance of employees and their satisfaction with their job. This informed
consent is designed to ensure that you as a participant have an understanding of the
study and to ensure that you are not participating without any compelling force in the
interview conducted by the researcher.
Signature of a participant:

Appendix 3: Interview Transcript of Employee A

Sex: Male

Age: 42

Occupation Position: Mid-level position

Education: Graduation Completed

1. Does your restaurant have a provision for working hour flexibility? If so, how is the
 48

working schedule planned?

Yes, the restaurant I work at has a provision for working hour flexibility and it is presented
as a part-time and full-time shift.

2. Did you have to ask for working hour flexibility or was this provision before in your
company?

There was already a provision for working hour flexibility in the restaurant I am working at.

3. Do you prefer working hour flexibility or not? And, when finding a job do you look
at whether the company offers the working hour flexibility or not?

I strongly prefer working hour flexibility and when applying for a job I look at the schedule
associated with work and its flexibility.

4. How effectively do you think you perform in your working schedule? If there is any,
which time at work is flexible for you? why?

I believe I perform really well in my work schedule. I find the shift after 2:00 P.M at work
flexible for me because it gives me more time to sort out my personal works and duties that I
have to complete.

5. What impact does not having the facility of work time flexibility have on your
performance on the job?

If work time flexibility would not have been facilitated, I would have been very stressed to
manage my time and I would have to give up on different things that I usually do because I
have working hour flexibility.

6. What experience benefits do flexible working hours offer to you?

I find myself being more productive because of the flexibility of working hours because I am
working without stress.

7. Why do you prefer working hour flexibility in your job?

 49

I cannot work under pressure because of which also I prefer the working hour flexibility
offered in the job. So for managing my mental stress also working hour flexibility is helpful.

8. How satisfied are you on the job?

I am highly satisfied with my job as I have a good work-life balance in my current situation.

9. How motivated are you while working at your job?

I am highly motivated at my job because of working hour flexibility. If working hour

flexibility was not offered then I would not have been able to complete my study, and get
promoted to this mid-level position. So, I am extremely motivated and satisfied with what I
am doing here at my job

10. How can companies focus on offering flexible working hours?

Presenting opportunities for employees to define shifts themselves would further enhance the
flexibility of working hours which should also align with the goal and action plan set out by
the company they are working at.

Appendix 4: Interview Transcript of Employee B

Sex: Male

Age: 23

Occupation Position:

Education: Mid-level position

1. Does your restaurant have a provision for working hour flexibility? If so, how is the
working schedule planned?

There is working hour flexibility at the restaurant I work at, it is based on the schedule with
full-time employees presented with different choices regarding the shift they work with
night-time and day-time shifts.
 50

2. Did you have to ask for working hour flexibility or was this provision before in your
company?

Due to the COVID pandemic, the working hour flexibility is even prioritized more by the
company themselves than they have to ask for though it was from the beginning.

3. Do you prefer working hour flexibility or not? And, when finding a job do you look
at whether the company offers the working hour flexibility or not?

I highly prefer working hour flexibility and I tend to look at working hour flexibility
because it shows whether the company cares about its employees or not.

4. How effectively do you think you perform in your working schedule? If there is any,
which time at work is flexible for you? Why?

I find my working schedule very effective as I could plan beforehand what I have to do and
complete without actually hindering my personal time and without having to compromise on
the activities I have to perform.

5. What impact does not having facility of work time flexibility have on your
performance on the job?

If there was no work-time flexibility I would have to give up my personal time with my
friends and family which would have made me really upset and lonely impacting my work-
life balance.

6. What experience benefits do flexible working hours offer to you?

Flexible working hours on the job have helped in becoming productive by motivating me to
come to a job at a time improving my work time at the job.

7. Why do you prefer working hour flexibility in your job?

Personally, for me, the flexibility has presented me with an opportunity to relax and
personal time which I value significantly.
 51

8. How satisfied are you on the job?

I am 100 percent satisfied with my job and the flexibility it offers.

9. How motivated are you while working at your job?

I feel extremely motivated at my job because of the flexible working hours.

10. How can companies focus on offering flexible working hours?

From what I understand, people cannot remain fully productive for eight hours of their shift
and it should get understood and taken into consideration by companies when hiring
employees.

Appendix 5: Interview Transcript of Employee C

Sex: Female

Age: 34

Occupation Position: Mid-level position

Education: Graduation Completed

1. Does your restaurant have a provision for working hour flexibility? If so, how is the
working schedule planned?

Yes, a restaurant I work at presents working hour flexibility for employees. The full-time
shift is divided into different working hours like morning, day, and evening which
employees can apply for based on when they want to work.

2. Did you have to ask for working hour flexibility or was this provision before in your
company?

The company already had the provision but I had to indicate the shift and when I would be
working or when I was available.

3. Do you prefer working hour flexibility or not? And, when finding a job do you look
 52

at whether the company offers the working hour flexibility or not?

Yes, it is a must, working hour flexibility is one of the primary things which I look for when
finding jobs after the salary and the job responsibility because working hour flexibility is
closely attached to how I plan my life, as well as work accordingly and I, would discard the
job offers which do not offer working hour flexibility in the current situation

4. How effectively do you think you perform in your working schedule? If there is any,
which time at work is flexible for you? why?

I can perform very effectively in my working schedule and I like to switch around the
working hours based on my needs which helps me perform better as I do not have to work
when I do not want to.

5. What impact does not having facility of work time flexibility have on your
performance on the job?

I have a family and it would have been extremely difficult for me without work time
flexibility and it would have created problems in work-life balance.

6. What experience benefits do flexible working hours offer to you?

I see myself becoming more productive because of the flexible working hours as I can work
without carrying an additional burden.

7. Why do you prefer working hour flexibility in your job? Relaxation personal me time

I feel relaxed because I do not have to stress myself out because of the work that I have
completed and it also helps me in having a me-time which has helped me in keeping my
mental health positive.

8. How satisfied are you on the job?

I would say that I am happy at my job and I am satisfied with how it is going.

9. How motivated are you while working at your job?

 53

I am extremely motivated at my work because of the environment the flexibility of working

hours has presented.

10. How can companies focus on offering flexible working hours?

Flexible working hours scheduled with the consultation of employees would help in further
helping them to balance their work-life needs.

Appendix 6: Interview Transcript of Employee D

Sex: Female

Age: 25

Occupation Position: Mid-level position

Education: Graduation Completed

1. Does your restaurant have a provision for working hour flexibility? If so, how is the
working schedule planned?

Working hour flexibility provision is something that is seen as extremely important in my

restaurant. There is a provision of a work schedule based on part-time and full-time with an
additional schedule for shifts also present allowing employees to choose shifts and apply for
them.

2. Did you have to ask for working hour flexibility or was this provision before in your
company?

Yes, it was already provisioned before in my company as the owner believed it helped the
restaurant to operate properly and not get over or understaffed.

3. Do you prefer working hour flexibility or not? And, when finding a job do you look at
whether the company offers the working hour flexibility or not?

I prefer working hour flexibility, who would not find flexible working hours not beneficial. I
 54

see the work schedule and the demand exhibited by the company when looking at the job.

4. How effectively do you think you perform in your working schedule? If there is any,
which time at work is flexible for you? Why?

I feel that I am active because of the flextime facilities. I usually prefer the night shift of the
work because I had to attend college and I can take rest in between and perform smoothly
during the night job

5. What impact does not having facility of work time flexibility have on your
performance on the job?

Before this job, I worked in a company that did not have provision for working hour flexibility
and it was driving me crazy as the definitive schedule made me miss out on much of my time
with family.

6. What experience benefits do flexible working hours offer to you?

Flexible working hours have helped me in easing our stress and better my personal life.

7. Why do you prefer working hour flexibility in your job?

Personally, because of the flextime provision when I am at work I could easily focus on the
work activities during working since I have other left time to manage to maintain my personal
and health life while eventually helping me to be committed to my professional work at the job

8. How satisfied are you on the job?

I am highly satisfied with the job because of the environment and provision of working hour
flexibility.

9. How motivated are you while working at your job?

I am extremely motivated when working at my job as I am happier to perform the tasks that are
assigned to me.
 55

10. How can companies focus on offering flexible working hours?

Companies can decide on different types of schedules, temporary work schedules, season jobs,
and many more that would not make employees feel tied to their jobs.

Appendix 7: Interview Transcript of Employee E

Sex: Male

Age: 24

Occupation Position: Entry level position

Education: Graduation Completed

1. Does your restaurant have a provision for working hour flexibility? If so, how is the
working schedule planned?

Yes, there is a provision for working hour flexibility and it is scheduled as a part-time and full-
time facility with full-time employees being presented an opportunity to choose different shifts
to work from which can be exchanged with each other based on their needs.

2. Did you have to ask for working hour flexibility or was this provision before in your
company?

I was told about the provision of working hour flexibility and it was already mentioned when
the job description was given.

3. Do you prefer working hour flexibility or not? And, when finding a job do you look at
whether the company offers the working hour flexibility or not?

I prefer working hour flexibility and I look at whether the companies present facilities for their
employees related to their schedule.

4. How effectively do you think you perform in your working schedule? If there is any,
which time at work is flexible for you? why?
 56

I feel that I am performing effectively in my work and the part-time schedule works well for
me because I do not have to work continuously for multiple hours.

5. What impact does not having the facility of work time flexibility have on your
performance on the job?

Not having flexibility would have impacted how I carried myself, I would have to juggle
different things which would have been extremely difficult.

6. What experience benefits do flexible working hours offer to you?

One of the benefits I experience is that I am stress-free. One does not have to work overtime
stressing himself mentally, professionally as well as personally

7. Why do you prefer working hour flexibility in your job?

I prefer working our flexibility because it helps me in keeping myself calm and relaxed which
is something I believe everyone desires.

8. How satisfied are you on the job?

I am very much satisfied with the job that I currently hold.

9. How motivated are you while working at your job?

I am highly motivated while working because I see working hours flexibility as facilities
presented to me and I should perform well for the benefit I receive.

10. How can companies focus on offering flexible working hours?

Presenting an option to simply choose the work time that best suit them would help in offering
flexible working hours without having to make drastic changes.

Appendix 8: Interview Transcript of Employee F

Sex: Female
 57

Age: 27

Occupation Position: Entry level position

Education: Graduation Completed

1. Does your restaurant have a provision for working hour flexibility? If so, how is the
working schedule planned?

Yes, there is a provision in my restaurant for working hour flexibility with a provision for a
compressed work schedule where one can work additional hours for 4 days rather than
working eight hours for five days a week.

2. Did you have to ask for working hour flexibility or was this provision before in your
company?

Yes, I had to ask for the provision but working hour flexibility was already adopted in the
company. All I had to do was say that I wanted flexible working hours.

3. Do you prefer working hour flexibility or not? And, when finding a job do you look at
whether the company offers the working hour flexibility or not?

I very much like the flexibility that I am presented with regarding working hours and I believe
that everyone would look for the flexibility and opt for a job with flexible working hours if it is
presented.

4. How effectively do you think you perform in your working schedule? If there is any,
which time at work is flexible for you? why?

I hope that I am working effectively but I believe that I am effective in my working schedule. I
could work extra hours on certain days to gain early off or additional holiday.

5. What impact does not having facility of work time flexibility have on your
performance on the job?

It would have been terrible, I would not have enjoyed my life as much as I am doing right now
 58

as I do not have to constantly worry about multiple things.

6. What experience benefits do flexible working hours offer to you?

I find myself relieved of work stress which could have been a major issue and draining issue
that would have impacted me negatively.

7. Why do you prefer working hour flexibility in your job?

Working hour flexibility is a means and the only way through which I can balance the stress of
my personal as well as professional life mentally as well as physically. I am really against the
idea of overtime

8. How satisfied are you on the job?

I am extremely satisfied with my job. The fact that my job understands that flexible time
working facilities are crucial made me satisfied with my job

9. How motivated are you while working at your job?

I am highly motivated while working at my job because I find myself stress-free and more
willing to work.

10. How can companies focus on offering flexible working hours?

Shift work and compressed workweeks that present employees with the opportunity to choose
how much they work in a day are something that I believe companies can adopt to present
flexible working hours.

Appendix 9: Interview Transcript of Employee G

Sex: Female

Age: 22

Occupation Position: Entry level position

 59

Education: Graduation Completed

1. Does your restaurant have a provision for working hour flexibility? If so, how is the
working schedule planned?

Yes, the restaurant in which I work does have the facilities and provision of working hour
flexibility. Mostly the schedule is planned based on part-time and full-time shifts where the
part-time is divided on the basis of morning and day shifts wherein full-time has the facilities
of the morning, day, and night shifts as well.

2. Did you have to ask for working hour flexibility or was this provision before in your
company?

I have been working for the last three years and the facility of working hour flexibility existed
before that but the three-shift for full time was recently designed because of the COVID to
support social distancing.

3. Do you prefer working hour flexibility or not? And, when finding a job do you look at
whether the company offers the working hour flexibility or not?

Absolutely, I do prefer flexible working time. It is one of the aspects I do look for before
working here and even in the future I would look for the facility of working hour flexibility.

4. How effectively do you think you perform in your working schedule? If there is any,
which time at work is flexible for you? why?

I perform at the best level when it comes to working. I do not have a problem handling
pressure at work because it's my duty to perform at my best. Currently, I am studying as well,
therefore, preferably I choose the night shift more because by that time I could finish all my
college work as well.

5. What impact does not having the facility of work time flexibility have on your
performance on the job?

Every time I quarrel with the husband when no facility of working hour flexibility is offered
concerning the time to be made available to family and have to be stressed related to the
 60

quality time with the children. I felt that I was being distanced from my family since there was
no facility for flexible time on the job

6. What experience benefits do flexible working hours offer to you?

Because of the flextime, I am motivated to perform my work within a fixed time improving my
efficiency and effectiveness in the work.

7. Why do you prefer working hour flexibility in your job?

Health is an important aspect to prioritize when it comes to working and personally, I do not
want to sound grumpy and I do not want to apply for sick leave every time because of which
also I prefer working hour flexibility

8. How satisfied are you on the job?

The way the company has been able to present the provisions of flextime has helped me to be
satisfied with the job. I do not have to worry about coming late to work and working overtime,
rather it has motivated me to be efficient within the working time

9. How motivated are you while working at your job?

When you do not have to worry about any kind of stress then the productivity at your work is
at the highest level. When I am stressed free I could physically as well as mentally work
effectively and this has been possible for me because of the working hour flexibility that is
available at my work

10. How can companies focus on offering flexible working hours?

Basically, I think based on employee needs it would be better to schedule the working time.

Appendix 10: Interview Transcript of Employee H

Sex: Female

Age: 26
 61

Occupation Position: Entry level position

Education: Graduation Completed

1. Does your restaurant have a provision for working hour flexibility? If so, how is the
working schedule planned?

Our company does have the working hour flexibility provision. We are provided the facility of
working hour flexibility based on a morning, night, and day shift for both part-time as well as
full-time employees.

2. Did you have to ask for working hour flexibility or was this provision before in your
company?

No, the facility of flextime was available before I joined company

3. Do you prefer working hour flexibility or not? And, when finding a job do you look at
whether the company offers the working hour flexibility or not?

Oh yeah, I do prefer flexible work time and it is a must need for me when it comes to finding
and looking for a job.

4. How effectively do you think you perform in your working schedule? If there is any,
which time at work is flexible for you? why?

I never had come to work late, I always finish my assigned duties and I am engaged in every
employee activity. Since I am a family person and live with my grandparents I mostly prefer
the morning and day shifts in comparison to the night shift because I have a family to take care
of.

5. What impact does not having the facility of work time flexibility have on your
performance on the job?

As I prioritize work I also prioritize the time with family. So if I was not allowed to have flex
time at work I would not be able to perform well and would be stressed all day.
 62

6. What experience benefits do flexible working hours offer to you?

I can work offering all my effort and intelligence because I do not have to worry about life
when at work because I have everything in my control and which is the experience benefit of
flexible working hours.

7. Why do you prefer working hour flexibility in your job?

To have personal time and to have quality time in both jobs and at home with my family.

8. How satisfied are you on the job?

Mainly, because of flex time, I do not have to worry about life stress, and because of this, I am
satisfied with the job

9. How motivated are you while working at your job?

I am highly motivated at my job because I am happy with my schedule at work.

10. How can companies focus on offering flexible working hours?

I believe in planning flexible working hours it is important to put employees also in meetings
and discussion so the problem of a high employee at one shift and low in another shift and
vice-versa could be eliminated.