BUSINESS RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY

Topic: Impact of Hybrid Work on Employee Engagement and Productivity

in Indian IT Sector

Group 1:
Adhirath Chaudhary – 230231
Jasim Abdulla – 230153
Gayatri Chakraborty– 230087
Himanshu Solanki– 230091
Sonali Papreja– 230228
 Impact of Hybrid Work on Employee Engagement and
Productivity in Indian IT Sector

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Navigating the Hybrid Work Landscape

In the evolving landscape of work post-pandemic, Indian companies are opting for a hybrid
work model, with nearly 40% embracing a blend of in-office and remote work, showcasing a
nuanced adaptation to the changing environment ("The majority of large Indian companies").
This shift aligns with the global trend, where the hybrid model is gaining prevalence among IT
firms, with over 60% planning to incorporate it in 2023 and beyond, citing reasons like
fostering collaboration and considering client perspectives ("HYSEA's survey indicates").
The benefits of the hybrid work model are evident, with increased employee morale and work-
life satisfaction, contributing to a remarkable 23% rise in profitability. An improved company
culture and more efficient workplaces are additional advantages, as flexible schedules lead to
optimized space utilization and lower operational costs. However, challenges such as
collaboration difficulties, potential burnout, and scheduling issues exist.
As companies navigate the complexities of hybrid work, these considerations contribute to a
balanced and effective implementation, ensuring both employee satisfaction and organizational
success in the post-pandemic era.

Hybrid Work’s Influence on Employee Engagement

The job demands-resources (JD-R) model explores the psychological processes of employee
work engagement, a study conducted by M. Muzamil Naqshbandi et al.
Martha Harunavamwe et al.'s study underscores the influence of technostress, work-family
conflict, and organizational support on work engagement in hybrid work environments.
Employees' increased satisfaction and productivity when working from home contribute to
their preference for continuing this mode of work.
The paper by B Vidya Sri and S Vasantha delves into the effects of the hybrid working model
on job satisfaction among IT employees. The investigation utilizes exploratory factor analysis
(EFA) to uncover Quality of Work Life (QWL) factors linked with the hybrid working model.

Hybrid Work’s Influence on Employee Retention

In the Indian IT industry, hybrid work arrangements have been shown to have a favourable effect
on staff retention. Work life balance is crucial and have become major contributing factors that
attract and retain talent (Tsipursky, 2023).
In the Indian IT sector, hybrid arrangements significantly lower employee attrition rates when
compared to strictly in-office roles. This is especially true for women, who still bear the burden
of work and family obligations, which is made much easier with flexibility (Lal, 2023). They see
hybrid work as essential for attracting talent and as a critical component of a successful business
strategy that prioritises employee well-being and productivity (IWG, 2023).
Acknowledging the benefits of flexible work increases employee satisfaction and attracts top
talent, thus pay, especially variable pay, becomes critical in promoting employee loyalty
(Business World People, 2021). The Indian IT sector adopted work from home too quickly which
is now being curtailed (Ishwarbharath & Majumdar,2023). Businesses can use this model to retain
talent with flexibility, engagement, and problem-solving in today's competitive environment.
Challenges with hybrid work and Agile Software development
A study was performed by Calvo et al. which provided various computational methods on
working in a hybrid mode may lead to isolation deprivation in terms of social interaction and to
detect mental health issues. A hybrid work model may cause diminished employee visibility
due to difficulty in monitoring employees’ work progress which introduces a problem to the

management which may have an impact on employee performance appraisal and promotion by
Lenka et al. It requires the latest tools like Scrum, Kanban etc. and proper internet
connectivity to avoid poor communication and procrastination at work by Verwijs et al. Hence,
the employers must navigate the hybrid work cautiously to acquire the maximum benefit.

Defining Scrum in Software Development

Scrum is an agile framework basically used to manage projects for software development where
it is tough to plan shown in Fig 1. It emphasizes iterative progress, collaboration, and customer
feedback. The Scrum team should comprise of less than 10 members which is usually self-
organizing which consists of a Scrum Master by Verwijs et al., a Product Owner and software
developers. The responsibility of the Product Owner is to prioritize the team backlog and
communicate with all stakeholders. The Scrum Master is responsible for the effectiveness of the
team and to help the team follow the Scrum framework.

Fig 1: Scrum Board

Defining Kanban in Software Development

Kanban is an agile methodology which was first described by Anderson in 2010 by Anderson et
al. that focuses on visualizing and optimizing the flow of work. The name Kanban emerges
from the use of Kanban as visual signaling mechanisms to limit Work in Progress (WIP). To
maintain transparency, it uses a Kanban board to visualize the work, such as the one shown in
Fig 2. Kanban facilitates real-time monitoring which allows teams to adapt to changing
priorities and optimize their work.
 Fig 1: Kanban Board

REFERENCES:

1. Anderson, D. J. Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for your Technology

Business: Successful Evolutionary Change for your Technology Business. Blue Hole
Press, 2010. https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Kanban/RJ0VUkfUWZkC?hl=en

2. Akhter, Maria. "Hybrid Work: What Are the Benefits and Disadvantages?" [Website
Name (if known)], April 26, 2022. https://www.wework.com/ideas/workspace-
solutions/flexible-products/hybrid-workplace-advantages-disadvantages

3. Aprilina, R., & Martdianty, F. (2023). The Role of Hybrid-Working in Improving

Employees’ Satisfaction, Perceived Productivity, and Organizations’ Capabilities.
Jurnal Manajemen Teori Dan Terapan | Journal of Theory and Applied Management,
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4. At IT firms, hybrid work model is here to stay

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/at-it-firms-hybrid-work-model-is-
here-to-stay/article66761216.ece

5. Baruah, Ayushman. "80% of IT companies, GCCs likely to adopt hybrid work

model: Report." The Economic Times. 7 Jun 2022.
https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/80-of-it-companies-gccs-likely-to-
adopt-hybrid-work-model-report-11654596985180.html

6. Business World People.(2021, May 6). Can employee retention practices be impacted
by hybrid work model? BW People. https://bwpeople.businessworld.in/article/Can-
Employee-Retention-Practices-Be-Impacted-By-Hybrid-Work-Model-/06-05-2021-
388795/

7. Deepa, R., & Dharshini, J. J. (2023). Driving sustained work engagement: moderating
role of leadership and organizational support for remote work. Management Research
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8. "Eight Meta-Trends Impacting Human Resources in 2021" by SAP SuccessFactors:

https://news.sap.com/2023/04/organizations-using-sap-successfactors-2023-hr-meta-
trends/
9. Harunavamwe, M., & Kanengoni, H. (2023). Hybrid and virtual work settings; the
interaction between technostress, perceived organisational support, work-family conflict
and the impact on work engagement. African Journal of Economic and Management
Studies, 14(2), 252–270. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJEMS-07-2022-0306

10. Ishwarbharath,S. & Majumdar,R.(2023,July24).In rough year, IT companies want more

work from office. The Economic Times.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/information-tech/in-rough-year-it-
companies-want-more-work-from-office/articleshow/102061522.cms?from=mdr

11. IWG. (2023, April). The Hybrid Talent Magnet. IWG.

https://assets.iwgplc.com/image/upload/v1680511931/IWG/MediaCentre/IWG_White_
Paper_The_Hybrid_Talent_Magnet_April_2023.pdf

12. Jindain, C., & Gilitwala, B. (2023). The factors impacting the intermediating variable of
employee engagement toward employee performance in a hybrid working model.
Rajagiri Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/RAMJ-08-2023-0237

13. Lal,S.(2023,July12).Hybrid Work: Does It Impact Attrition?.LinkedIn Newsletter.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hybrid-work-does-impact-attrition-dr-shalini-lal/

14. Lenka, Reena Mahapatra. “Unique Hybrid Work model- The future of remote
work”. In: Journal of Archaeology of Egypt 18.7 (2021).
https://archives.palarch.nl/index.php/jae/article/view/8694

15. Mathew, Alex. "Nearly 40% Of Big Indian Firms Still Follow Hybrid Work Model."
NDTV Profit, 12 Jan. 2023, https://www.ndtvprofit.com/business/nearly-40-of-big-
indian-firms-still-follow-hybrid-work-model.

16. Naqshbandi, M. M., Kabir, I., Ishak, N. A., & Islam, M. Z. (2023). The future of work:
work engagement and job performance in the hybrid workplace. Learning Organization.
https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-08-2022-0097

17. R. A. Calvo, D. N. Milne, M. S. Hussain and H. Christensen, "Natural language

processing in mental health applications using non-clinical texts", Natural Lang. Eng.,
vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 649-685, 2017. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/natural-
language-engineering/article/natural-language-processing-in-mental-health-applications-
using-nonclinical-texts/32645FFCFD37C67DA62CA06DB66EB2F4

18. THE HINDU BUREAU, At IT firms, hybrid work model is here to stay
https://www.thehindu.com/business/remote-working-new-normal-82-employees-prefer-
working-from-home-study/article38344622.ece

19. Tsipursky,G.(2023, May 31). Unveiling the power of hybrid work for employee
retention. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/intentional-
insights/202305/unveiling-the-power-of-hybrid-work-for-employee-retention

20. Verwijs, Christiaan “In-Depth: What Is The Optimal Size For A Scrum Team?
December 12, 2022, https://medium.com/the-liberators/in-depth-what-is-the-optimal-
size-for-a-scrum-team-59791e383e07
21. Verwijs, Christiaan, A Theory of Scrum Team Effectiveness. April 27,2023,
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3571849

22. Vidya Sri, B., & Vasantha, S. (n.d.). THE IMPACT OF HYBRID WORKING MODEL
ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG IT EMPLOYEES. In Eur.Chem.Bull (Vol. 2023,
Issue Issue8).
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