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Job Satisfaction In Hybrid Mode: A Qualitative Study

Aim: To understand the job satisfaction of employees working in hybrid mode in different organizations.

BASIC CONCEPTS

Job Satisfaction is a much researched subject in Organizational Behavior. It has perpetually been relevant

to know what factors affect job satisfaction—personal, organizational, others. However, job satisfaction is

just an umbrella for many points of interest, such as —theories of hygiene and motivating factors,

workplace culture, etc. Some people love their jobs, some people tolerate their jobs, and some people

cannot stand their jobs. Job satisfaction describes the degree to which individuals enjoy their job. It was

described by Edwin Locke (1976) as the state of feeling resulting from appraising one’s job experiences.

In the past hundred years, job satisfaction has been given various definitions by organizational behaviour

scholars and researchers. The most-used research definition of job satisfaction is by Locke (1976), who

defined it as “a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job

experiences”. Cook et al. (1981) defined job satisfaction as “an attitude which manifests itself in

evaluation of the job and of the employing organization as contributing suitably to the attainment of one’s

personal objectives”. More recently, Lambert, Barton, and Hogan (1999) defined the term as “the

fulfillment or gratification of certain needs that are associated with one’s work.” Spector (1997) defines it

as “the extent to which people like (satisfaction) or dislike (dissatisfaction) their jobs”. Some important

characteristics emerge out of these definitions: 1) Job satisfaction is an emotional response to a job

situation. As such it cannot be seen, it can only be inferred. 7 2) Job satisfaction is the extent to which the

working environment meets the Job Satisfaction needs and expectations of employees. It is a result of

employees’ perception of how well their job provides outcomes that are viewed as important. 3) Job

satisfaction is an evaluation of the job and of the organization that shows up in significant work behaviors

such as productivity, absenteeism, turnover, workplace deviance, organizational citizenship and so forth.

Job satisfaction can thus be understood as an important job attitude.

As an attitude, it has three elements: affective, cognitive and behavioral.

 ● The affective component is the emotional response to the job situation and is reflected in the

statement “I feel good about my job”.

● The cognitive element is the appraisal on the extent to which the job fulfills important needs

associated with one’s work. It is illustrated in the statement “My job helps me to achieve my

goals”.

● The behavioral component is the intention to engage in specific behaviors as manifested in

productivity, absenteeism, turnover and forms of organizational citizenship.

It is reflected in the statement “I want to give my best on the job”. Although viewing job satisfaction as

made of three components is helpful in understanding its complexity, the term as it is generally used,

essentially refers to the affect part of the three components. Thus the statement “I like my job” best

exemplifies job satisfaction and signifies that it is primarily an individual’s affective reaction to a

particular job that results from the person’s comparison of actual outcomes with those that are desired,

anticipated, or deserved.

Correlation between Job Satisfaction and Motivation

Motivation is defined as the processes that account for an individual’s intensity, direction, and

persistence in effort toward attaining a goal. The three key elements in our definition are intensity,

direction, and persistence. Intensity describes how hard a person tries. This is the second element mostly

focused on when motivation is talked about. Employers consequently need employees who are fully

motivated to work rather than those who simply show up at their offices.Work motivation remains a

crucial component of organisational psychology since it explains how people behave in organisations.

However, high intensity is unlikely to lead to favorable job performance outcomes unless the effort is

channeled in a direction that benefits the organization. Therefore, the quality of effort is considered as

well as its intensity. Effort directed towards, and consistent with, the organization’s goals is the kind of

effort that should be seeked. Finally, motivation has a persistence dimension. This measures how long a

person can maintain effort. Motivated individuals stay with a task long enough to achieve their goal.
FACTORS AFFECTING JOB SATISFACTION

As work is an important aspect of people’s lives and most people spend a large part of their working lives

at work, understanding the factors involved in job satisfaction is crucial to improving employees’

performance and productivity. Factors affecting the level of job satisfaction are:

● Working environment: It is essential to provide employees with a work environment that is conducive

to their overall development. They need an environment which is healthy and safe and which caters to

both personal comforts and facilities doing a good job. If the working conditions are good (clean,

attractive surroundings), the personnel will find it easier to carry out their jobs. On the other hand, if the

working conditions are poor (hot, noisy surroundings), the personnel will find it more difficult to get

things done. Hence, it can be said that having a friendly, and supportive environment can lead

to increased job satisfaction.

● Job security: It is important for an employee to feel safe and secure within the employment setting. The

aspects such as vulnerability, susceptibility, weakness and helplessness does not arouse job

satisfaction.The job security is affected by the factors such as effective communication and good relations

with the superiors and subordinates, safe working environmental conditions, safe condition of the

machines, equipment and other devices that people make use of for production and manufacturing,

availability of incentives and benefits and good salary in accordance with the performance of job duties.

Overall job satisfaction is slightly related to job security (Hong et al. 2013).

● Fair policies and practice: Individuals who perceive that promotion decisions are made in a fair and just

manner are likely to experience satisfaction from their jobs. Very often employees are demotivated and

dissatisfied with their jobs because unfair policies and practices prevail at their place of work. It is

therefore of utmost importance for an organization to have a fair and equal system regarding practices and

policies so that there is no discrimination and frustration.

● Opportunities to make use of skills and abilities: Within the employment setting,individuals feel

satisfied, when they are provided with the opportunities to make effective use of their skills and abilities.
They have acquired training in the field of management or education, hence, an individual feels satisfied

when he is made available the opportunities where he can make effective utilization of the education and

training that he possesses. When individuals are not able to utilize their knowledge, skills and abilities

within the employment setting, then he does not feel satisfied with his job Relationship with supervisors:

One of the major reasons employees think about quitting a job is that their supervisor does not care about

them. A participative climate created by the supervisor seems to have a more substantial effect on

workers’ satisfaction than does participation in a specific decision. Effective managers know their

employees need recognition and praise for their efforts and accomplishments. Employees also need to

know their supervisor’s door is always open for them to discussany concerns they have that are affecting

their ability to do their jobs. It will lead to their satisfaction in the job.

● Relationship with the co-workers: Within the organizational structure, it is vital for employees to

develop appropriate relations with the co-workers. It is important to create an atmosphere within the

workplace where co-workers are able to interact with each other in a pleasant and an informal manner.

Amiable and friendly relationships with the co-workers enable the employees to perform their tasks and

job duties in an adequate manner. If the supervisor has provided to the employees some kind of

explanation regarding the performance of the job duties, and some of the employees may not have

understood clearly, then they can always consult their co-workers and seek support from them. Therefore,

approachable relationships with co-workers enable employees to enhance productivity and output, and

develop job satisfaction.

● Creativity in job: Job satisfaction is always higher wherever creativity is involved. The creative

freedom gives a sense of fulfillment whenever any project is complete. It makes an employee feel as if the

project belongs to them for their creativity. Even if it is just a creative sentence that they have put in, it

means a lot to them. On the other hand, in jobs that are monotonous, the employee won’t feel like he or

she belongs to the project. The alienation takes place, and hence job satisfaction level falls drastically.

● Compensation: Monetary compensation and benefits are considered to be the most imperative areas that

employees work for, when they feel their pay and benefits are sufficient enough to sustain their living,
then they feel satisfied with their work. When employees experience promotion and increase in

compensation, then they feel immense pleasure and satisfaction towards their jobs. Compensation

occupies the first rank in the determination of job satisfaction as compared to other major determinants

(Neog & Barua, 2014).

● Initiation and leadership: If an employee is given an equal number of opportunities to show their

talents, take the lead and then initiate, the chances of having a higher level of job satisfaction are more.

Suppose in an organization no employee is asked to give suggestions, nobody is bothered to inform them

of the decision. There are only a few figures who always lead the team. In such conditions, an employee

would not feel satisfied with whatever job he or she is currently doing.

OUTCOMES OF JOB SATISFACTION

● Job performance: As a general rule, happy workers are more likely to be productive workers. Some

researchers used to believe the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance was a myth, but

a review of 300 studies suggested the correlation is quite robust. Individuals with higher job satisfaction

perform better, and organizations with more satisfied employees tend to be more effective than those with

fewer.

● Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB): It seems logical that job satisfaction should be a major

determinant of an employee’s organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). OCBs include people talking

positively about their organizations, helping others, and going beyond the normal expectations of their

jobs. Evidence suggests job satisfaction is moderately correlated with OCB; people who are more

satisfied with their jobs are more likely to engage in citizenship behavior. Research in 18 countries

suggests that managers reciprocate employees’ OCBs with trusting behaviors of their own. Individuals

who feel their coworkers support them are also more likely to engage in helpful behaviors than those who

have antagonistic coworker relationships.

● Absenteeism: Research has only demonstrated a weak negative relationship between satisfaction and

absenteeism. Many other variables enter into the decision to stay home besides satisfaction with the job.
For example, there are moderating variables such as the degree to which people feel that their jobs are

important. For example, research among state government employees has found that those who believed

that their work was important had lower absenteeism than did those who did not feel this way.

Additionally, it is important to remember that although high job satisfaction will not necessarily result in

low absenteeism, low job satisfaction is more likely to bring about absenteeism.

Turnover: Research has uncovered a moderately inverse relationship between satisfaction and turnover.

High job satisfaction will not, in and of itself, keep turnover low, but it does seem to help. On the other

hand, if there is considerable job dissatisfaction, there is likely to be high turnover. Obviously, age, tenure

in the organization, and commitment to the organization may play a role. Another factor is the general

economy. On an overall basis, however, it is accurate to say that job satisfaction is important in employee

turnover. Although absolutely no turnover is not necessarily beneficial to the organization, a low turnover

rate is usually desirable because of the considerable training costs and the drawbacks of inexperience,

plus the loss of the tacit knowledge that those who leave take with them.

● Job involvement: It represents the extent to which an individual is personally involved with his or her

work role. A meta-analysis involving 27,925 individuals from 87 different studies demonstrated that job

involvement was moderately related with job satisfaction. Managers are thus encouraged to foster

satisfying work environments in order to fuel employees’ job involvement.

● Organizational commitment: It reflects the extent to which an individual identifies with an organization

and is committed to its goals. A meta-analysis of 68 studies and 35,282 individuals uncovered a

significant and strong relationship between organizational commitment and satisfaction. Managers are

advised to increase job satisfaction in order to elicit higher levels of commitment. In turn, higher

commitment can facilitate higher productivity.

THEORIES ON JOB SATISFACTION

THEORY OF X AND Y

Douglas McGregor work is established in motivation theory. Mr. McGregor postulated 2 theories on

human management and leadership which are Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X advanced the view that
human beings have an innate dislike for work. They can only be made to get results at work by the

application of coercive methods and by direction. Theory X stresses on the authoritarian style of

leadership where results are the focus of leadership and it is more work-centered than people-centered.

Theory Y approach to management is more people-centered. Here the individual is valued and

appreciated. Theory Y submits that when workers are given the right kind of environment, they can reach

their highest potential and can be of great value to their organizations. A few numbers of authors consider

McGregor’s work as a basic theory of motivation, whereas others feel it is a philosophy of human nature

and fits more logically into a discussion of leadership than basic motivation theories.

Mc

Gregor postulated, that leaders who hold Theory X assumptions believe that people are lazy, abhor

responsibility and not motivated and therefore need to be coerced before they will work and show

commitment . Leaders, who practice Theory Y assumptions, on the other hand, involves workers to

engage in joint problem solving, to understand the needs of team members and to integrate personal needs

of achievement with organizational objectives.

TWO FACTOR THEORY

Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation-Hygiene, also known as the Two-Factor Theory or Dual-

Factor Theory, is a psychological theory developed by Frederick Herzberg in the 1950s. This theory aims

to explain the factors that influence job satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the workplace.The theory

divides workplace factors into two categories:

Hygiene Factors (also called Maintenance Factors or Dissatisfies): These are factors that, if lacking

or insufficient, can lead to job dissatisfaction but, when present, do not necessarily lead to increased job

satisfaction. Hygiene factors include aspects such as salary, working conditions, company policies, job

security, quality of technical supervision, and interpersonal relationships with colleagues. According to

Herzberg, improving these factors can prevent dissatisfaction but does not necessarily motivate

employees to perform at their best.

Motivational Factors (also called Satisfiers): These are factors that directly contribute to job

satisfaction and can motivate employees to excel in their work. Motivational factors include achievement,

recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement, and personal growth opportunities. Herzberg

argued that enhancing these factors would lead to increased job satisfaction and motivation, ultimately

improving employee performance and productivity.Herzberg's theory suggests that job satisfaction and

dissatisfaction are not on a single continuum but rather two separate dimensions. Improving hygiene

factors can prevent dissatisfaction but won't necessarily boost motivation. To truly motivate employees

and foster job satisfaction, organizations must focus on providing opportunities for employees to engage

with meaningful and challenging work, recognize their accomplishments, and allow for personal and

professional growth. In summary, Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory emphasizes the importance of

addressing both hygiene and motivational factors to create a work environment that not only prevents job

dissatisfaction but also fosters motivation and job satisfaction among employees.
 MASLOW THEORY

Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a psychological theory that explains human motivation and

behavior in the context of a hierarchy of needs. Maslow proposed that individuals are driven to fulfill

certain fundamental needs, and these needs can be arranged in a pyramid with five levels:

Physiological Needs: At the base of the pyramid are physiological needs, such as food, water, shelter,

and sleep. These are the most basic and essential needs for survival. Until these needs are met, individuals

are primarily motivated by a desire to satisfy them.

Safety Needs: Once physiological needs are met, people seek safety and security. This includes physical

safety, financial stability, and protection from harm. Individuals strive for stability and predictability in

their lives.

Love and Belongingness Needs: The third level involves social needs, including the desire for love,

friendship, and a sense of belonging. People seek meaningful relationships, intimacy, and a sense of being

part of a community.

Esteem Needs: The fourth level focuses on self-esteem and self-worth. This includes the need for self-

respect and the respect of others. Achieving recognition, status, and accomplishment become important

motivators at this stage

Self-Actualization Needs: At the top of the pyramid is self-actualization, representing the desire to reach

one's full potential, fulfill personal goals, and engage in activities that bring personal growth and

fulfillment. This stage involves creativity, self-expression, and a sense of purpose. According to Maslow,

individuals progress through these needs in a hierarchical manner. Lower-level needs must be reasonably

satisfied before higher-level needs become motivating factors. However, not all individuals will reach the

self-actualization stage, as it is considered a relatively rare achievement.

McClelland’s Theory of Needs

McClelland’s theory of needs was developed by David McClelland and his associates. It looks at three

needs:

● Need for achievement (nAch) is the drive to excel, to achieve in relationship to a set of standards.

● Need for power (nPow) is the need to make others behave in a way they would not have otherwise.

● Need for affiliation (nAff) is the desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships. McClelland

and subsequent researchers focused most of their attention on nAch. High achievers perform best when

they perceive their probability of success as 0.5—that is, a 50–50 chance. They dislike gambling with

high odds because they get no achievement satisfaction from success that comes by pure chance.

Similarly, they dislike low odds (high probability of success) because then there is no challenge to their

skills. They like to set goals that require stretching themselves a little. Relying on an extensive amount of

research, we can predict some relationships between achievement need and job performance. First, when

jobs have a high degree of personal responsibility and feedback and an intermediate degree of risk, high

achievers are strongly motivated. They are successful in entrepreneurial activities such as running their

own businesses, for example, and managing self-contained units within large organizations. Second, a
high need to achieve does not necessarily make someone a good manager, especially in large

organizations. People with a high achievement need are interested in how well they do personally, and not

in influencing others to do well. High nAch salespeople do not necessarily make good sales managers,

and the good general manager in a large organization does not typically have a high need to achieve.

Third, needs for affiliation and power tend to be closely related to managerial success. The best managers

are high in their need for power and low in their need for affiliation. In fact, a high power motive may be

a requirement for managerial effectiveness. The view that a high achievement need acts as an internal

motivator presupposes two U.S. cultural characteristics—willingness to accept a moderate degree of risk

(which excludes countries with strong uncertainty-avoidance characteristics) and concern with

performance (which applies to countries with strong achievement characteristics). This combination is

found 6 in Anglo-American countries such as the United States, Canada, and Great Britain 18 and much

less in Chile and Portugal. Among the early theories of motivation, McClelland’s has had the best

research support. Unfortunately, it has less practical effect than the others. Because McClelland argued

that the three needs are subconscious—we may rank high on them but not know it—measuring them is

not easy. In the most common approach, a trained expert presents pictures to individuals, asks them to tell

a story about each, and then scores their responses in terms of the three needs. However, the process is

time consuming and expensive, and few organizations have been willing to invest in measuring

McClelland’s concept.

HAWTHORNE EFFECT

In 1924 a series of experiments began at the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Company.

Although initially they seemed to be of minor scientific significance, they became classics in industrial

psychology. In the opinion of many writers, the Hawthorne studies “represent the most significant

research program undertaken to show the enormous complexity of the problem of production in relation

to efficiency” (Blum & Naylor, 1968, p. 306). The Hawthorne studies were a joint venture between

Western Electric and several researchers from Harvard University (none of whom were industrial

psychologists by training). The original study attempted to find the relationship between lighting and
efficiency. The researchers installed various sets of lights in workrooms where electrical equipment was

being produced. In some cases the light was intense; in other cases it was reduced to the equivalent of

moonlight. Much to the researchers’ surprise, productivity seemed to have no relationship to the level of

illumination. The workers’ productivity increased whether the illumination was decreased, increased, or

held constant. The results of the study were so bizarre the researchers hypothesized that some other

factors must be responsible for the increased productivity.The results of the first study initiated four other

major studies that were conducted over a 12-year period:

(1) relay assembly test room,

(2) mass interviewing program,

(3)bank wiring observation room, and

(4) personnel counseling. (For more information on these studies, see the original text by Roethlisberger

and Dickson, 1939.) In essence, the Hawthorne studies revealed many previously unrecognized aspects of

human behavior in a workplace. Researchers hypothesized that the study’s results were caused by the

employees’ desire to please them. Flattered at having distinguished investigators from Harvard University

take the time to study them, the workers had gone out of their way to do what they thought would impress

them—namely, to be highly productive. They therefore had produced at a high level whether the room

was too light or too dark. The researchers learned that factors other than purely technical ones (for

example, illumination) influence productivity. One of the major findings from the studies was a

phenomenon named the Hawthorne effect. The workers’ job performance began to improve following the

start of the researchers’ intervention and continued to improve because of the novelty of the situation; that

is, the employees responded positively to the novel treatment they were getting from the researchers.

Eventually, however, the novelty began to wear off, and productivity returned to its earlier level. This

phenomenon of a change in behavior following the onset of novel treatment, with a gradual return to the

previous level of behavior as the effect of the novelty wears off, is the Hawthorne effect. As Adair (1984)

observed, however, the precise reason for the change in behavior (for example, the novelty of the

situation, special attention, or prestige from being selected for study) is not always clear. Sometimes
behavior change is due to just a change in the environment (for example, the presence of the researchers)

and not to the effect of some experimentally manipulated variable (for example, the amount of

illumination). The psychological literature indicates that Hawthorne effects may last from a few days to

two years, depending on the situation. The Hawthorne studies also revealed the existence of informal

employee work groups and their controls on production as well as the importance of employee attitudes,

the value of having a sympathetic and understanding supervisor, and the need to treat workers as people

instead of merely human capital. Their revelation of the complexity of human behavior opened up new

vistas for industrial psychology, which for nearly 40 years had been dominated by the goal of improving

company efficiency. Today the Hawthorne studies, though regarded by some contemporary psychologists

as having been based on flawed research methods (e.g., Bramel & Friend, 1981), are considered to be the

greatest single episode in the formation of industrial psychology. They also showed that researchers

sometimes obtain totally unexpected results. Because the investigators were not tied to any one

explanation, their studies took them into areas never before studied by industrial psychology and raised

questions that otherwise might never have been asked. Industrial psychology was never the same again.

TYPES OF WORK FROM HOME-

:Absolute work from home - Absolute work from home means an employee is working from their house,

apartment, or place of residence, rather than working from the office. Many companies have a WFH

policy, or remote work policy, that allows their employees to work from home either full-time or when it's

most convenient for them. Video conferencing tools and collaborative technology make it easy for

coworkers to communicate and stay in touch, no matter their geographical location. There are even WFH

jobs that are completely remote, so workers work from home every day. Employees who WFH often have

a home office or designated workspace where they're able to focus and be productive. There are a few key

benefits of working from home (WFH). Employees who WFH often have a better work-life balance and

often are more because they don't spend time commuting into the office and can get their work done

quicker in a focused environment. Plus, WFH provides environmental benefits.

:Hybrid work from home - Hybrid work is a people-first approach to managing the workforce that drives

increased productivity and job satisfaction while addressing the major challenges of remote work, such as

isolation and lack of community. A hybrid work model provides employees with greater flexibility and

the option to work from home or anywhere they can be productive. With hybrid work, the workplace is

no longer inside the four walls of the corporate office—it’s an ecosystem of employees working from

home, in coworking spaces, and the office. eam members can migrate between various locations

depending on the work they need to get done. The hybrid work model can take different forms depending

on the organization and the type of work being done. The shift to hybrid work brings considerable

benefits to both employees, businesses, and the environment. It promises to deliver increased flexibility,

productivity, and job satisfaction for employees. For the business, it improves the bottom line and

expands the talent pool. And the reduction in travel and office spaces leads to a more sustainable future.

A hybrid work schedule is based on flexibility. Your hybrid work schedule will depend on the type of

hybrid work model your organization chooses to implement. For some organizations, it will be up to the

employee to decide when and where they work on any given day. Others will have set schedules to ensure

that teams in the same location can meet in the office or a coworking space for collaboration and team

building.

Review of Literature

1. In one of the studies conducted by Inayat and Khan (2021), the aim was to study the effect of job

satisfaction on the performance of employees working in private sector organizations. For that

purpose, 180 employees were selected as a sample from private organizations. An equal number

of employees were selected through random sampling method from three types of organizations,

viz; hospitals, banks, and universities. Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ- short form)

developed by Weiss et al. (1967) and a self-constructed Performance Evaluation Form (PRF)

were used as instruments for the study. According to the findings of the study, the type of

occupation has been shown to have significant correlation with job satisfaction. Similarly, the
 positive relationship of job satisfaction with performance of employees was also confirmed.

Therefore, it is concluded from the study that satisfied employees were better in performance as

compared to dissatisfied employees, thus contributing in the upliftment of their organizations.

2. In another study conducted by Pushpakumari (2008), the aim was to examine the impact of job

satisfaction on performance. It considered which rewards (intrinsic and extrinsic) determine job

satisfaction of an employee. To analyze this, a total number of 237 respondents were selected

from twenty organizations limited to five industries relating to manufacturing and service

industries in the private sector. Three employee categories were considered as Professionals,

Managers, and Non-managers. All respondents were selected on a random basis. A field survey

was conducted to collect the data. Questionnaires were used for data collection. Arithmetic mean,

correlation, and t-test were used to analyze the data. The results showed that there is a significant

impact of job satisfaction on performance of employees in private sector organizations.

Employees who are in higher levels tend to derive more satisfaction from intrinsic rewards while

employees who are in lower levels tend to derive more satisfaction with extrinsic rewards.

3. Sinha (2013) conducted a study to examine the job satisfaction of the employees of private sector

banks. The sample was selected from managerial and non-managerial staff of private sector

banks. Three banks were selected for the study. A total of 45 subjects were selected randomly

from these banks. Job satisfaction was measured using a five-point Likert type scale of 20 items.

Data was analyzed by calculating mean, standard deviation, and correlation. Findings showed that

the range of job satisfaction was between 20 to 100. 64.44% of respondents are satisfied with

their jobs. Factors that are responsible for dissatisfaction are degree of motivation for the job, job

security, kind of tasks required to be performed, conflict resolution, organizational climate, and

overall compensation.
 4. A study was conducted by Bayzid et al. (2019) to identify the level of job satisfaction among

physiotherapy professionals working in private sectors. 103 professionals were included for the

study. Purposive sampling technique was used and questionnaires completed by face-to face

interview. Level of job satisfaction was evaluated by 4-point Likert type scale. Data was analyzed

using SPSS. Chi-square test was used. Findings revealed that a moderate number of participants

are satisfied with their current job. Factors affecting this include working environment, security,

feeling of comfort with senior authority, and leave policy. No significant relationship was found

between job satisfaction with age and sex.

5. A study by Irawanto, Novianti and Roz (2021) with the purpose of investigating several potential

predictors of job satisfaction during working from home from the impact of COVID-19 such as

work–life balance and work stress. Using a quantitative approach, 472 workers who were forced

to work from home all over Indonesia participated, and the responses were analyzed using Smart-

PLS software. The study revealed that working from home, work–life balance, and work stress

have a significant effect, both directly and indirectly, on job satisfaction. Working from home as

a new pace of work can sustain job satisfaction as the current working atmosphere for Indonesian

workers. In response to the collectivist setting, working from home can be a positive sign that

needs to be paid attention to for the organization.

Method

Design of the study

The current study was designed to understand how job satisfaction is affected by hybrid mode. The class

will be divided into three groups, each group covering a different aspect related to job satisfaction. Few

students from each group will take the interview from employees working in varied organizations. Before

conducting face-to-face interviews, purposive sampling method will be used to select the sample of 10
participants. An organizational visit will be held, to conduct interviews by using a semi-structured

interview schedule. Further transcriptions and thematic analysis methods will be used to analyze the data.

Tools Description A semi-structured interview schedule was formed keeping in mind the aim of the

practical to collect the data from the participants. In order to form the interview schedule, a class

discussion was held and after three reviews, the final interview schedule was formed (Appendix 1).

Sample To gather the qualitative data 10 participants were selected using purposive sampling method

from different organizations. The criteria of selection was their organization works in hybrid mode, so it

may provide data on employees’ job satisfaction working from office/home.

Materials required

● Semi-structured Interview schedule

● Interview is recorded on a recorder

● Pen/Pencil

● Notebook

● Laptop/Mobile phone

Rapport formation

A telephonic conversation was done with the participants to take their consent for being a part of the

study. An individual conversation was carried out with each participant to make them feel comfortable.

All the participants were informed about the aim of the study and encouraged to answer honestly.

Furthermore, all the participants were assured that confidentiality will be maintained, and the data will

only be used for academic purposes. Finally, they were asked if they had any queries. Once their queries

were resolved the interviews began.

Procedure

This study aimed to investigate the impact of hybrid mode of working on job satisfaction by conducting

on-site visits to various organizations such as HDB Financial services, TSYS, Sopra Steria India,

Accenture, Gap, and Titan Company. After rapport establishment and resolving all the queries or doubts

of participants, an interview was conducted. In the beginning, simple questions like, “Prefered mode of
 working, performance and productivity in remote working”, etc were discussed to ease the participants

into the interview. As and when the participants were more comfortable, they were asked more complex

questions such as “positive /negative effects on mental health and overall well-being with the use of

WFH, maintaining balance between personal and professional life”, etc. The sequence of the interview

questions were modified depending on the participant’s response and reasons described. Probing

questions were asked wherever required. Once the interview was over, each and every participant was

thanked for sharing their valuable views on working from home and its impact on their satisfaction at

work. The Demographic Profile of the participants was taken and is mentioned in Table 1.

Demographic Data

Table 1. Showing Demographic information of Employees working in hybrid working mode in different

Organizations.

PARTICIPANT AGE GENDER ORGANIZATION FAMILY PARTICIPANT

NAME POSITION

P1 50 Male HDB Financial Nuclear National Credit

Services Manager

P2 35 Female HDB Financial Joint Lead vertical HR

Services

P3 34 Female HDB Financial Nuclear Zonal HR

Services

P4 40 Male HDB Financial Nuclear Project Manager

Services

P5 41 Male HDB Financial Nuclear Regional HR

 Services

P6 44 Female TSYS Joint Director

Application System

Development

P7 47 Male SopraSteria India Joint Senior Delivery

Manager

P8 27 Female Accenture Nuclear Data Analyst

P9 25 Male Gap Nuclear Legal Consultant

P10 26 Female Titan Company Nuclear Program Manager

Lead

Data Collection and Data Analysis

For the purpose of data collection, the class group was divided into subgroups. Few were engaged in

conducting interviews, and few were involved in the transcription process. Once all the interviews were

transcribed, sub-themes and major-themes were derived collectively by 12 the group. This helped the

group draw insights into how work from home/ work from office affects job satisfaction.

Results

Once all the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, sub-themes and major themes were

identified based on its relevance, as shown in Table 2

Interpretation and Discussion

The aim of the practical was to understand the job satisfaction of employees working in hybrid mode in

different organizations. Job satisfaction describes the degree to which individuals enjoy their job. It was

described by Edwin Locke (1976) as the state of feeling resulting from appraising one’s job experiences.

WFH is an acronym for “work from home”, which describes a modern working arrangement where

employees perform job responsibilities remotely, typically from their own homes instead of an office.

Purposive sampling was used to select the sample of ten participants. An organizational visit was held to

conduct interviews by using a semi structured interview schedule. Further transcriptions and thematic

analysis methods were used to analyze the data. The following themes were interpreted from the

interviews conducted:

Major Theme 1: Gender & Position Based Preferences

One of the first questions posed to each participant from the interview schedule was about their

preference between working from home or working from the office. This question was met with various

responses. Some participants preferred working from the comfort of their home citing efficiency reasons

whereas others preferred working from the office as they felt that it provided them with better

coordination and continuity in work. Some participants preferred mixed approach i. e., hybrid mode of

working. Preference of working arrangement depended on job requirements and convenience. It was also

noted that there was an influence of gender roles in the working arrangement preference as female

participants’ responses were veiled under their domestic and parental responsibilities as well. On the basis

of these observations, the first major theme interpreted was ‘Gender & Position Based Preferences’. The

sub themes interpreted were ‘prefer work from home/office’, ‘mixed approach’, ‘Job requirements and

convenience’, and ‘Influence of gender role’.

Major Theme 2: Tangible & intangible benefits of work from office vs home

Various different responses were received when the participants were asked to elaborate on their working

arrangement preferences. Participants preferring WFH cited reduced travel time, and convenience in
working according to different time zones as benefits of working from home. On the other hand,

participants who preferred working from the office, cited reasons such as personal responsibilities at

home and organic social interactions in the office. Most participants leaned towards hybrid mode of

working, however there were a few who preferred absolute WFH. It was noted that overall, working

arrangement preferences were subjective according to many factors such as age relationship status, family

type, etc. On the basis of these observations, the second major theme interpreted was ‘Tangible &

intangible benefits of work from office vs 26 home’. The sub themes interpreted were ‘Comfort Zone &

Global Connectivity’, ‘Personal responsibilities’, and ‘Social circles & Support systems’.

Major Theme 3: Improved Work Performance and Productivity

On the topic of the impact of WFH on work performance and productivity, most participants agreed that

the overall impact was positive. Some responses alluded to better sleep and less tiredness, others cited

comfort and ease of working for overall increase in productivity. On the basis of these observations, the

third major theme interpreted was ‘Improved Work Performance and Productivity’. The sub themes

interpreted were ‘Self-care and lower stress level’, ‘Increased Productivity’, and ‘WFH–comfort & ease

of working’.

Major Theme 4: Technological requirements & Transitional Challenges

On the subject of technological requirements during WFH, some participants expressed difficulty to

adapt to new software in the beginning. This points toward a possible lack in entry-level training. Several

participants mentioned that though challenges were present, technical assistance was available to

overcome any such challenges. On the basis of these observations, the fourth major theme interpreted was

‘Technological requirements & transitional Challenges’. The sub themes interpreted were ‘Lack of Entry-

Level Training’, ‘Altruistic environments to upskills’, and ‘Availability of technical assistance’.

Major Theme 5: Perks & Benefits of Hybrid Mode

When the question regarding flexibility of their working hours was asked, it could be noted that this

depended largely on the nature of the job and the organizational culture. Participants work according to
the designated regulations. WFH, specifically in hybrid mode, appeared to be favorable in working across

time zones. Moreover, there is less micromanagement from higher ups. Tasks are more outcome oriented

hence providing workplace flexibility. On the basis of these observations, the fifth major theme

interpreted was ‘Perks & Benefits of Hybrid Mode’. The sub themes interpreted were ‘Working across

time-zones’, ‘workplace flexibility’, ‘WFH–Comfort Zone’, and ‘Less micro management & outcome

oriented’. 27

Major Theme 6: Communication Competence & Bonding at workplace

With respect to connection with co-workers, most participants did feel a lack in that area when working

from home. They desired a sense of personal bonding with their colleagues. This was apparent in the way

they spoke about it too. One participant, for instance, talked in great detail and quite sincerely about the

importance of offline interactions and the positive impact it has. Some responses also circled back to this

connection being essential due to the demands of a certain job. The fact that all the participants (to

varying degrees) place emphasis on the human connection reiterates the basic fact that people are social

beings, which applies in organizational settings as well. On the basis of these observations, the sixth

major theme interpreted was ‘Communication Competence & Bonding at Workplace’. The sub themes

interpreted were ‘Limited personal interaction in WFH’ and ‘Essential workplace communication &

connection’.

Major Theme 7: Team Dynamics, Collaboration & Work Culture with Technology

Communication and coordination when working from home is largely possible due to technological

advancements such as video conferencing, google meets, organization and team apps. These essentially

help create a virtual office space. A negative side with respect to communication when working from

home is that it is difficult to keep a check on everyone’s work and coordinate simultaneously. An

inference that can be deduced here is that working requires discipline and set boundaries. Since there is

nobody to physically overlook one’s work, employees may get tardy and just continue to work at their

own pace. On the basis of these observations, the seventh major theme interpreted was ‘Team Dynamics,
Collaboration & Work Culture with Technology’. The sub themes interpreted were ‘Response time

uncertainty’ and ‘Affable work environment with technology’.

Major Theme 8: Support System in WFH

The support that participants receive from family depends on their life situation at home. This includes

one’s gender, relationship status, family structure and system, relationship with family members, etc.

When asked about social and familial support during WFH, a wide range of responses were received.

Some participants expressed frustration about the overlapping of 28 personal and professional boundaries

that may occur with WFH. Besides professional responsibilities, due to family expectations, some

participants have to juggle personal responsibilities as well leading to overall increase in the number of

responsibilities and health concerns (as one participant cited deteriorating sleep). However, there were

also some participants who claimed that their families “have adjusted to their new mode of working”. On

the basis of these observations, the eighth major theme interpreted was ‘Support System in WFH’. The

sub themes interpreted were ‘Overlapping personal & professional boundaries’, ‘Increased

responsibilities & family expectations’ and ‘Health Concerns’.

Major Theme 9: Mental Health & Wellbeing

The impact of working from home on overall well-being is a multifaceted issue with positive and

negative facets. This is mostly subjective because different things matter to different people and

depending on that employees evaluate their working situation. This determines the effects on their

physical and mental health. For instance, one participant mentioned that it was easier for him to take

breaks and rest when working from home while another participant stated that her working hours are

extended from home. Job characteristics and situations as well as individual factors are crucial here. On

the basis of these observations, the ninth major theme interpreted was ‘Mental Health & Wellbeing’. The

sub themes interpreted were ‘Extension of working hours in WFH’, ‘Effect on physical and mental

health’, and ‘Comfort and adaptability to time zones’.

Major Theme 10: Wellness Pursuits

Continuously sitting in front of a screen for hours without any breaks or change of environment/ activity

can be both mentally and physically taxing for any individual. When asked about strategies of coping

with negative aspects of WFH, the participants responded with various methods that they employ to

manage their physical and psychological health. Several ways of re energizing oneself were mentioned,

such as meditation, mindfulness, cooking, strolling, chit chat with friends, yoga, etc. Through these

various methods the traditional office routine can be restructured to fit into the WFH working

arrangement. On the basis of these observations, the tenth major theme interpreted was ‘Wellness

Pursuits’. The sub themes interpreted were ‘Ways to re energize oneself during breaks (Meditation,

Mindfulness, Cooking, Strolling, Chit chat with friends, Yoga)’ and ‘Restructuring traditional office

routine’.

Major Theme 11: Challenges & Strategies to disconnect from work in non-working hours

No matter what it's not always possible to build a very stringent line between your family and work

because sometimes you have to get flexible and work according to your priority, sometimes your family

needs more attention and vice-versa so it's not like an impermeable distinction. When asked about

challenges encountered when disconnecting from work in non-working hours and strategies used to

negate them, insightful responses were received. One participant believed that she can manage both the

aspects quite well. When she was at home she looked at it like an opportunity to make the best out of it by

taking short refreshing breaks and spending some time with her daughter as well, she also seemed quite

organized when she was explaining how she handles everything which clearly explained why she was

comfortable with both the modes and maintaining work life balance in it. Another participant also had a

similar viewpoint that when you go to office and you come back you feel joy when you meet with your

family, while when you are at home and you are not able to give attention to either work and family, you

rather start getting irritated and take either your work or your family for granted. What is interesting to

note here is that the latter participant was a bachelor which had an effect on his answer which was that

everyone answered from their family perspective, whereas he answered from the perspective of his own
comfort and balance between his personal life and work. He didn't mention about managing time for

family, rather he was more inclined towards how companies sometimes cross the time boundaries and

expect them to work on off hours as well which has a negative effect. Therefore, it is evident that one’s

relationship status also clearly affects one’s thinking on many tangents. On the basis of these

observations, the eleventh major theme interpreted was ‘Challenges & Strategies to disconnect from work

in non-working hours’. The sub themes interpreted were ‘Challenges in setting clear boundaries’ and

‘Workplace Culture & Job Position Requirement’.

Major Theme 12: Strategies for work life balance

When asked about balancing personal and professional life, the participants elaborated their own

challenges that they faced with regards to work life balance. One participant claimed that work life

balance, for them, is easy. “The only need is to have a good work ethic and that’s it, you will be working

and finding time for your family too especially when you don’t have to waste both 30 time and energy for

an office commute.” Another participant expressed that when one is working from home, somewhere

down the line they’ll start taking their family for granted. When they go from the office to their daughter,

the happiness they experience is different than when they’re at home and she is disturbing them around

the whole day while working. So in order to deal with such situations, they keep a domestic help to take

care of the child during their working hours at home. Therefore, it can be noted that work life balance is a

difficult thing to achieve and overcoming the challenges that occur in order to achieve it are numerous

and often guided by the individual’s life circumstances, personal and professional responsibilities. On the

basis of these observations, the twelfth major theme interpreted was ‘Strategies for work life balance’.

The sub theme interpreted was ‘Overcoming challenges in personal and professional life’.

Major Theme 13: Tangible & intangible benefits

When asked about the time cost and feasibility and the overall economics of WFH, the responses were

varied as different participants prioritized different things. One participant earlier believed that working

from home can sometimes turn out to be a little more expensive, but when compared with the traveling

time they believed ultimately it's similar because they have to spend a good amount on traveling costs as
well. Thus, it is evident for this participant, they were considering the overall cost effectiveness. On the

other end was another participant who was very much in favor of working from office hence, it could be

derived that they didn't even consider thinking about the cost effectiveness, because for them the priority

is working from office even if it's relatively more expensive. On the basis of these observations, the

thirteenth major theme interpreted was ‘Tangible & intangible benefits’. The sub theme interpreted was

‘Economic benefits & feasibility (Time and Cost)’.

Major Theme 14: Job Satisfaction - Overall rating (1-5)

The final question posed to the participants was to rate their job satisfaction on a rating scale from 1-5.

On the basis of the participants’ responses the fourteenth and final major theme interpreted was ‘Job

Satisfaction - Overall rating (1-5)’. The sub themes interpreted were ‘Different Perceptions on one’s Job

Satisfaction’ and ‘Other’. In a study by Montuori P., Sorrentino M., Sarnacchiaro P., Duca F. D., Nardo

A., Ferrante B., D’Angelo D., Sarno S., Pennino F., Masucci A., Triassi M. & Nardone A., conducted a

study to analyze simultaneously knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward job satisfaction in a general

population in a large metropolitan area. The data acquired revealed that Marital status and having children

seem to be an important factor that negatively influences job satisfaction. In our practical as well, it is

evident from the first major theme of ‘Gender & Position Based Preferences’ and twelfth major theme of

‘Strategies of work life balance’ that marital status and having children was a major factor that not just

influenced individual Job Satisfaction but also overall preference of working arrangement–whether

absolute or hybrid. Participants who were married, especially women, expressed how difficult it was for

them to juggle both professional and personal responsibilities while working from home thus influencing

their job satisfaction. In a study conducted by Panigrahi A. & Joshi V. D., they aimed to determine the job

satisfaction of employees in Infosys. The findings were that employees at Infosys valued work

relationships and healthy working conditions the most when it came to job satisfaction. This is also

supported by our practical, as was evident in the sixth major theme of ‘Communication Competence &

Bonding at workplace’. All the participants (to varying degrees) placed emphasis on the human

connection. This fact reiterates the basic fact that people are social beings, which applies in organizational
settings as well. Healthy workplace relationships would give way to more collaboration and efficiency in

work performance and productivity thus affecting job satisfaction.

Conclusion

The aim of the practical was to understand the job satisfaction of employees working in hybrid mode in

different organizations. Purposive sampling was used to select the sample of ten participants. An

organizational visit was held to conduct interviews by using a semi structured interview schedule. Further

transcriptions and thematic analysis methods were used to analyze the data. The following major themes

were interpreted: Gender and Position Based Preferences, Tangible & intangible benefits of work from

office vs home, improved work performance and productivity, Technological requirements & Transitional

Challenges, Perks & benefits of Hybrid Mode, Communication Competence & Bonding at workplace,

Team dynamics Collaboration & 32 work culture with technology, Support system in WFH, Mental

health & wellbeing, Wellness pursuits, Challenges & strategies to disconnect from work in non-working

hours, Strategies for work life balance, Tangible & intangible Benefits, Job Satisfaction-Overall rating (1-

5). References

Montuori P., Sorrentino M., Sarnacchiaro P., Di Duca F., Nardo A., Ferrante B, D'Angelo D., Di Sarno

S., Pennino F., Masucci A., Triassi M., Nardone A. (2022). Job Satisfaction: Knowledge, Attitudes,

and Practices Analysis in a Well-Educated Population. International Journal of Environmental

Research and Public Health. 19(21), 14214.

 Appendix 1

Interview Schedule

1. Do you like working from the office or working from home? Please elaborate.

2. Which nature of WFH do you prefer most (hybrid/absolute) and why?

3. Does WFH enhance your work performance and productivity? Please elaborate.

4. Do you find it easy to meet the technological requirements during WFH?

5. Are your work timings/schedules fixed or flexible? How do you feel about it?

6. Has it also increased your efficiency in tasks with teammates?

7. Do you feel connected with your coworkers/colleagues and do you find support from them?

8. What role does WFH play in your ability to collaborate and communicate with colleagues or

teammates?

9. Do you receive social and family support while WFH?

10. Have you noticed any positive /negative effects on mental health and overall well-being with the use

of WFH?

11. What strategies do you use to cope, If WFH is negatively impacting your physical and psychological

health?

12. Do you find it challenging to disconnect yourself from WFH, during non-working hours? Please

elaborate.

13. Do you find it easy/difficult to find quality time for your family and friends with WFH?
14. With WFH, how do you balance between your personal and professional life?

15. How does WFH affect your need for social interactions?

16. Do you find it economical while WFH, how?

17. How would you like to rate WFH on a scale of 5?

18. Considering above all, on a rating scale of 1 to 5 how would you like to rate yourself on job

satisfaction.