Introduction
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people were forced to leave their offices and work from home. The results of forced and large-scale work-from-home practices are currently largely unexplored. Due to the lack of face-to-face interaction for knowledge sharing, they must rely on digital platforms to replace their previous collaborative interactivity.
Scientists hypothesized that digital media are widely used to build professional relationships and creative performance (CP) and knowledge sharing (KS) among employees. Forced remote work (including WFH) leads to a higher CP of employees than working in an office. To determine the relationship between DKS and CP and their impact on current WFH practices, 282 intellectual workers were cross-surveyed in Norway during the isolation period.
Model Development
The presented research model includes five main components. The model consists of internal and external DKS, as well as CP, which are variable components. The independent members in the proposed model are individual, demographic, and organizational factors.
Demographic variables, including gender, age, employee position, and organizational size, are essential for the study to predict DKS. This is because demographic factors influence the social interactions of employees, which contribute to the formation of network connections. As for age, older employees tend to have more difficulties with DKS in networks that require digital tools than their younger colleagues. Additionally, “researchers have suggested that females may have lower CP capacity in some cases as a result of gender stereotypes” (Tonessen et al.).
At the individual level, stress and motivation affect both DKS and CP. Scientists have demonstrated a decrease in internal digital knowledge sharing (DKS) within a department or an entire organization. Demographic data includes age, gender, an employee’s position and role in the organization, and the size of the enterprise in terms of the number of employees.
Individual factors include stress (work-related), motivation, and use of digital platforms. The widespread use of digital media provides more information that is important to CP. However, researchers using SCT also noted that digital technology does not guarantee that internal or external DKS will happen (Tonessen et al.).
Quantitative Research Techniques
The survey respondents are knowledge workers from Norway. The respondents were selected from both private and public organizations and enterprises. The study model was examined using an online cross-sectional survey. The survey for respondents was sent out via email and some social media. Participants were allowed to leave their answers confidential, ensuring that the study was anonymous.
Although the country’s government adopted a regulation on isolation on March 12, 2020, the research needed a stable and well-functioning remote work system. Thus, the survey was conducted in April and recruited 282 respondents. However, 45 responses were excluded due to incorrect data, and the final result left 237 answers.
Results and Analysis
Survey data shows that 41% of the participating knowledge workers believe their CP has increased, and 22% believe it has decreased during the WFH. About 42% indicated an increase in internal DKS, while 29% indicated a decrease in internal DKS. Likewise, 26% of knowledge workers believe their external DKS has increased, while 31% expressed the opposite opinion. The results of Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that the external ABL has a weak positive correlation with age (r = 0.18, p <0.01), a weak negative correlation with gender (r = – 0.15, p <0.05), and a weak negative correlation with the size of the organization (r = 0.17, p <0.01). However, no significant association was found with the employee’s job title and type of organization.
Pearson’s correlation analysis results show that internal DKS scores have a weak positive correlation with stress (r = 0.16, p <0.05). However, external DKS scores are not significantly associated with individual variables. The correlation analysis indicates that internal DKS scores are, on average, positively associated with the innovation climate (r = 0.38, p <0.001). In contrast, the external DKS scores have an average positive correlation with the impact of the crisis (r = 0.38, p <0.001). Moreover, “the analysis results reveal that CP has a moderate positive correlation with external DKS (r = 0.40, p < 0.001) and a weak positive correlation with internal DKS (r = 0.24, p < 0.001)” (Tonessen et al., 2021).
Future Research Framework
One of the directions for future research is to expand the geographic coverage and conduct cross-country research on both measures related to COVID-19 and the mechanisms of WFH that affect CP. This could broaden our understanding of cultural influences on working methods and government differences in managing COVID-19, involving KS and CPs in organizations. Methodologically, we encourage scientists to design projects that evaluate variables over time to determine cause and effect. Actual experimentation, quasi-experimentation, and longitudinal observational studies help address future causal issues regarding DKS and CP in a WFH setting. Preferably, the sampling procedure is random sampling, such as probability sampling.
Future research should provide validated constructs with different organizational factors (e.g., location, culture, strategy, and technological infrastructure) and individual attributes (e.g., personality, cognitive style, experience, and self-efficacy). In addition to self-assessment measures, KP measures calculated by the supervisor should also be used. In-depth interviews with managers can help better understand the relationship between work and practice, DKS, and CP. This should consider how managers assess employee creativity and analyze individual performance in the newly emerging mix of telecommuting and working from home. Also, the question is how leaders and organizers will further motivate their employees to work intellectually and promote the company.
Conclusion
The pandemic has triggered crises that affect economies worldwide and the general health of the world’s population. That is why, to stimulate and grow organizations and enterprises, it is essential to consider and encourage creativity and innovation. As the world strives to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic, opportunities arise for scientists and practitioners alike to conduct new research and engage in creative work. The present study offers some of the first insights into the decisive but poorly understood impact of forced WFH practice on DKS and CP during a pandemic. In addition, the study uses SCT and looks at a comprehensive set of demographic, individual, and organizational variables to better understand their relationship to DKS and CP.
Reference
Tonnessen, O., Dhir, A., Flaten B. T. (2021). Digital knowledge sharing and creative performance: Work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 170, 1-13.