The impact of remote working from the managers’ perspective : does it really improve productivity? : a case study within two Maltese public authorities to investigate the managers’ perception of whether the implementation of remote working improves productivity

Abstract

This study revolves around the concept of remote working and how managers, within the Maltese public sector, perceive its impact on employees’ productivity. Due to the rapid increase in technology, the Maltese government has been planning on digitising most of its services to improve the quality of service towards the general public. As part of this strategic plan, the government has also planned on procuring the necessary ICT tools to allow all public employees to work remotely with the intention of taking care of its employees so that they will eventually take care of the general public. The researcher has taken this opportunity to investigate the remote working phenomenon from the aspect of the managers to examine whether they think employees improve their level of productivity when working remotely. This investigation was achieved through a case study conducted within two Maltese public authorities; namely the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) and the Malta Medicines Authority (MMA). A mono-method approach was taken for the study, comprising of an online survey questionnaire distributed to all the managers working in these authorities. The study was carried out based on what was reflected in the literature review, which aided in investigating the relationship between remote and productivity, and whether this relationship was mediated by the work-life balance, job satisfaction and motivation variables.