Employee orientations and the paradoxes of homeworking

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop a theory of employees’ orientations towards homeworking based on paradox theory and Biron’s dynamic theory of teleworking and an empirical study of homeworkers’ experience of it. Design/methodology/approach This study uses the lens of paradox theory and Biron’s dynamic theory of teleworking alongside data representing university staff’s experience during COVID-19 collected through 11 focus groups involving 86 academic and professional services staff in two English universities in 2021. Findings The pivotal finding is the discovery of two paradoxes in homeworking: (1) a lack of social interaction generates a lack of interruptions and (2) increased contact with family members means work intrudes into the home more, and makes detachment from work more difficult. These paradoxes created tensions for employees, which they managed in various ways, but particularly through job crafting and boundary management; and the extent of the success of this management, particularly in aiding work performance, was a major influence on employees’ orientation towards homeworking and its role in their future lives. Participants said that they had been more effective, but not necessarily more efficient. Research limitations/implications Hypotheses are developed about the determination of orientations towards homeworking that can be tested by quantitative studies centred on the management of homeworking’s inherent paradoxes. The strengths and limitations of the study reflect the focus group method, but generalization of the theory and key results to other professional occupations and beyond seems plausible. Practical implications Hybrid working is a way of managing homeworking’s contradictions and helping people manage them. Human resource managers need to approach its introduction strategically and involve the workforce in its design. Social implications The majority of people whose work lends itself to homeworking have positive orientations to it. Some express complete approval, ideally never wanting to work anywhere else. We might expect its increased use to remain a permanent feature of the employment landscape. Originality/value Most homeworking research has not considered the application of the paradox concept or the learning and job crafting of homeworkers. The autonomy paradox, which has figured in the homeworking literature, is shown to be misleading – more telling generative paradoxes are unearthed in this research.