The impact of telework intensity on employee proactive behavior: based on the uncertainty management theory

Purpose This study investigates how telework intensity differentially influences three theoretically differentiated foci of employees’ proactive behavior, drawing on uncertainty management theory and media richness theory. It specifically examines the mediating role of perceived uncertainty and explores how media richness of communication technologies serves as a critical boundary condition in this process. Design/methodology/approach A two-wave, matched leader-employee survey was conducted, collecting data from 212 employees and 81 supervisors across multiple provinces in China. The proposed moderated mediation model was analyzed using SPSS and Mplus. Findings Results reveal that telework intensity directly increases employees’ perception of uncertainty, which in turn indirectly reduces prosocial and pro-organization foci proactive behaviors, but does not significantly affect pro-self foci proactive behavior. Media richness significantly moderates this effect: higher media richness weakens the positive relationship between telework intensity and the perception of uncertainty. Originality This study shifts the focus in telework research from general outcomes to a nuanced examination of proactive behavior across distinct foci. It introduces and empirically validates media richness as a pivotal technological moderator, clarifying both how telework intensity influences employees and under what technological conditions its effects are attenuated.