Remote Working and Task Innovativeness – an Integrated Resource Based View and Antecedent-Behaviour-Consequence Perspective

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations across the world have been adopting different strategies, including remote working (RW), to continue with their normal routines. However, little is known about the impact of RW strategy on task innovativeness, organisational performance, and employees’ continuance intention to remote work post-COVID-19. Using a variant of the resource-based view and the antecedent-behaviour-consequence models, data was collected from a total of 643 employees in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ghana; and analysed using structural equation modelling (Study 1). The results showed and confirmed a positive effect of RW strategy, information systems (IS) resource availability and capabilities on employees’ task innovativeness leading to improved organisational performance. Further, interviews were then conducted with 22 participants from Ghana and the UK (Study 2) to understand the reasons for the outcomes in Study 1. These provided a basis for employees’ continuance intention to remote work. The need to upgrade the current levels of IS resources to support job redesign and responsive workaround in times of uncertainty is highlighted for the consideration of businesses, organisations, and policymakers.