Scale validation for home office work scale (HOWS) assessment during the COVID - 19 pandemic

Abstract

Background information:Due to the expansion of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19), many countries have adopted social isolation as a preventive measure to contain the disease. Staying at home led to the adaptation of many professional activities to work at home (Home Office) in order to make possible the continuity and creation of new work systems, but it also affected the routine of the home and the way of working, allowing substantial changes in people's behavior, justifying this study.Objective: To validate the scale for assessing the impact on human behavior in working conditions in the Home Office due to social isolation.Method: Data collection was done online, using a specific computational tool (google forms) for this type of research. The initial sample was 1083 volunteers. After collection, a database was created for statistical analysis of the data and validation of the instrument. Two statistical criteria were used, the Factor Loads of the Main Components and the Screeplot. Results:The statistics confirmed suitability for the elaboration of the factor analysis based on the results of KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) and Bartlett. The Screeplot statistical criterion pointed to the existence of 3 factors. The internal consistency of the scale showed a positive result of 0.7477536 by the GLB Algebric coefficient (Greatest Lower Bound), for questionnaires applied for the first time. Conclusion:The Home Office Work Scale (HOWS) scale was validated to be applied in situations where people are in the work situation in the Home Office in social isolation. The limitations found for applying the scale did not compromise the results

Use of Digital Technologies in Home Office Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The growing interest in this topic and its possible effects on organizational culture, human behavior, and workplace operations, in general, justifies this endeavor. Further research should reinforce the scale´s validity and may allow the comparison between results produced by individuals under the conditions reported in this study [9].…”

“…Considering the novelty and emergence of the study topic, the Home Office Work Scale (HOWS) was applied, validated and published in Mental Health and Addiction Research in 2021 (doi:10.15761/MHAR.1000201). Our sample consisted of 1,056 valid questionnaires [9].…”

“…The keywords were: home office; coronavirus; COVID-19; pandemic; human behavior; social distancing; social isolation. The same keywords used in the search in the questionnaires were used in the published manuscript that validated the HOWS scale [9].…”

“…Impacts on human behavior are relevant when changes occur in individuals´ routine, requiring changes in habits and relations, especially when isolation is imposed with the intensification of online practices [9].…”

“…Individuals also tend to feel disconnected from the organization or group to which they belong. It is possible to lose track of time due to not sharing time with others, all aggravated by excessive use of digital technologies, reinforcing the solitary nature of home office work, which can lead to unhealthy behavior changes [9].…”