Benefits of Flexible Working System During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Field Study in Turkey

Öz

The aim of this study is to examine the opinions and attitudes of healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers), academicians and civil servants who benefit from flexible working practices during the Covid-19 pandemic period. This is a descriptive study. A questionnaire form was used in the study as a data collection tool which includes statements about the benefits of flexible working practice during the pandemic such as; family work balance, family work conflict, motivation, performance, productivity, quality of life and health. Study results show that; healthcare professionals experienced an increase in their motivation and job satisfaction, their productivity was positively affected, their individual and corporate performances have increased, while academicians experienced a decrease in their motivation and job satisfaction, their productivity was not positively affected, and their concentration has decreased during flexible working period in the pandemic.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Flexible working
• Remote Working
• Covid-19 Pandemic
• Healthcare Professionals
• Academicians

Kaynakça

1. AIM (Australian Institute of Management). [online] Managing in a Flexible Work Environment, Green Paper. https://static1.squarespace.com
2. Anderson, A. J., Kaplan, S. A., & Vega, R. P. (2015). The impact of telework on emotional experience: When, and for whom, does telework improve daily affective well-being?. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 24(6), 882-897. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2014.966086.
3. Andringa, W., Nieuwenhuis, R., & Van Gerven, M. (2015). Women’s working hours: The interplay between gender role attitudes, motherhood, and public childcare support in 23 European countries. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 35(9-10), 582-599. doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-10-2014-0073.
4. Aydoğan, M., & Sener, A. (2020). An Artificial Intelligence Application in Health Developed on Covid-19 Documents. Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing, 75, 58-66. doi: 10.7176/JHMN/75-08.
5. Baadel, S., Kabene, S., & Majeed, A. (2020). Work-life conflict costs: a Canadian perspective. International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 20(2), 178-186. DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2020.106257.
6. Baker, J. K., Fenning, R. M., & Crnic, K. A. (2011). Emotion socialization by mothers and fathers: Coherence among behaviours and associations with parent attitudes and children’s social competence. Social Development, 20(2), 412-430. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2010.00585.x.
7. Bauregard, T.A., & Henry, L.C. (2009). Making the link between work-life balance practices and organizational performance. Human Resource Management Review, 19, 9-22. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.09.001.
8. Brummelhuis, L.L., Haar, J.M., & Lippe, T.V.D. (2010). Collegiality Under Pressure: The Effects of Family Demands and Flexible Work Arrangements İn The Netherlands. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21(15), 2831-2847. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2010.528666.

9. Cannito, M. (2020). Beyond “traditional” and “new”: An attempt of redefinition of contemporary fatherhoods through discursive practices and practices of care. Men and Masculinities, 23(3-4), 661-67. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184X18822684.
10. Carlson, D. S., Kacmar, K. M., & Williams, L. J. (2000). Construction and Initial Validation of A Multidimensional Measure of Work–Family Conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 56(2), 249-276.
11. Cheese, P. (2008). Talent a prerequisite for high performing companies. Management Today, 24(2), 38-42.
12. Doğan A,. Bozkurt S., & Demir R. (2015). Çalışanların Esnek Çalışmaya İlişkin Tutumlarını Belirlemeye Yönelik Bir Araştırma. Uluslararası İktisadi ve İdari İncelemeler Dergisi, 7(14), 376-398.
13. Doğrul B.Ş., & Tekeli S. (2010). İş-Yaşam Dengesinin Sağlanmasında Esnek Çalışma. Sosyal Ve Beşeri Bilimler Dergisi, 2(2), ISSN: 1309-8012.
14. Eaton S.C., & Bailyn, L. (2000). Career as Life Path: Tracing Work and Life Strategies in Biotechnology Professionals. In M. Pieper, M. Arthur, R. Coffee T. Morris (Eds.), Career Frontiers: New Conceptions of Working Lives (pp. 177-198). Oxford University Press.
15. Esin M.N. (2015). Örnekleme İçinde Hemşirelikte Araştırma: Süreç, Uygulama ve Kritik, (Edt. S. Erdoğan, N.Nahcivan, M.N. Esin), Nobel Tıp Kitapları, İstanbul.
16. Fonner, K., & Stache, L. (2012). All in a day's work, at home: teleworkers’ management of micro role transitions and the work-home boundary. New Technology, Work and Employment, 27(3), 242-257. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-005X.2012.00290.x.
17. Fursman, L., & Zodgekar, N. (2009). Makıng It Work: The Impacts of Flexıble Workıng Arrangements On New Zealand Famılıes. Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, 35, 43-54.
18. Geisler, E., & Kreyenfeld, M. (2019). Policy reform and fathers’ use of parental leave in Germany: The role of education and workplace characteristics. Journal of European Social Policy, 29(2), 273-291. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0958928718765638.
19. Giannikis, S.K., & Dimitrios M. (2011). Flexible Work Arrangements in Greece: A Study of Employee Perceptions. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(2), 417-432.
20. Golden, T. (2006). Avoiding depletion in virtual work: Telework and the intervening impact of work exhaustion on commitment and turnover intentions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 69(1), 176-187. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2006.02.003.
21. Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Balkin, D. B., & Cardy, R. L. (2012). Managing Human Resources (7th edition), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
22. Goodwin, R. D., & Styron, T. H. (2012). Perceived quality of early paternal relationships and mental health in adulthood. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 200(9), 791-795. doi: doi: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e318266f87c.
23. Gornick, J. C., & Meyers, M. K. (2003). Families That Work: Policies for Reconciling Parenthood and Employment, Russell Sage Foundation.
24. Gramm, C. L., & Schnell, J. F. (2001). The use of flexible staffing arrangements in core production jobs. Industrial and Labour Relations Review, 54, 245-253. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/001979390105400203.
25. Griffin, R. W., & Moorhead, G. (2013). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations (11th ed.), Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
26. Gursoy, D., & Chi, C.G. (2020). Effects of Covıd-19 Pandemic On Hospitality İndustry: Review of The Current Situations and A Research Agenda. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(5), 527-529. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2020.1788231.
27. Hildebrandt, E. (2006). Balance Between Work and Life - New Corporate Imposıtıons Through Flexıble Workıng Tıme or Opportunıty for Tıme Sovereıgnty?. European Societies, 8(2), 251-271. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/14616690600645001.
28. Houseman, S. N. (2001). Why employers use flexible staffing arrangements: evidence from an establishment survey. Industrial and Labour Relations Review, 55, 149-162. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/001979390105500109.
29. İleri, Y. Y. (2016). Implementation Processes of Hospital İnformation Management Systems: A Field Study in Turkey. Journal of Information & Knowledge Management, 15(03), 1650031.
30. Kelliher C., & Anderson, D. (2008). For better or for worse? An analysis of how flexible working practices influence employees' perceptions of job quality. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(3), 419-431. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190801895502.
31. Khan, A., Raza, A., & Siddiqui, D. A. (2020). Reducing Employee Turnover through Flexible Work Arrangements: A Case of Unilever’ Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3641415.
32. Kossek, E., Lautsch, B., & Eaton, S. (2005). Telecommuting, control, and boundary management: Correlates of policy use and practice, job control, and work–family effectiveness. En Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68(2), 347-367. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.07.002.
33. Kumar, A., Gupta, P. K., & Srivastava, A. (2020). A Review of Modern Technologies for Tackling Covid-19 Pandemic. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 14(4), 569-573. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2020.05.008.
34. Kyhlstedt, M., & Andersson, S.W. (2020). Diagnostic and Digital Solutions to Address the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Need for İnternational Collaboration to Close the Gap. Health Policy and Technology, 9, 126-128. doi: 10.1016/j.hlpt.2020.04.010.
35. Mackenzie, A., & Nickerson, P. (2009). The Time Trap: The Classic Book on Time Management, Amacom.
36. Meyer, C. S., Mukerjee, S., & Sestero, A. (2001). Work-family benefits: which ones maximize profits?. Journal of Managerial Issues, 13, 28-32.
37. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Center for Work (2004). Family & Personal Life a Guide to Job Flexibility at MIT: Tools for Employees and Supervisors Considering Flexible Work Arrangements, Massachusetts.
38. MOH (Ministry of Health of Republic of Turkey) [online] https://saglik.gov.tr/ (Accessed 16 April 2020).
39. Neo, J. (2013). Motivation and Empowerment Managing and Leading People, Sunderland Business School. ONT (Official Newspaper of the Republic of Turkey). [online] https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/ (Accessed 23 November 2020).
40. Petts, R. J., & Knoester, C. (2018). Paternity leave-taking and father engagement’, Journal of Marriage and Family, 80(5), 1144-1162. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12494.
41. Pichler, F. (2009). Determinants of work-life balance: shortcomings ın the contemporary measurement of WLB ın large-scale surveys’, Social indicators research, 92(3), 449-469. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-008-9297-5.
42. Prasad, D.K., Rao, M., Vaidya, D.R., & Muralidhar, B. (2020). Organizational climate, opportunities, challenges and psychological wellbeing of the remote working employees during Covid-19 pandemic: a general linear model approach with reference to information technology industry in Hyderabad. International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and Technology (IJARET), 11(4), 372-389.
43. Pruchno, R., Litchfield, L. C., & Fried, M. (2000). Measuring the Impact of Workplace Flexibility: Findings from the National Work/Life Measurement Project. Boston, MA: Boston College Center for Work & Family.
44. Rao, P. L. (2004). Comprehensive Human Resource Management, New Delhi: Excel Books.
45. Rees, G., & French, R. (2010). Leading, Managing and Developing People (3rd ed.). London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
46. Rothwell, W. J., Lindholm, J., Yarrish, K. K., & Zaballero, A. G. (2012). The Encyclopedia of Human Resource Management. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
47. Russell, H., O'Connell, P. J., & McGinnity, F. (2009). The Impact of Flexible Working Arrangements on Work–Life Conflict and Work Pressure in Ireland. Gender, Work & Organization, 16(1), 73-97.
48. Sulaymonov, A. (2020). Flexible Working Practices: Urgency or Future?. Modern Economy, 11, 1342-1350. doi: 10.4236/me.2020.117095.
49. TSO (Turkish Statistics Organization). [online] http:// www.tuik.gov.tr (Accessed 05 April 2020) WHO Global Research on Coronavirus Disease. [online] https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/ (Accessed 02 April 2020).