International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

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Work From Home and Perceived Productivity among Public Service Engineers

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The work from home (WFH) arrangement, once a relatively uncommon practice, has attracted significant scholarly attention following its widespread implementation during the recent global health crisis. Organizations, including Malaysia's public service sector, were compelled to adopt WFH, making it a new norm for many employees. This study aims to investigate the factors that contribute to perceived productivity among public service engineers while WFH and to identify the impacts of WFH on public service engineers’ perceived productivity. To achieve these objectives, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten public service engineers who had experience working both in-office prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and remotely during the pandemic. The findings reveal that individual factors, along with organizational support, home and family dynamics, and job-related demands, significantly influence perceived productivity during WFH. However, the overall impact of WFH on productivity was perceived to be negative, with participants reporting reduced efficiency and longer task completion times compared to traditional office settings. The study concludes with practical suggestions and recommendations for enhancing productivity in future remote work arrangements.
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