Making Telework Work: The Effect of Telecommuting Intensity on Employee Work Outcomes

The current study examined the effects of telecommuting intensity – the amount of scheduled time that employees spend doing work away from the central work location – on employee outcomes. Results of this study provided insight into how telecommuting intensity relates to turnover intent and supervisor-rated performance through mediating mechanisms of work-life conflict, professional isolation, and Leader-Member Exchange. An online survey instrument was created, and an invitation to participate was sent by e-mail to telecommuters. Each participant was asked to provide an email address for his or her direct supervisor. The supervisor was asked to complete a shortened version of the telecommuter survey including an evaluation of the employee’s performance and an assessment of Leader-Member Exchange relationships. Data from these surveys were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicated professional isolation fully mediated the relationship between telecommuting intensity and turnover intent. Further, work-life conflict, professional isolation, and LMX quality all were significantly related to turnover intent and LMX quality was significantly related to supervisor-rated performance. Implications for future research and practice are presented