Communication technologies enabled opportunities for new ways of working while the COVID-19 conditions triggered companies of all sizes to restrict their operations and telework became a popular option. Its increasing prevalence has sparked discussions in academic literature and organizational contexts regarding its impact on work-life balance.
Objective
This study aims to investigate how and when telework promotes work-life balance (WLB) by observing intrinsic motivation through the need satisfaction perspective of self-determination theory (SDT).
Methods
The hypotheses were tested in a sample of 190 participants, which were exclusively remote or hybrid teleworkers in Türkiye. Data was collected during the post-pandemic normalization phase, allowing diverse participants to assess telework within a spectrum of various applications. The results were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
Results
PLS-SEM results support that the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as introduced in SDT, mediates the relationship between telework quality (QoT) and WLB. The moderating influence of the conscientiousness personality trait strengthen the relationship of competence and relatedness with WLB and the frequencies of solo-work, group collaboration, and meetings moderate the relationship of QoT with competence and relatedness.
Conclusions
Our findings expand the current knowledge on telework by examining the role of Self-Determination Theory in exploring the relationship between telework quality and work-life balance. By analyzing moderating factors, it deepens telework insights and offers actionable guidance for fostering intrinsic motivation that leads greater balance between work and nonwork roles, benefiting e-leaders in optimizing telework strategies.
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