Investigating the impact of comfort-zone quality in e-work settings

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15549/jeecar.v11i5.1768

Keywords:

E-working, E-office Environment, Technology, Boundary Management, Eating Habits, Photovoice, Slovakia, Austria

Abstract

This study analyzes face-to-display workers' environments and investigates how their habits affect both brick-and-mortar and virtual workplaces. A qualitative study with 20 respondents using a photovoice strategy via snowball sampling was employed. The study aims to shed more light on some of the factors associated with the e-workplace environment. All respondents stated that work cannot be done efficiently and effectively without a comfortable workspace. Data demonstrate that the blurring of the distinction between home and office as a workspace has undeniably accelerated recently. Results show that work-anywhere technologies have empowered e-workers to be highly productive. For some, the balance between family and work has been a challenge. Males and females proceed completely differently when setting up home offices. Employees see ICT as an enabler and motivator for productivity; however, self-care is becoming a must when working remotely. For many, this is a new experience that they have to adjust to. The results obtained show similarities between brick-and-mortar and virtual workplaces and indicate that there is a process of "domestication," i.e., of moving selected features of the traditional workplace to the home office.

Author Biographies

Michal Beno, Prague City University, School of Business

Dr. Michal Beno is an Associate Lecturer at the School of Business, Prague City University, Czechia. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Public Administration, and a PhD in Business Management. His professional interests, research topics, and international collaborations are mainly focused on the development of e-working (work flexibility options) and e-learning in the future. He has published extensively on this topic and has great experience in this field. 

Dagmar Caganova, Comenius University in Bratislava

Dagmar Caganova is a Full Professor in Business Economics and Management and acts as Vice-Rector for Internationalization at Newton University, Prague. She co-founded the European Alliance for Innovation in Slovakia and is an International Advisory Council member of Danubius University. Her professional interests are in Intercultural and Innovation Management, Managerial Skills, Communication in Management and Marketing, International Relationships and Diversity, Mobility, and Smart Cities. Her h-index in WoS is 12 and her SCOPUS h-index is 14.

Adela Poliaková, University of Žilina, Slovakia

Ing. Adela Poliaková, EUR ING, PhD, is an Associate Professor and co-guarantor of the Financial Management study program in the field of Economics and Management at the bachelor's and engineering degree program and a member of the Council of the Study program. Dr. Poliaková is a member of the Association of Slovak Scientific and Technical Societies—Club of Euroengineers in Slovakia.

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2024-10-05

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Beno, M., Caganova, D., & Poliaková, A. (2024). Investigating the impact of comfort-zone quality in e-work settings. Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research (JEECAR), 11(5), 986–1000. https://doi.org/10.15549/jeecar.v11i5.1768

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Vol. 11 No. 5 (2024): Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research

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