METHODOLOGY ARTICLE
o-Workers' vs. e-Workers' Perceptions of Job Performance: Evidence from Austrian Service Professionals 
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, Czech Republic
 
These authors had equal contribution to this work
 
 
Submission date: 2025-03-01
 
 
Final revision date: 2025-05-03
 
 
Acceptance date: 2025-05-20
 
 
Online publication date: 2025-06-25
 
 
Publication date: 2025-07-16
 
 
Corresponding author
Dagmar Caganova   

Chancellor’s office, Newton university, Czech Republic
 
 
Management 2025;(1):649-664
 
KEYWORDS
JEL CLASSIFICATION CODES
C9
J21
J24
J28
 
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Research background and purpose: E-work has become increasingly widespread, but it is not accessible to all. Existing research highlights how the remote setting influences individual productivity but the question remains whether workforce is more or less productive remotely or at work. Therefore, this research study aims to examine o-workers' vs. e-workers' perceptions of job performance in the post-Covid era on the basis of research done during the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: A quasi-experimental design was used in this study of two groups working on the same project for the Czech and Slovak markets from calendar week 1 of 2024 to calendar week 13 (01.01.2024 to 31.03.2024). The authors created macros in Excel for the self-assessment reports (using the De Menezes and De Paula Xavier’s instrument) to track the job-performance of employees. Eleven hypotheses were tested using Pearson's chi-square test of independence; 10 (H1-H10) of the 11 hypotheses were confirmed. Findings: According to the data, e-work enables mutual matching between employees and firms, which boosts labour productivity. Working at the home premises produces a better turnaround on projects and increases productivity. E-work can be a more productive work environment compared to o-working, because it can lead to focusing on practices that promote well-being and help employees thrive wherever the work is critical. Value added and limitations: Instead of autocratically ordering the workforce back to the office, employers could exploit this advantage to determine how to make e-work work. It is incumbent upon employers to recognise workers as individuals, not just as units of labour in the business. Despite some limitations (sample size, questions in language, geographical scope, restricted generalisation, lack of randomisation and limited control over outside factors), this paper presents crucial findings related to the questions at issue.
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