Time is the most valuable thing – Revisiting the Impact
of Flexible Working Arrangements on Employee Satisfaction and Perceived Productivity
Busse Ronald and Mitteldorf Steffen
Page No: 1-18
In the era of globalisation, digitalisation and market
dynamics, employee satisfaction and productivity are more decisive than ever. These
factors re-ignite the discussion of McKinsey’s ‘war for talent’ from 2001. This
study uses Mayring’s qualitative research to investigate the bilateral contribution
of flexible working arrangements to both employee satisfaction (normative) and employer’s
perceived productivity (rational) under lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The evaluation is executed via Kuckartz’s qualitative text analysis. The main contribution
of the research is the identified wish for a hybrid, balanced working arrangement
consisting of flexibility in time and place as well as specific frameworks of concentration
and interaction.
Limitations included the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which prevented a longitudinal
study and the one-sided nature of the research at the employee level. Future research
might investigate differences of opinion at further points in time or elaborate
long-term effects of flexible working arrangements.
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