An examination of remote e-working and flow experience: The role of technostress and loneliness

Abstract

Since early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to numerous businesses around the world making use of information and communication technologies (ICT) more frequently than ever to help transition operations to remote e-working. As a result, using multiple technologies on a daily basis has become the norm for many employees across the world. While it is evident that working remotely may trigger higher ICT demands and reduced face-to-face interaction, less is known about how this exposure may influence employees’ subjective mental experiences related to concentration and satisfaction at work (i.e., flow). The aim of this present study is to gain insights and to explore the relationship between remote e-working and employee flow experiences by introducing two key stressors; technostress and loneliness. Data were collected from a survey of 202 employees from the financial services sector in Turkey. The results revealed that remote e-working experience had a significant and positive effect on the flow levels of employees. Technostress and loneliness serially mediated the relationship between remote e-working and flow. The findings contribute to remote e-working research by exploring the consequences of such experiences and introducing two important key stressors, which result in lower levels of flow at work. Practical implications are provided for improving remote e-working conditions and employee well-being.