Flexible work environments: Understanding the role of employee’s motives and personal preferences in work location decisions

Abstract

As the trend towards flexible work environments continues to grow, gaining a deeper understanding of the underlying motives and personal preferences driving employees' decisions regarding work location becomes increasingly crucial. This study aims to delve into these influential factors using a qualitative research approach. Our findings reveal how employees choose working arrangements that suits the nature of their tasks, conducting concentration tasks at home and tasks that require discussion and cooperation at the office. Further, employees choose their working environments based on their preferred extent of social interactions, seeking relaxation in the home environment and social interactions and belonging in the office environment. Also, home office arrangements seem to better facilitate work-life balance, despite the downside of increased boundary-setting challenges. Finally, we found that showing dedication was crucial for employees. When working from home this manifested in behaviors such as digital presence and availability, even working when they were sick. We also discovered that dedication and commitment served as a significant motive for employees to attend the office. Maintaining a physical presence was perceived to enhance positive evaluations and create opportunities. We applied the theoretical framework of self-determination theory, job crafting, work-life balance and presenteeism in our discussion of the findings. Our findings can offer knowledge to organizations about the significance of understanding employees' needs and desires, enabling to create tailored work environ