The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world of knowledge work to the left. Increasing the productivity of knowledge workers is a permanent challenge for organizations. It attracts attention that knowledge workers report being more productive when forced to work from home. This thesis investigates how this perceived increase in productivity might relate to the better conditions for deep individual work knowledge workers encounter in the enforced working from home setting.
Therefore, this thesis reviews the enforced working from home literature in the context of deep individual work and conducts two exploratory interviews. This thesis shows narrative evidence that knowledge workers can concentrate better in the workplace at home, prepare their tasks to be suitable for long deep individual work phases, and have the control over their schedule to arrange long interruption-free phases. Thus, knowledge workers engage in deep individual work phases of higher quality, which allows them to be more productive in terms of better work results.
Table of Contents
1 Motivation
2 Theoretical background
2.1 Deep individual work (DIW)
2.2 Knowledge worker productivity
2.3 Enforced working from home (EWFH)
2.4 Affordance theory
3 Research methodology
3.1 Literature search and review
3.2 Interviews
4 Results of the literature review
4.1 Overview of the selected literature
4.2 Concentration in EWFH settings
4.3 Tasks suitable for DIW in EWFH settings
4.4 Longer, foreseeable, interruption-free phases in EWFH settings
4.5 DIW in EWFH settings
5 Results of the interviews
5.1 Demographics
5.2 Concentration in EWFH settings
5.3 Tasks suitable for DIW in EWFH settings
5.4 Longer, foreseeable, interruption-free phases in EWFH settings
5.5 DIW in EWFH settings
5.6 Linking the DIW phases of higher quality to productivity
6 Limitations, further research and reflection
7 Conclusion
Research Objectives & Topics
This thesis investigates the relationship between the enforced working from home (EWFH) setting and the ability of knowledge workers to engage in deep individual work (DIW), ultimately examining how improved DIW conditions impact individual productivity. It addresses the research questions of how EWFH facilitates DIW and how this improved quality of work links to increased productivity.
- Analysis of DIW as a core component of knowledge worker productivity.
- Application of affordance theory to understand the shift from office to home environments.
- Exploration of how EWFH conditions influence concentration and interruption-free work phases.
- Qualitative assessment through interviews with knowledge workers.
- Examination of the "DIW-beneficial virtue cycle" in remote work settings.
Excerpt from the Book
Restorative measures to recharge concentration
The home affords restorative measures to both interviewees. So, they jog, walk with the dog, get fresh air, take a shower, or see the family during breaks of their workday. Bob utilizes these restorative measures in a targeted manner to engage in DIW. “I have the meetings in the morning and do my background research, a bit shallower [tasks], and then [I] go jogging, get some fresh air, go to the deep individual work. And then I’m in the right set of mind.” (Bob). While both interviewees stated that it is sometimes hard to overcome themselves to concentrate on a task requiring DIW, Bob stated that the restorative measures the home enables ease to engage in DIW.
[T]o go to deep individual work, you also need a certain state of mind. Sometimes it just doesn’t work. And at the office when it doesn’t work, there’s not much you can do. At home, you can try these different tricks. You can try to motivate yourself. It’s easier to find the elements [that] would help you to get into this deep individual work, and when you get there, then [it is] smooth sailing afterward. (Bob)
While existing literature suggests that these not primarily work-related activities benefit the KW in the EWFH setting (Bernstein et al. 2020; Ford et al. 2020; Marschall et al. 2020, pp. 148-158; Singer-Velush et al. 2020), they did not relate them to work itself. As jogging serves for Bob as a measure to concentrate better afterward, and not only as a personal benefit, this thesis found signs that KWs use previous free-time activities in a targeted manner as restorative measures (Schwartz and Kaplan 2001, p. 247) to facilitate their concentration for work.
Summary of Chapters
1 Motivation: Defines the research context of knowledge worker productivity and introduces the shift towards enforced working from home (EWFH) as a catalyst for deep individual work (DIW).
2 Theoretical background: Establishes the foundational concepts of DIW, knowledge worker productivity, the EWFH setting, and the application of affordance theory.
3 Research methodology: Outlines the abductive approach, the critical literature review process, and the qualitative analysis of interviews.
4 Results of the literature review: Synthesizes existing research regarding concentration, task suitability, and organizational admissibility for DIW in EWFH environments.
5 Results of the interviews: Presents empirical evidence from expert interviews, analyzing how individual strategies and the EWFH setting interact to facilitate DIW.
6 Limitations, further research and reflection: Discusses the scope of the study, identifies avenues for future research, and reflects on the methodology used.
7 Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, confirming that EWFH can lead to higher quality DIW phases and subsequent productivity gains, while outlining future research needs.
Keywords
Deep individual work, DIW, Enforced working from home, EWFH, Knowledge worker, Productivity, Affordance theory, Concentration, Interruption-free phases, Work-life integration, Qualitative research, Task management, Work environment, Remote work, Schedule control.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on how the enforced working from home (EWFH) setting affects the ability of knowledge workers to engage in deep individual work (DIW) and how this relates to their overall productivity.
What are the central thematic areas?
The key themes include the conditions for deep individual work, the application of affordance theory to work environments, the role of office versus home settings, and the link between concentrated work phases and productivity.
What is the primary research question?
The research questions are: How does enforced working from home allow KWs to engage in deep individual work? and How is deep individual work linked to the increase of productivity?
Which research methodology is applied?
The study follows an abductive approach, utilizing a critical literature review and conducting exploratory, semi-structured interviews with knowledge workers to gain qualitative insights.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body discusses theoretical foundations, reviews existing literature on remote work environments, and analyzes interview data to provide evidence on how home settings afford better concentration, task preparation, and schedule control.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include deep individual work (DIW), enforced working from home (EWFH), productivity, affordance theory, concentration, and task management.
How does the "DIW-beneficial virtue cycle" work?
The cycle suggests that fewer interruptions lead to higher schedule control, which enables the planning of DIW phases. This planning leads to better task preparation, which in turn results in even fewer interruptions, creating a self-reinforcing positive loop.
How does the author define the "hospitable workplace"?
A hospitable workplace is one that allows knowledge workers to adjust environmental conditions (like climate or acoustics) to suit their personal needs, thereby reducing the mental effort required to filter out distractions and facilitating deeper concentration.
- Citation du texte
- Lenard Strahringer (Auteur), 2021, The Home as Productive Place? Investigating Individual Work While Working From Home, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1045563
