Flexible working arrangements have increased significantly, especially as a result of Covid-19. Previous research has described the deregulation of traditional work forms as an opportunity to increase control among employees. On the other hand, research also shows that more flexibility increases the individuals’ responsibility to set boundaries and make time for sufficient recovery. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the need for recovery among workers with flextime and non-regulated work hours, while also comparing the employees based on parental status.The study also investigates whether the need for recovery differs among flexible workers parental status, while controlling for the perception of control. A registry study was conducted using a cross-sectional design and data from 830 flexible workers have been analyzed. Results show no significant difference in the need for recovery among employees with flextime compared to non-regulated work hours. Neither did the results show a significant difference among flexible workers based on their parental status. Lastly, results showed that the employees’ perception of control was associated with the need for recovery. In conclusion, no significant differences were found among the groups, but findings suggest that employees’ perception of control is associated with their need for recovery. Keywords: flexible work arrangements, need for recovery, control, parental status

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Employers' reliance on asynchronous electronic communications, connective technology devices, and remote work arrangements has led employees to feel preoccupied with staying connected after-hours to be responsive to work-related demands. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of professional workers who coped with constant pressure to monitor and immediately respond to work-related electronic communications during nonwork hours. The conceptual framework was supported by boundary and border theory and the constructs of work-life balance, flexible work arrangements, information and communication technology. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 16 professional workers near Washington, DC. Moustakas's modified van Kaam method was used to analyze, code, and organize data. Six themes emerged: mobilize or immobilize, manage expectations, safeguard personal time, work-life fusion, work engagement, and psychological outcomes. Findings revealed that professional workers felt a sense of urgency to reply to work-related e-mails and text messages outside of their regularly scheduled work hours and felt a sense of professional obligation to be available after-hours. Results may be used to shape and support positive social change through effective organizational change programs for technology-related work-life imbalances, thereby benefiting employers and employees.

This thesis focuses on increasing the efficiency of systems with cross-trained workforce and finite storage spaces. Our objective is to maximize the throughput and minimize the setup costs (if they exist). More specifically, we are interested in determining effective cross-training strategies and dynamic server assignment policies for flexible servers in production lines with finite buffers. In the first part of this thesis, we study non-Markovian systems and support the conjecture that effective server assignment policies are robust to service time distributions. Next, we consider understaffed tandem lines with partially or fully flexible servers, determine optimal and heuristic server assignment policies, and show that most of the benefits of full flexibility can be achieved with limited flexibility. Finally, we incorporate the setups to our model, determine the optimal server assignment policy for some systems and show how the effective assignment of servers depends on the magnitude of the setup costs.

This thesis investigated patterns in, and perceptions of, labour force participation (LFP) amongst a group of mothers with dependent children. A mixed-methods (i.e. questionnaires, interviews and documentary evidence), single case study approach involving a series of three studies, was utilised, involving employees and ex-employees from the Queensland University of Technology. Using questionnaire data (N = 283), Study One explored the predictive value of seven structural (age of youngest child, education, childcare costs, wages, partner's income, number of children and social security payments) and four attitudinal (attitudes towards working mothers, sex-role attitudes, attitudes towards exclusive maternal care and career salience) factors, in a hierarchical logistic regression model using full-time / part-time work status as the dependent variable. Associations between these factors and hours worked, were also tested for a sub-sample of women with under school aged children (N = 112). Results showed that the factors leading to greater LFP for both samples were having older children, less access to social security payments and more liberal attitudes towards working mothers. Lower levels of partner's income also predicted full-time status for the larger sample and more liberal attitudes towards exclusive maternal care was associated with hours worked for women with under school aged children. Study Two explored the way in which women with under school aged children describe the influences, benefits and trade-offs associated with their LFP decisions. Analysis of data from interviews with a sub-sample of women from Study One, indicated four major categories of issues influenced LFP decisions and/or contributed to benefits or trade-offs following on from those decisions. These categories included financial issues, personal independence, work-related issues and value of maternal care. The salience of this issues varied across groups of at-home, part-time and full-time working mothers. The most important consideration for at-home women was the emphasis on caring for their children themselves, as opposed to using familial or formal childcare. Part-time women appeared to be the most satisfied with their work and parenting arrangements, because they could fulfil their roles as wives and mothers, but also benefit from spending autonomy and competence, by engaging in paid work. Full-time women reported greater opportunities in the workplace than part-time women, although they experienced substantial ambivalence about their full-time status. This conflict was ameliorated by the availability of flexible work and when partner's had reduced working hours. Based on the salience of work-related factors reported in Study Two, Study Three explored the degree of consistency between the espoused values evident in organisational work-family policy documentation and women's reported experiences of these policies (N = 24). For example, options such as flexible work arrangements and part-time work appear to promote values related to balance and integration of the work and family spheres. However, interview data suggests women's experiences of part-time work were inconsistent with assumptions about job commitment and career progression. The research extends the current understanding of the range of variables that influence maternal LFP and the processes by which LFP decisions are made. The findings are interpreted in light of a number of existing theoretical perspectives, as well as suggesting a preliminary model of decision-making that could be tested in other groups of women in future studies. The current research may also inform public policy on issues such as childcare and social security allowances and organisational human resource policy in terms of the implementation of work-family options.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University, 2016. / Climate change imposes indisputable burdens on economic development by significantly causing damage to the environment. In the transportation sector, carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles are seen as top environmental pollutants around the world and in South Africa. Despite increasing environmental issues, many people, including business leaders, generally think of environmental issues as disconnected from their everyday business lives and behavioural patterns. The Republic of South Africa as a member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) encourages any practices and processes that will control, reduce or prevent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. The adoption of telecommuting for travel reduction can impact positively on environmental sustainability by reducing the amount of commuter driving and thus reducing carbon emissions. Telecommuting is an arrangement where an employee works from home or out of office using telecommunication links (internet, email and/or telephone) to reduce commuting to and from the office, enhance productivity in the organisation, and reduce office space requirements. However, despite the well documented benefits of telecommuting, the uptake of telecommuting in South Africa is slow. This study falls under the Green Information Technology research field. The aim of the study is to identify the reasons behind the slow adoption of telecommuting in South African organisations. The study followed embedded multiple-case studies. Qualitative data were collected from nine companies using semi-structured interviews with 19 participants comprising of Information Technology (IT) and Human Resource (HR) managers, telecommuters and non-telecommuters. The companies were selected to be as diverse as possible in the operating sector and both purposive and snowball strategies were used.

Telecommuting, or working away from the office, has during the covid-19 pandemic proved both challenging and advantageous. The new prerequisites and lessons learned has led companies to adopt Hybrid Virtual Models (HVM), a combination between in office work and telecommuting. The purpose of this study has been to analyze this new way of working in order to provide practitioners with important insight into the implications and possibilities with HVM. The theoretical contribution consists of broadening scarce theoretical coverage by highlighting important aspects for its implementation and usage. Empirical data has been gathered using an abductive method and indicates that voluntary HVM leads to increased organizational performance in terms of less sick days and increased employer attractiveness as a result of being highly desired. Concluded in the study is that a balance between office work and flexible telecommuting is the best way to organize to meet the demands of the future. / Pandemin flyttade mycket av verksamheten från kontoret till anställdas hem. I takt med att restriktionerna lättas ställs företagen inför frågan hur de ska organisera sig givet de nya förutsättningarna. Distansarbete har visat vara både utmanande och fördelaktigt. Detta har lett till att företagen infört virtuella hybridmodeller (HVM). En kombination av arbete på kontoret och på distans. Studiens syfte har varit att analysera detta nya sätt att arbeta för att ge branschverksamma viktiga insikter om konsekvenser och möjligheter med hybridorganisering. Det teoretiska bidraget breddar det tidigare knapphändiga teoretiska underlaget genom att belysa aspekter för hybridarbetets genomförande och användning. Empirisk data har samlats in genom en abduktiv metod och visar att HVM tenderar att öka prestation på grund av färre sjukdagar och image av att vara en attraktiv arbetsgivare. Studien kommer fram till att en balans mellan kontorsarbete och distansarbete är det bästa sättet att organisera sig för att möta framtidens krav

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om det fanns ett samband mellan upplevd möjlighet till flexibla arbetsarrangemang och arbetstillfredsställelse, samt att se om variansen i arbetstillfredsställelse bäst predicerades av temporal eller spatial flexibilitet. Data samlades in genom en digital enkät där arbetstillfredsställelse mättes genom mätverktyget Minnesota Satisfaction Questionaire (MSQ) och flexibla arbetsarrangemang mättes genom New Ways of Working Scale. Resultatet visade att temporal- och spatial flexibilitet var signifikant positivt korrelerade med arbetstillfredsställelse. Resultatet visade även att prediktorerna temporal- och spatial flexibilitet tillsammans kunde förklara en signifikant del av variansen i arbetstillfredsställelse men att det endast var spatial flexibilitet som ensam kunde förklara en signifikant del. Resultatet kan ses som en indikation på att det flexibla arbetsarrangemanget med dess innebörd om ökad autonomi och kontroll har en positiv inverkan på arbetstagares arbetstillfredsställelse och kan därför således användas i konkurrenssyfte av arbetsgivare för att bibehålla och attrahera ny personal. / The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between flexible work arrangement and job satisfaction, and to determine whether the variance in job satisfaction was better predicted by temporal or spatial flexibility. Data were collected through a digital survey, where job satisfaction was measured using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and flexible work was measured using the New Ways of Working Scale. The results showed that both temporal and spatial flexibility were significantly correlated with job satisfaction. Furthermore, the predictors of temporal and spatial flexibility together accounted for a significant part of the variance, but it was only spatial flexibility that could independently explain a significant part. These findings indicate that flexible work, with its implications of increased autonomy and control, has a positive impact on employees' job satisfaction. Therefore, it can be utilized by employers as a competitive advantage to retain and attract new personnel.

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Bakgrund: Covid-19 pandemin skapade en förändring i organisationers arbete, då allmänna råd var att arbetsgivare skulle möjliggöra ett distansarbete. Detta innebar en intensifiering i användandet av flexibla arbetsarrangemang. FWA var tidigare inget prioriterat arbetssätt i organisationer, men det blev snabbt en nödvändighet för att kunna fortsätta bedriva verksamheter. FWA möjliggörs med hjälp av digitala hjälpmedel, och under pandemin påskyndades även utvecklingen av tekniken. Den digitala tekniken gör att individer kan utföra sitt arbete på alternativa platser och under olika tider, detta förhållande regleras inte till samma utsträckning som när organisationer enbart arbetar på kontoret. Den ökade användningen av FWA har påverkat organisationer positivt men det har även inneburit nya utmaningar. Syfte: Uppsatsen syftar till att undersöka och därmed öka förståelsen för hur anställda i organisationer upplevt och arbetat med flexibla arbetsarrangemang före, under och efter pandemin.  Metod: Studien grundas i en kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer, genom intervjuerna har författarna erhållit empirin. Det har även samlats in sekundärdata från olika källor som vetenskapliga artiklar. Empiri och Slutsats: Respondenternas svar på intervjufrågorna presenteras i empirin där författarna lyfter olika citat och sammanfattar olika ståndpunkter som lyfts fram under intervjuerna. I slutsatsen framförs det hur avgörande den digitala tekniken är för ett arbete med FWA, samt vilka utmaningar och möjligheter som finns i ett arbete med FWA och hur det kan utspela sig i framtiden. / Background: The Covid-19 pandemic created a change in the work of organizations, as general advice was that employers should enable teleworking. This generated an intensification in the use of flexible work arrangements. FWA was previously not a priority approach in organizations, but it quickly became a necessity to be able to continue running businesses. FWA is made possible with the help of digital aids, and during the pandemic, the development of technology was also accelerated. Digital technology allows individuals to perform their work in alternative locations and at different times, this relationship is not regulated to the same extent as when organizations only work in the office. The increased use of FWA has had a positive effect on organizations, but it has also entailed new challenges. Purpose: The thesis aims to investigate and thereby increase the understanding of how employees in organizations experienced and worked with flexible work arrangements before, during and after the pandemic. Method: The study is based on a qualitative method with semi-structured interviews, through the interviews the authors have gained empiricism. This also collected secondary data from various sources such as scientific articles. Empirical and Conclusion: The respondents' answers to the interview questions are presented in the empirical work, where the authors highlight different quotes and summarize different points of view that are highlighted during the interviews. The conclusion highlights how crucial digital technology is for working with FWA, as well as what challenges and opportunities there are in working with FWA and how it can play out in the future.