The Impact of Remote Working on Employee Productivity During COVID-19 in the UAE: The Moderating Role of Job Level

Purpose– The purpose of this study is to explore the different factors that affect the productivity (PR) of employees who worked remotely in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach– This study takes a quantitative approach to analyse data collected online from 110 respondents using the snowball sampling technique during the pandemic. The structural equation modelling (SEM) technique of Smart PLS(Partial least squares) is used for analysing the data to assess the direct and moderating variables. Findings–The results indicate that direct variables such as workload, job satisfaction, work–life balance and social support have a significant positive impact on employee PR in the UAE. However, the analysis of the moderating variable indicates that job level is not a significant moderator of the above relationships. The findings, in general, support social exchange theory. Practical implications– The findings of this study will help businesses of various domains in a variety of industries in understanding the core factors that should be considered to enhance the overall PR of their employees while working from home. Businesses can achieve their organizational goals by ensuring steady growth even during uncertain times. Originality/value–This paper answers the question of whether remote working affects employee PR during the pandemic in an emerging market, namely the UAE. The current study contributes to the existing literature by combining the variables investigated in previous studies into a single study and by considering job level as a moderator variable.