“Who Knows Me Understands My Needs”: The Effect of Home-Based Telework on Work Engagement

PURPOSE: Based on the affective event theory and the theoretical framework of “work environment features–work events–emotional responses-work attitude”, this study aims to explore how and when home-based telework negatively affects work engagement by focusing on the dual chain mediating paths of “workplace isolation–negative emotion” and “telepressure–negative emotion”, and the moderating role of family-supportive leadership. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was used to collect 276 self-reported responses from employees with home-based telework experience in China. FINDINGS: (a) Home-based telework indirectly and negatively affects work engagement through the mediating chain of “workplace isolation–negative emotion”; (b) Home-based telework indirectly and negatively affects work engagement through the mediating chain of “telepressure–negative emotion”; (c) Family-supportive leadership negatively moderates the chain mediating effect of “workplace isolation–negative emotion” and “telepressure–negative emotion” between home-based telework and work engagement. In other words, the higher the level of family-supportive leadership, the weaker the negative effect of home-based telework on work engagement. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study sheds additional light on the relationship between home-based telework and work engagement by constructing the influence mechanism model of home-based telework on work engagement, in which “workplace isolation–negative emotion” and “telepressure–negative emotion” act as chain mediators, and family supportive leadership as moderator. This study enriches the literature on home-based telework. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings indicates that home-based work has indirectly and negatively effects on work engagement through dual chain mediating paths of “workplace isolation–negative emotion” and “telepressure–negative emotion”. However, family-supportive leadership can weaken this negative influence. Therefore, organizations need to cultivate family supportive leadership.