Beyond the office: an examination of remote work, social and job features on individual satisfaction and engagement

Remote work transformed work environments of last decades, disrupting traditional boundaries and fostering a revaluation of work dynamics. This study examines the role of this phenomenon on individuals, exploring which factors are associated to employees’ satisfaction and engagement. The research explores the association among remote work (remote work frequency and exhaustion), social (team-member exchange and leader-member exchange) and job features (autonomy and interdependence). To gather insights, we conducted a survey involving 1,879 employees and 262 managers in a company that embraces a hybrid work model. Results show that remote work is negatively associated with engagement and job satisfaction, while team and leader-related social features are positively associated to both variables. Notably, job features were significant only for employees. Finally, leader-member exchange moderates the negative association with exhaustion. Our model examines the post-pandemic perspective on remote work’s diffusion and highlights the pivotal role of social exchanges, job characteristics and supervisor relationship.