Job satisfaction and challenges of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study in a Swedish academic setting.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic changed the academic world in various ways, and most universities are still closed and continue operating via teleworking. OBJECTIVE: This study is intended to investigate how university faculty/staff and students in Sweden have coped with the lockdown and working/s...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Work Vol. 71; no. 2; pp. 357 - 371
Autores principales: Ahmadi, Fereshteh, Zandi, Saeid, Cetrez, Önver A., Akhavan, Sharareh, Davis, Kermit, Kotowski, Susan
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Sage Publications Inc. 2022
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic changed the academic world in various ways, and most universities are still closed and continue operating via teleworking. OBJECTIVE: This study is intended to investigate how university faculty/staff and students in Sweden have coped with the lockdown and working/studying from home during the pandemic. METHODS: A survey was conducted among 277 women and men working and studying at different universities in Sweden. RESULTS: The results indicate that most (61%) respondents were very or somewhat satisfied with the current work-from-home arrangement. Additionally, they indicate that, overall, almost 30% were working more than usual due to the pandemic and teleworking. The coping methods having the highest impact on overall job satisfaction were: "thinking about what I can do rather than what I can't do"; "being able to access medical resources and medical services if I need to seek help"; and "having trust in state or health authorities in my country." CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals that Sweden can serve as a good example of how university faculty/staff and students can address the occupational challenges caused by a health pandemic and possible subsequent quarantines.