Locked in but logging on: Exploring the determinants that facilitated Taiwan’s shift to remote work amid the global pandemic
Keywords:
Initial remote work, intensified remote work, COVID-19 pandemicAbstract
This paper explores the factors influencing Taiwanese workers' decisions to engage in remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, using empirical analysis based on the 2022 Digital Development Survey conducted by Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs. The study finds that workers with higher education levels, those residing in digitally advanced regions, frequent users of computers or the internet, and those required to handle work-related messages after hours are more likely to either try remote work for the first time or increase their frequency of remote work. Additionally, younger workers are more inclined to engage in remote work for the first time, while female workers are more likely to increase their frequency of remote work. Using a Logit model, the study draws on work psychology, social psychology, and role expectation theory to deeply explore the impact of different individual characteristics on remote work decisions. The significant contribution of this study is its distinction between workers engaging in remote work for the first time and those increasing the frequency of remote work while also revealing companies' crisis management strategies during the pandemic, mainly how they selected workers with autonomy and digital skills to ensure business continuity. The findings provide an empirical basis for understanding the expansion of remote work during the pandemic and its potential to influence future work patterns, highlighting that the widespread adoption of remote work among certain groups of workers may offer valuable lessons for handling future emergencies.References
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