Background. The expansion of work from home has changed the material, social, and self-regulatory conditions under which employees organize their work activities. Although remote work can support flexibility and concentration, its implications for productivity depend on the balance between work-related demands and resources. Objective. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model, this study examined whether environmental distractions, job autonomy, and self-leadership are related to perceived job productivity among Italian and Russian remote workers, and whether remote work stress and remote work engagement mediate these relationships. Design. Data were collected through an online questionnaire administered to employees working from home in Italy and Russia. A total of 493 respondents provided complete data for all the variables included in the research model and were retained for the analyses. Confirmatory factor analyses, measurement invariance, structural equation modeling, and multigroup analyses were conducted. Results. Environmental distractions were associated with higher remote work stress and lower perceived job productivity. Job autonomy and self-leadership were positively related to remote work engagement, which in turn predicted higher productivity. Unexpectedly, both resources showed negative direct associations with productivity, although the effect of self-leadership was weak. Multigroup analyses indicated that the overall pattern of relationships was broadly consistent across the Italian and Russian samples. Conclusion. The findings support the motivational pathway of the JD-R model in remote work settings, while also suggesting that autonomy and self-leadership may become ambivalent under high self-organization demands. They also indicate that key JD-R mechanisms operate similarly across the Italian and Russian samples, although some cross-national differences remain.
Working from Home Across National Contexts: Demands, Resources, Engagement, and Productivity Among Italian and Russian Employees
Toscano, Ferdinando;
2026-01-01
Abstract
Background. The expansion of work from home has changed the material, social, and self-regulatory conditions under which employees organize their work activities. Although remote work can support flexibility and concentration, its implications for productivity depend on the balance between work-related demands and resources. Objective. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model, this study examined whether environmental distractions, job autonomy, and self-leadership are related to perceived job productivity among Italian and Russian remote workers, and whether remote work stress and remote work engagement mediate these relationships. Design. Data were collected through an online questionnaire administered to employees working from home in Italy and Russia. A total of 493 respondents provided complete data for all the variables included in the research model and were retained for the analyses. Confirmatory factor analyses, measurement invariance, structural equation modeling, and multigroup analyses were conducted. Results. Environmental distractions were associated with higher remote work stress and lower perceived job productivity. Job autonomy and self-leadership were positively related to remote work engagement, which in turn predicted higher productivity. Unexpectedly, both resources showed negative direct associations with productivity, although the effect of self-leadership was weak. Multigroup analyses indicated that the overall pattern of relationships was broadly consistent across the Italian and Russian samples. Conclusion. The findings support the motivational pathway of the JD-R model in remote work settings, while also suggesting that autonomy and self-leadership may become ambivalent under high self-organization demands. They also indicate that key JD-R mechanisms operate similarly across the Italian and Russian samples, although some cross-national differences remain.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
