Telecommuting and Motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract: Date: 2021-06-03 Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15cr Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors:    Nabil Abdullah   Linnéa Rossander    Damilola Samuel                     (98/09/02)          (98/08/14)           (98/01/10) Title: Telecommuting and Motivation during the pandemic Tutor: Ali FarashahKeywords: Telecommuting, motivation, COVID-19, Self-Determination Theory, work-life balance. Research questions: 1. To what extent has the rapid increase in telecommuting due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected the motivation of employees and managers? 2. What aspects affect employee motivation in a telecommuting environment? Purpose: The research aims to understand how motivation amongst employees and managers has been affected while telecommuting, compared to when they previously worked at the office before the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.' Method: The research has a deductive approach, building on existing theories and studies as a premise for secondary data. The authors utilize primary data through a quantitative survey, collected from employees and managers across several industries. Conclusion: The study found that the overall motivation in the telecommuting context was equally neutral and positively affected. Competence was the predominant predictor variable for employee motivation.