Why Teleworkers are More Satisfied with Their Jobs than are Office-Based Workers: When Less Contact is Beneficial

This study challenges assumptions regarding the value and necessity of frequent face-to-face workplace interaction by building upon a theoretical framework for the consequences of telecommuting. Using a multiple mediation approach and path analysis, the study examines the extent to which telework affects job satisfaction through the experiences of work-life conflict, stress due to meetings and interruptions, perceived organizational politics, and information exchange. Results reveal that high-intensity teleworkers (n=89) are more satisfied than office-based employees (n=103) and achieve significant benefits from their work arrangement, with work-life conflict most influential toward job satisfaction. The path model reveals more complex indirect paths linking telework and job satisfaction.