Hybrid Work and Employee Productivity in Pakistan's Mobile Network Operators: The Mediating Role of Work-Life Balance and the Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Support

Abstract

Purpose The paper investigates the relationship between hybrid work and employee productivity within the telecom companies in Pakistan. Specifically, it analyzes the mediating effect of work-life balance and the moderating effect of perceived organizational support (POS).

Design/methodology/approach the study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional design. Data was gathered from 200 employees from mobile cellular companies like Jazz, Zong, Telenor, Ufone and SCO through the help of a structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using correlation, regression, mediation (PROCESS Model 4) and moderation using SPSS.

Findings The results indicate that hybrid work is having a significant positive impact on employee productivity (= 0.44, p < 0.001). The study also suggests that work-life balance is partially mediating the effect of hybrid work on employee productivity (indirect effect = 0.24). Furthermore, it is observed that the positive impact of hybrid work on employee productivity is being moderated by POS (= 0.16, p < 0.001). The impact of hybrid work is the strongest when POS is high.

Practical implications Besides implementing hybrid policies, organizations should support their employees by providing them with necessary resources, training and encouragement so they perform their job efficiently.

Originality/value This study is among the first to empirically test the moderated-mediation model in the context of Pakistan's telecom sector while considering the mediating role of work-life balance and moderating role of POS in conjunction with hybrid work and exploring its impact on employee productivity, drawing upon social exchange and job demands-resources theories.

Keywords Hybrid Work, Employee Productivity, Work-Life Balance, Perceived Organizational Support, Telecom Sector, Pakistan.