Effect of Working from Home on the Performance of Healthcare Professionals in the Hamadan City, Iran

Aims: In today’s world, numerous healthcare organizations are embracing new forms of work organization that offer their employees increased flexibility and independence, a particularly crucial aspect in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Working from home has become indispensable for healthcare organizations to maintain competitiveness in the global market. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of Working from home perception on employees’ performance at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instrument Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among the personnel of three medical training centers affiliated with the Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The study population comprised employees working in administrative and support departments. Using Morgan’s table, a statistical sample of 140 employees was chosen to participate in the study by completing a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed online through systematic random sampling from December 2021 to June 2022. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 22 and Smart PLS 3 software. Findings: The majority of participants were women aged between 31 and 40 years with a bachelor’s degree. The results of the mean test indicated that both individual performance (3.25±0.48) and organizational performance (3.51±0.51) among employees were above average, reaching a favorable level. According to the t-statistic, the average perception of working from home was below 3 (1.68±0.39), indicating limited adoption of working from home. The study revealed that the perception of working from home significantly influenced both individual performance (t=9.623 1.96) and organizational performance (t=6.368 1.96). Specifically, the perception of Working from Home accounted for 42.2% of the variations in job performance and 26.7% of the changes in organizational performance. Conclusion: Enabling healthcare workers to work from home has a substantial impact on their performance.