Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration
Major
Business Administration
Date of Defense
11-20-2025
Graduate Advisor
Matthew Taylor, Ph.D.
Committee
Matthew Taylor, Ph.D.
Stephanie Merritt, Ph.D.
John Meriac, Ph.D.
Abstract
The growth of telework has reshaped the modern workplace, changing how employees experience connection, fairness, and satisfaction. This dissertation examined the psychological dynamics of teleworking by exploring how the extent of remote work influences job satisfaction through feelings of professional isolation. It also investigated how perceptions of procedural, informational, and interpersonal justice, as well as employee choice and telework normativeness, shape these relationships. Grounded in organizational justice theory (Colquitt, 2001), the study used a two-wave, pseudo-cross-sectional survey of 506 teleworkers. Results indicated that professional isolation did not mediate the relationship between telework extent and job satisfaction when fairness perceptions were taken into account. Informational and interpersonal justice emerged as the strongest predictors of teleworker satisfaction. In contrast, procedural justice functioned similarly to perceived autonomy, buffering potential feelings of disconnection. Telework normativeness showed a modest negative association with satisfaction, suggesting that when remote work becomes overly routine, its benefits may diminish. Overall, the findings highlight that employees’ perceptions of fairness and inclusion have a greater influence on satisfaction than the structural features of remote work. Transparent communication, respect, and participatory decision-making are essential for sustaining engagement in hybrid and remote environments.
Recommended Citation
Lane, Emily K., "The Psychology of Telework" (2025). Dissertations. 1589.
https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation/1589