E-learning and remote working spatial setting impacts on well-being

1: Title: E-learning and remote working spatial setting impacts on well-being Alessandro Lorenzo Mura1, Silvia Ariccio1, Flavia Bonaiuto2, Marino Bonaiuto1 (1Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; 2Universitas Mercatorum, Italy) 2: Research goals and why the work was worth doing The Covid-19 pandemic period has been characterized by massive uses of online modes for both workers and students worldwide. Regarding Italy, it was estimated that over 6.6 million Italian active workers remotely worked in March 2020 (i.e., 41% of the active national workforce). In the same period, approximately 94% of students of all levels carried out their activity remotely. This contribution aims to analyze how and which characteristics of the physical-spatial setting characterizing the e-learning/remote working activity may have impacted individuals' psychological well-being. 3: Theoretical background Numerous researches focus on how the impact of the physical-spatial characteristics on people in different life contexts (office, school, hospitals, shops, etc.). However, little attention is still given to the influence that the home environment could have on the individual's well-being, especially in situations where it is impossible to distinguish the private environment from the work/study one. This is particularly crucial considering the work-life balance theme within a scenario of forced domestic remote studying and working. Based on the JD-R model, under such particular circumstances, the physical environment could be an essential resource for increasing levels of engagement and well-being; conversely, it could otherwise constitute a dangerous demand with negative impacts on perceived stress levels. 4: Design/Methodology/Approach/Intervention To test these hypotheses, two studies were conducted. In study 1, a sample of 490 students from various Italian universities engaged in distance learning activities was asked to fill in a questionnaire containing a scale for the psychological perception of ergonomic qualities of the room in which they carried out their e-learning activity, and scales for perceived stress (PSS-4) into a broader survey addressing other dependent variables too. In the second study, a sample of workers (N = 551), currently engaged in a remote-working condition was asked to fill in the same questionnaire, also containing an environmental satisfaction scale and a satisfaction scale for their condition as workers. 5. Results obtained or expected Preliminary analyzes, conducted through CFA in Study 2, confirm the 5-dimensional structure of the ergonomic perception scale, which emerged from the exploratory factor analysis conducted in Study 1. Subsequent analyzes aim to analyze the impact of these dimensions and satisfaction on the stress and engagement experienced by students and remote workers. 6. Limitations The dimensions included in the psychological perception scale are based on an ergonomic quality scale: having not adopted a qualitative approach through focus groups or interviews, spatial dimensions potentially impacting well-being may have been excluded. 7. Research/Practical Implications In a labor market increasingly characterized by remote working, this contribution offers some first indications to help both managers and the workers themselves focus on the setting features that must be most controlled to create a worker-centered working condition. 8. Originality/Value The study represents one of the first approaches to systematically analyze both the environment's physical dimensions and their perceptual counterparts regarding the setting where the e-learning/e-working activity is carried out.