The Double-Edged Sword of Remote Work. The Role of Psychosocial Risks, SelfEfficacy and Integration Climate on Health and Performance. A Multilevel Study.

Background: After Covid-19 Pandemic new work-related psychosocial risks (i.e., isolation, workload) and new work modalities (i.e., remote working, hybrid working) have emerged, but their influence on workers' health is still not well known. In addition, Research has shown that psychosocial risks can negatively affect workers' physical and mental health, as well as their performance. In addition, musculoskeletal disorders in workers have increased. Thus, further investigations are needed to understand better what kind of personal and organizational resources may protect employees from the negative effects of psychosocial risks. Several studies have shown that some organizational resources (i.e., integration climate) and personal resources (i.e., self-efficacy) are crucial in fostering workers' mental and physical well-being and promoting performance in workers. Adopting an organizational multilevel perspective, we aimed to investigate at individual level how psychosocial risks (i.e., isolation, financial strain, and workload), are related to workers' physical and mental health and their performance, also assessing the mediating role of self-efficacy. Furthermore, at organizational level we investigated the role of integration climate on employee’s self-efficacy and on their health and performance. Method: Multisource survey data from different Italian work contexts, with a matched sample of 3050 employees (60.5% males) and 113 supervisors (77.1% males), were collected. Participants filled in an online-based survey to assess psychosocial risks (isolation, financial strain, and workload), self-efficacy, physical and mental health ad performance (used for the individual level), and Integration Climate and percent of remote workers (used for the organizational level). A series of multilevel regression models were performed for the analysis. Results: Individual level results shown that psychosocial risks have a negative effect on workers' self-efficacy and on their health and performance. In addition, self-efficacy has a positive impact on workers' health and performance. Organizational level results shown that integration climate has a positive influence on self-efficacy, health, and performance. The 570 percent of remote workers in the organization positively affected their self-efficacy and productivity, but also their musculoskeletal symptoms. The interaction between integration climate and percent of remote workers has a positive influence on musculoskeletal symptoms and burnout. Conclusions: Through our study, we found that psychosocial risks negatively affect workers' self-efficacy and well-being, including the well-being of remote workers. Indeed, in organizations in which there are more remote workers but there is a low integration climate, the risk of experiencing more musculoskeletal symptoms and burnout is higher for remote workers. However, the presence of high integration climate in these organizations reduces musculoskeletal symptoms and burnout. Thus, integration climate seems to be a pivotal resource for organizations, especially in promoting remote workers well-being.