Factors Influencing Malaysian Public Sector Employee Performance in a Work-From-Home Context

Abstract

This study aims to examine factors influencing Malaysian public sector employee performance in a Work-From-Home context. These factors include work attitude, superior support, home workplace suitability, technology usage, and family support. Guided by a positivist research paradigm by adopting a quantitative research methodology, 291 participants are recruited for the study from Sabah, Selangor, Johor, and Penang, and Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. These public sector employees must have the experience of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was analysed using using a PLS-SEM. The study revealed that (i) work attitude significantly influences WFH employee performance, with a moderate effect size, highlighting its importance; (ii) superior support has the smallest effect size, suggesting its limited relevance in remote work; (iii) home workplace suitability has the largest effect, emphasizing the need for a structured workspace, (iv) technology usage positively affects performance but has a small effect size and (v) family support also shows a positive impact, though with a small effect size, indicating its partial role in enhancing WFH employee performance. The study provides actionable recommendations for optimizing WFH policies in public sector organizations. It suggests initiatives to improve work attitudes, offer mental health support, enhance supervisor training, invest in home office suitability, and foster work-life balance, ensuring sustainable and productive remote work. This study extends the JDR model by demonstrating how work attitude, superior support, home workplace suitability, technology usage, and family support function as job resources in the WFH context. It uniquely addresses WFH in public sector organizations, filling a research gap in a field dominated by private sector studies. The findings provide actionable insights for optimizing WFH policies, improving digital infrastructure, and enhancing work-life balance, ensuring sustainable and productive remote work environments aligned with national policies and workforce well-being initiatives.