Overcoming Ergonomic Challenges in Remote Software Development: A Workation Perspective.
摘要
The growing importance of remote software development through workation contexts opens the ergonomic challenges that have a significant impact on employee satisfaction, health, and overall firm effectiveness. This study analyzes the interrelation among the overcoming factors of ergonomic issues faced by software professionals in a remote working environment, especially in the context of workation, to understand the most influential factor among the seven identified factors from the literature and experts’ opinions. The study analyses the factors: ergonomic guidelines and training, flexible work schedules, wellness programs, ergonomic budgets or stipends, and cognitive load management. The results indicate that flexible work schedules (OF3) and providing ergonomic stipends (OF6) are the most important prioritizing factors for overcoming ergonomic challenges. These help in reducing the musculoskeletal and mental risks. These also highlight the importance of training, wellness programs, and technology-based monitoring. The findings reveal two dimensions, such as the temporal dimension and the material or resource dimension, for promoting resilient ergonomic environments in remote work arrangements of software professionals. The study contributes to theory by applying Grey Influence Analysis (GINA) in the ergonomics research and proposing a hierarchical model of the interaction among the overcoming factors. The insights also guide practitioners and managers in designing the ergonomics framework with prioritization of ergonomics budgets and stipends, and ensuring flexible work hours as fundamental elements. The study calls for policymakers’ interventions in the promotion of occupational health concerns and the development sustainable ergonomic work culture.