Who Benefits From Compressed Workweeks? The Role of Job Autonomy and Task Interdependence in Shaping Longitudinal Changes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Compressed workweeks (CWW)—compressing the regular 5‐day workweek into fewer workdays—are gaining global popularity as an alternative work arrangement for jobs that are not suitable for remote work. Yet research on CWW has stagnated over the last decade, leaving us with little evidence and knowledge about whether and under which conditions CWW brings about positive changes over time. To revitalize research on CWW and provide insights for theory advancement and effective practices, longitudinal data were collected over 6 months ( N = 147), both before and after implementation of CWW. Using conservation of resources (COR) theory, the work redesign literature, and growth curve modeling, this research reveals theoretically and practically meaningful patterns of change in employees' outcomes after CWW implementation. Specifically, significant decreases in stress and increases in health were observed among employees with greater job autonomy but not among those with lower job autonomy. Interestingly, for employees with lower job autonomy, perceived organizational support decreased over time; the same was not true for those with higher autonomy. Moreover, task performance increased for employees with less interdependent tasks, but not for those performing highly interdependent tasks. Therefore, organizations should carefully consider important job characteristics when designing and implementing CWW.