The impact of flexible working arrangements on mental health, well-being and productivity of millennials in Malaysia / Nur Zafira Akma Rozlan

• Main Author: Rozlan, Nur Zafira Akma
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Time management. Scheduling; Mental health. Mental illness prevention
• Online Access: https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/60351/1/60351.pdf; https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/60351/

is expected to increase tremendously in the coming years. However, millennials in Malaysia are struggling with reduced well-being and mental health issues like anxiety and depression, which eventually mount to the heavy cost of lost productivity and may burden the national economy in the long run. In the context of work, majority of the millennials are encumbered with rigid working arrangements and low job control at the workplace, which contribute towards poor mental health, reduced well-being and low productivity. The implementation of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) provides a degree of control to the employees to decide their working arrangements in terms of time, place and method of working, hence increasing the autonomy of the employees. The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) on millennials mental health, well-being and productivity. A quantitative approach was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire that was distributed via Google Form to Malaysian employees, who were born in between 1981 and 1996 (25 to 40 years old in 2021), and work in the services sector. A usable sample of 394 was analysed using the Partial Least Square- Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Based on the research questions, three core findings have been derived as follows: 1) gender, marital status and caring duties have an effect on mental health of millennials in Malaysia; 2) FWAs positively influence mental health, well-being and productivity of millennials in Malaysia; 3) autonomy mediates the relationship between FWAs, mental health, well-being and productivity. This study has contributed towards the enrichment of Self-Determination Theory at the Workplace. Since the implementation of FWAs in Malaysia is a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ , this study will be able to guide the organizations and government in developing the FWAs policy, especially in the age of post COVID-19, where flexibility is considered a necessity rather than a luxury.