TABLE 1.

Different Types of Positioning of Work Characteristics in the Remote Working Literature

Dominant approaches	Referents of work characteristics		Typical examples	Key implications
Approach 1: Work characteristics as moderating the effect of remote work on outcomes	Work characteristics refer to the nature of the whole job; scholars do not distinguish offsite and onsite work		More intense remote working predicted performance most positively when social support at work was low (Golden & Gajendran, 2019)	Remote working practice is suitable for certain types of jobs Managers should take account of employees’ work characteristics, when designing remote working policies
Approach 2: Work characteristics as mediating the effect of remote work on outcomes	Work characteristics refer to the nature of the whole job; scholars do not distinguish offsite and onsite work		The extent of teleworking resulted in employees perceiving less social support, which in turn led to more emotional exhaustion (Vander Elst et al., 2017)	Remote working practices influence individuals through shaping the nature of their work (or their work characteristics) Managers should not take remote working as a desirable arrangement for granted because this practice can have paradoxical effects on the nature of the work
Approach 3: Work characteristics as antecedents in the context of remote work	Work characteristics in this approach particularly refer to the nature of remote work	Teleworkers who received more social support from supervisors and organization reported less social isolation, psychological strain, and job satisfaction (Bentley et al., 2016)	Work characteristics whilst working remotely shapes employees’ remote working experiences and outcomes Mangers should re‐design remote work to optimize employee outcomes