Your flexible work arrangements impacts my task performance: an attributional perspective

Purpose The growing interest in flexible work arrangements (FWA) within contemporary workplaces highlights the necessity to investigate the impact of colleagues’ use of FWA (CFWA) from the viewpoint of employee observers. Drawing on attribution theory, this study aims to examine how focal employees’ different attributions of CFWA (productivity attributions versus personal affairs attributions) influence collegiality and subsequently affect their task performance (TP). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a survey of 376 employees in China using a 3-wave online research design. Hypotheses were tested by hierarchical multiple regression. Findings The results unveiled that focal employees who attribute CFWA to productivity tended to engage more actively in collegiality with their coworkers, ultimately leading to positive outcomes in TP. In contrast, focal employees who attribute CFWA to personal affairs exhibited reduced collegiality with their coworkers, resulting in negative effects on their TP. Originality/value This study contributes to the FWA literature by extending its focus from the typical viewpoint of FWA users to that of FWA observers (coworkers), which can deepen our understanding of both the “bright side” and “dark side” of FWA. Even more, this enhances our insight into the causal explanation role of attributions on others’ behavior. Both theoretical contributions and practical implications are also offered.