Upshot of a New Normal Facet: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Telecommuting on Commuting Stress

Abstract

Telecommuting is becoming a more prevalent way of working, and it has captivated the curiosity of researchers and academics alike. A bright spotlight was hurled on telecommuting practice during the 1970s, and the term telecommuting was coined by 'Jack M Nilles.' Telecommuting is beneficial for both management and employees in cost savings, work-life balance, flexibility, autonomy. This study aims to answer two questions related to telecommuting – 1) What are the consequences of Commuting stress on employees and management? 2) What effect does telecommuting have on commuting stress? The authors provide answers to these issues based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 64 research conducted in a natural context with 3,16,044 participants. PRISMA was used as a preferred method for systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Two essential items were established using the PICO extended version since our expected result was a psychological one. This article covers three different aspects: Telecommuting, Commuting Stress & Traffic Congestion. From the empirical study's findings, it was found that Telecommuting has a positive effect/impact on commuting stress. It also has a detrimental effect by increasing commuting by 14% in terms of personal household traveling. Many studies have stated that Telecommuting can drastically impact the reduction of traffic congestion in a positive way. Consequently, planners and policymakers should consider telecommuting's counteracting effect while predicting the stress reduction effect in daily commute and determining the level of telecommuting required.