Previous experience with remote work and acceptance of Work from Home during the pandemic: The role of having children in a moderated mediation model

This study adopted the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical framework to investigate whether previous experience with remote work before the Covid-19 pandemic was related to perceptions of ease of use and usefulness of working from home during the pandemic. In particular, considering that literature suggests that the perceived ease of use of technology influences its perceived usefulness, the study investigated whether, in a pandemic context, perceived ease of use of working from home mediated the relationship between previous experiences with remote work and perceived usefulness of working from home. In addition, the study tested the moderation effect of having a child/children in the relationship between previous experience with remote work and perceived ease of use. Results mostly confirmed our hypotheses. However, contrary to our expectations, employees with previous remote work experience who had a child/children perceived working from home during the pandemic as easier than their colleagues without children. Possible explanations of such results, as well as theoretical and practical implications, are provided in the conclusion.