Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business Volume 41.
Number 1, 2026, 52 Ae 73
FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS AND THE
WORKPLACE COMMITMENT OF EMPLOYEES IN
GENERAL HOSPITALS IN NIGERIA AND INDONESIA
Ugo C.
Okolie1*.
Thomastina N.
Egbon2, and M.
Mursalin3 Department of Public Administration.
Faculty of Management Sciences.
Delta State University.
B 1.
Abraka.
Nigeria Department of Public Administration.
Faculty of Management Sciences.
Delta University.
Agbor.
Delta State.
Nigeria Department of Management.
Malikussaleh University.
Aceh.
Indonesia
ABSTRACT
ARTICLE INFO
Introduction/Main Objectives: This study examines how eight flexible work arrangements, including flexi-time, teleworking, compressed work weeks, and job sharing, influence employee commitment in general hospitals across Nigeria and Indonesia.
Background Problems:
Research on flexible work has focused primarily on developed nations.
This study addresses the research gap in developing countries, where such arrangements are vital for healthcare worker commitment.
Novelty:
By examining the impact of flexibility on commitment in general hospitals within less-developed contexts, this study offers unique insights for HR professionals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
Research Methods:
Using a cross-sectional design, 649 healthcare employees in Delta State (Nigeri.
and Aceh City (Indonesi.
were surveyed via simple random Data from structured questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS 0 via independent t-tests and multiple regression.
Findings/Results:
Results demonstrate that flexible work dimensions .
ncluding part-time, subcontracting, and moonlightin.
significantly and statistically impact workplace commitment.
Overall, flexibility is a primary driver of employee dedication.
Conclusion: Flexible work arrangements are strong predictors of commitment due to shifting economic conditions, family dynamics, and technological advancements.
Management should implement these arrangements to reduce workplace stress and enhance commitment in less-developed nations.
Article information:
Received June 17, 2022.
Received in revised version March 20.
Received in revised version July 18, 2024.
Accepted August 6, 2024.
Keywords:
Flexible work arrangements, employee commitment, work-family border theory JEL Code:
M10.
M12.
M54.
O38
ISSN:
ISSN 2085-8272 .
ISSN 2338-5847 .
Corresponding Author Department of Public Administration.
Faculty of Management Sciences.
Delta State University.
B 1.
Abraka.
Nigeria E-mail address: ugookolie3@gmail.
https://doi.
org/10.
22146/jieb.
https://journal.
id/v3/jieb CopyrightA 2024 THE AUTHOR (S).
This article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.
0 International license.
Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business is published by the Faculty of Economics and Business.
Universitas Gadjah Mada Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business.
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1, 2026
INTRODUCTION
Globally, the implementation of flexible employment programs is becoming more common as a response to shifts in gender roles, socioeconomic conditions, and demographics.
Workers can now complete their tasks remotely and manage their own time more flexibly to minimize work-life conflict, thanks to the rapid advancement of technology and growing use of information technology.
Organizations all around the world have implemented and continue to implement a variety of strategies to guarantee increases in employee commitment and quality of life at work.
In the modern workplace, organizations need to embrace a functional and pragmatic simplicity that fosters creativity, sustainability, and mental health advantages due to the fact that employment outcomes and processes have become more varied or complex.
Researchers and scholars assert that flexible work arrangements can improve employees' outputs in addition to other job-related outcomes (Hofycker & Kynig 2013.
Solanki, 2013.
Andi et al.
, 2.
Employees can complete work-related tasks effectively and maintain a healthy balance between work and family life with flexible working arrangements.
The benefits of flexible work arrangements include enhanced efficiency (Solanki, 2013.
Onyekwelu et al.
, 2.
, job satisfaction (Solanki, 2.
, a healthy balance between work and family (Choo et al.
, 2.
, and work commitment (Hofycker & Kynig, 2.
According to Andi et al.
, conflict between work and family life is impacted by irregular and unpredictable working hours.
addition, burnout, stress, nervousness, poor health, and several other issues faced by working mothers are caused by conflicts between their jobs and their family responsibilities.
Nevertheless, data from earlier research have Evidence from previous studies indicates that one of the main tactics used to increase workers' commitment and competencies is flexible working arrangements.
A study by Salami et al.
finds that employees' organizational commitment at the hospital management board in Abraka.
Delta State, is positively impacted by the accessibility of flexible work arrangements.
They come to the conclusion that offering flexible work schedules is a smart move for hospitals, health organizations, and other organizations looking to gain the loyalty of their workforce.
Furthermore, a study conducted by Choo et al.
demonstrates that flexible work schedules improve employees' commitment and lessen work-family conflict.
Furthermore, a study conducted by Andi et al.
finds that the only factor that is significantly associated with flexible work arrangements was organizational Flexible work arrangements do not significantly correlate with conflict between family and work or work pressure.
A study by Allard et al.
, however, finds no correlation between managerial fathers' workfamily conflict and flexible work arrangements.
Additionally, research has demonstrated that work schedules that are flexible can improve the harmony between work and family life, reduce (Shagvaliyeva & Yazdanifard, 2014.
Haley & Miller, 2.
Other academics and researchers, however, contend that there may be other causes for this.
According to Russel et al.
, the variance might also be influenced by the type of flexible work program.
According to Lott .
, workers who have access to enough resources at work may eventually be able to adjust to demanding work environments and handle pressure at the office.
Furthermore, it is generally accepted that an employee's capacity for job control is a resource for managing stress at work (Lott, 2.
This demonstrates how erratic and disputed the findings of earlier research are.
Consequently, in order to increase employee commitment, the health sectors in Nigeria and Indonesia must urgently begin examining the effective adoption of flexible work schedules.
Most of the previous research on flexible work arrangements has focused on large corporations in developed nations.
However, the opposite is true in less developed nations such as Nigeria and Indonesia, and this trend creates a research gap that this study attempts to fill.
Furthermore, little research has been done on how flexible work arrangements affect workers' commitment to their jobs in the healthcare industry in Nigeria and Indonesia to the best of our knowledge.
Arising from the foregoing, this study examines the influence of flexible work arrangements on the workplace commitment of employees in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The degree to which workers can alter regular work schedules and the times, including locations of work-related activities, are referred to as flexible work arrangements.
It can also mean that workers have the option to decide with their employers about the best times, locations, and durations for specific work periods (Hidayah et al.
, 2.
Husein and Bayudhirgantara .
similarly characterize flexible work arrangements as the degree to which workers have autonomy over the tasks they perform at work, particularly over choices regarding where, when, and how long they work.
An organizational work arrangement that allows for flexibility in terms of working hours, location, and schedule is known as flexible In order to help employees balance their work and personal lives during "core hours," which are typically fixed or a window of Okolie et al time between the earliest and latest acceptable finishing times, flexible work arrangements such as job sharing, rotating shifts, collapsed work hours, and flexible part-time are frequently utilized (Kipkoech, 2.
According to Hada et .
and Negoro and Wibowo .
, having flexible work schedules is crucial for drawing in and keeping employees.
Thus, the essential element in managing the millennial workforce is this flexibility.
The study comes to the conclusion that, in order to boost employee commitment and lower attrition rates, particularly among millennials, organizational stakeholders who interact directly with employees must recognize the importance of flexible work schedules, social assistance, and a healthy balance between work and life.
Flexibility in work arrangements has been shown to dramatically improve employee commitment, engagement, retention, morale, and stress reduction (Wisely, 2.
Greater adaptability in the workplace, planning of working hours, and the total number of hours worked are the main goals of flexible work Flexible work schedules allow employees greater autonomy over where, when, and how long they workAia valuable luxury in any technologically advanced country.
Flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting, sharing jobs, work shifts, compressed work weeks, and part-time work, are common in developed nations like the United States(Avery & Zabel, 2.
According to Groen et al.
, flexible work arrangements give employees the chance to work from home instead of the office, save working overtime, and have flexible working hours.
In the end, these arrangements have aided workers at all levels of management in preserving and attaining a healthy equilibrium between work and family Nevertheless, flexible work arrangements are not without problems and difficulties.
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obstacle to the implementation of effective flexible work arrangements is resistance on the part of employers.
The adoption of more flexible work arrangements may only be evident when the organizational culture encourages employee involvement and collaboration.
This process requires consistency and determination to overcome organizational inertia.
Change that is unavoidable may be resisted, particularly when it is introduced by the employees.
this is because employers may not fully recognize the benefits of flexible work arrangements at this time (Ogueyungbo et al.
, 2.
Flexible work arrangements, in the words of Russell et al.
, include part-time work, flextime, working from home, and a range of organizational initiatives to promote a harmonious balance between work and family.
The definitions indicate that the flexible work arrangements consist of several parts.
In addition to working from home, job sharing, and taking career breaks, it also covers the choice of working at an alternate time or location.
These options help employees manage their work schedules and achieve a balance between their families and work domains (Shagvaliyeva & Yazdanifard, 2014.
Onyekwelu et al.
, 2022.
Salami et al.
, 2.
Flexible work arrangements give workers and their employers the ability to decide when, where, and how long to complete job-related Examples of these choices include reduced hours, part-time, teleworking, flexi-time, and (Kangogo Wanambiro, 2.
Within the framework of this research, flexible work arrangements refer to methods of working whereby workers are granted more flexibility in their schedules to carry out the duties associated with their jobs.
Thus, the following flexible work arrangements were adopted in this study:
Flexi-time: Starting and finishing work prior to or after rush hour gives employees the chance to take care of personal, household, or emergency needs during the workday and also cuts down on the amount of time they (Cooker.
Employees with flextime can choose the start and end times of their day at work as long as a predetermined number of hours are worked (Felstead & Henseke, 2.
Teleworking: With the use of computer technology, work can be done entirely or partially outside of the organization under the terms of teleworking.
Employees who engage in teleworking, also referred to as remote work or telework, can carry out their work remotely from a central workplace by utilizing information and technological Part-time teleworking has become more common in recent years, but full-time teleworking is still possible.
According to Allen et al.
, there are benefits to teleworking for individuals, organizations, and society as a whole.
Workers are able to work remotely from their regular locations thanks to teleworking.
Compressed Work Weeks:
While employees typically request compressed work weeks, employers may also choose to offer this option if they want to boost productivity and improve customer service.
But under these agreements, employees work longer shifts in return for fewer days at work during the work cycle .
uch as every two weeks or every wee.
(Felstead & Henseke.
Job Sharing: This is the practice of two or more employees sharing a full-time position and sharing reward based on the number of hours worked by each employee.
Tasks can be divided into multiple days, weeks, or even Okolie et al alternate weeks.
According to Felstead and Henseke .
, the success of job sharing depends on strong worker partnerships and a spirit of collaboration among the personnel.
Shift Work: Employees who work shifts typically form distinct shift teams, which are made up of groups of employees.
Under certain shift systems, each group alternates the hours it works, starting in the early hours of the day, afternoon, and night shifts (Ogueyungbo et al.
, 2.
Part-Time Work: Essentially, less than 35 hours a week is considered part-time work, and employees in this category are said to have the lowest rates of physical and mental well-being issues (Allen et al.
, 2.
Parttime workers participate in it in order to reconcile their professional and personal obligations, but those who would rather work longer hours find part-time employment Subcontracting or Outsourcing: Using a contract worker to complete a task is known as subcontracting or outsourcing.
Through subcontracting, qualified staff members can be used for a set amount of time.
These entrepreneurs to full-time employees of sizable businesses like computer, telecom, or building contractors (Osibajo et al.
, 2.
Moonlighting: This is the practice of an organization offering a bonus to a worker who accepts to take another job within the same organization (Osibajo et al.
, 2.
On the other hand, employee commitment to the organization is a crucial aspect of organizational behavior.
There are several components to organizational commitment, and researchers and scholars have described it in a variety of ways.
Organizational commitment is defined psychologically as a force that ties a person to a course of action that is relevant to one or more goals (Meyer & Herscovitch, 2.
Organizational commitment is the level of psychological integration and a sense of belonging that an employee has for their employer.
Commitment is generally understood to encompass the following: personal allegiance to the organization, emotional and ethical belief within the organization, setting organizational objectives above personal ones, contributing to the organizationAos success, and witnessing the organizationAos growth.
A model of organizational commitment comprising three componentsAi affective, continuance, and normative commitmentsAiwas presented by Meyer et al.
Employee recognition and emotional attachment to an organization are referred to as affective commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1.
workers have a shared objective and will work to achieve it, they will develop greater degrees of affective commitment (Lie et al.
, 2.
Continuance commitment pertains to an employee's understanding of the costs linked to leaving the organization (Meyer & Allen, 1.
If workers have made significant side bet investments, their levels of continuance commitment are expected to increase (Mutmainnah et al.
, 2.
Normative commitment is the sense of duty to stick with one's job and show loyalty (Meyer & Allen.
In exchange for the benefits and rewards provided by the employer, employees will grow normatively committed (Meyer and Herscovitch.
Within the framework of this research, an employee's organizational commitment is defined as their emotional connection to, sense of identity with, and participation in the goals and objectives of the organization.
Flexible Work Arrangements in Nigeria and Indonesia: An Overview Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa.
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with an expanding economy that represents a sizable labor market force, is one of the developing nations where globalization has given rise to numerous possibilities as well as obstacles (Falola et al.
, 2.
There are two general categories used to describe the work patterns in Nigeria: formal and informal.
Publicly funded institutions, such as public hospitals, police forces, and universities, frequently use the formal category.
To name a few, the private sector includes transportation, lodging companies, telecoms, and privately owned colleges and hospitals.
Conversely, selfemployed micro, small, medium, and big organizations run by people of indigenous descent fall under the informal category (Akanji.
The rapid advancement of technology has helped and abated flexible work arrangements, particularly in Nigeria's telecommunications However, the implementation remains worrisome despite the advancement in technology (Ogueyungbo et al.
, 2.
There is little proof that flexible work arrangements are being used in Nigeria, despite the fact that they are growing in popularity for both publicly and privately owned organizations worldwide (Ojo et al.
, 2.
Organizations in Nigeria are developing strategies to support flexible work arrangements on a more frequent basis, but putting these strategies into practice has become a moot point.
According to Salami et al.
, there are issues with the organizational or operational surroundings that contribute to Nigeria's inadequate adoption of flexible work arrangements.
According to Adonis and Kabanda .
African culture and a lack of technological infrastructure are the main causes of the lack of willingness to embrace flexible work arrangements in many African nations.
In Nigeria, hospital workers' workloads increased daily, pressure to meet goals, and required longer work hours always result in decreased efficiency, low morale, illness, and family strife among the workforce.
In accordance with Sunaryo et al.
, the COVID-19 pandemic has compelled a number of organizations to modify their work patterns in order to adhere to health regulations.
One popular model of work structure adopted by almost all organizations in Indonesia is the flexible work arrangement.
They also contend that for decades, people have held the view that workers must physically be present in order to perform their duties.
Nonetheless, the outbreak has compelled many Indonesian workplaces to introduce flexible work schedules.
The outcomes connected to the employee's work are greatly impacted by this condition.
Organizations in Indonesia adopting flexible arrangements more frequently as the changing nature and complexity of the workplace grow.
This is because flexible work arrangements enable employees to work with ease, which increases employee commitment and efficiency (Abilash & Siju, 2.
According to Andi et al.
, the Indonesian government is anticipated to play a crucial role in raising employee efficiency and effectiveness in this age of the Indonesian government must enact reforms.
These reforms must include building a more modern, effective government system and improving the qualifications and caliber of government workers as well as restructuring the administrative structure.
On the other hand, there have been complaints about Indonesian workers' poor performance and commitment (Tjiptoherijanto, 2.
Indonesian measures to ensure the safety of their workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic's unparalleled effects.
Flexible work arrangements, such as working from home, implementing schedule modifications, and modifying employment contracts to accommodate shorter work weeks, are some of these tactics.
Although there appears to have been a positive reaction, it is unclear if flexible work schedules could be viewed as a substitute human resource practice in Indonesian organizations after COVID-19.
the area of flexible work arrangements application in Indonesia, there is a dearth of empirical research (Rahman et al.
, 2.
Arquisola et al.
affirm that only a few industries, like the creative sector, which architecture firms, have implemented flexible work arrangements.
This indicates a scope gap in the research because other industries and sectors have not been examined.
The primary method of labor flexibility in Indonesia is provided by outsourcing or short-term contracts, which are governed by Indonesian Manpower Law 13/2003.
Contracts for a minimum of two years, with the possibility of an extra year, are known as short-term agreements and flexible work arrangements.
Moreover, the practice is used when a worker has retired or when a project requires specialized knowledge but no resources are available.
It has not become any simpler for the workforce to strike a balance between the work and non-work domains because most organizations in Nigeria and Indonesia have implemented flexible work policies to further their own agendas rather than the interests of their workforce.
Empirical Review The requirement for flexible work schedules has grown to be a crucial component of strategic human resource management procedures.
1967, a German aerospace firm implemented flexible work arrangements as a means of reducing employee absenteeism stemming from transportation-related problems (Ogueyungbo et , 2.
Extended hours at work can lead to a variety of challenges, such as decreased Okolie et al productivity over time, burnout and stress, an unbalanced work-life, and difficulty making timely and suitable choices.
Workplace efficiency heavily depends on employee commitment, so organizational executives who wish to ignite this passion should implement flexible work arrangements that prioritize people-centric (Monyei et al.
, 2.
Eaton .
investigates the relationship between working from home and staff attitudes and The ability of employees to use adaptable alternatives at work is referred to as Consequently, workers feel more involved in the efficient operations of an organization when they have recourse to standards that permit flexibility.
Previous studies have found a correlation employees and flexible work practices (Rehman & Sidiqui, 2020.
Gudep, 2019.
Choo et al.
Ross and Ali, 2.
Work-life balance and organizational commitment are impacted by flexible work arrangements, according to a study conducted by Rehman and Sidiqui .
their study.
Ross and Ali .
look at the commitment characteristics of ICT workers and discover a strong and positive correlation between flexible work schedules and employee When Gudep .
investigated the link between flexible work arrangements and organizational commitment among teachers, she discovered that organizational commitment was Kwon .
found in another study that among nurses, turnover intention was substantially inversely connected with flexible Salami et al.
use staff members from the hospital management board in Abraka.
Delta State, to examine the impact of flexible work arrangements on organizational commitment.
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The study took into account work shifts, offtime, flexible work schedules, rest periods, and both long- and short-term leaves as elements of flexible work and their effects on organizational A 25-item questionnaire was used to gather data from the organizationAos fifty health care professionals.
The study's findings, derived from the analysis, indicate that flexible work practices significantly affect organizational The study concludes that offering flexible work schedules is a good way for hospitals and other health-related organizations to gain the loyalty of their staff.
As a result, it is suggested, among other things, that organizations, particularly those in the hospital as well as health sector, offer more flexible work schedules to allow employees to balance work and family obligations to help them become more dedicated to the organization.
The impact of flexible work arrangements on work-life conflict, pressure from work, and organizational commitment in Indonesia's public sector has been investigated by Andi et al.
The study gathered information from 400 respondents via a survey method.
The findings indicate that the only factor strongly associated with flexible work arrangements is organizational commitment.
Flexible work arrangements do not significantly correlate with work-family conflict or work pressure.
The study finds that the public sector is the primary focus due to the growing significance of flexible work arrangements.
In the Nigerian banking sector.
Essien & Edwinah .
looked into organizational commitment and flexible work For this study, a sample of 1,990 employees was selected from all the banks that operate in both states.
Consequently, the Krejcie & Morgan .
sampling size table was used to determine a sample size of 320 employees.
The results unequivocally demonstrate that flexible work arrangements, when implemented in banks, have a positive effect on employees' affective, continuance, and normative commitments to their jobs.
The impact of flexible work schedules on the organizational commitment of staff members in the health services department in Nakuru.
Kenya, was investigated by Kangogo and Wanambiro .
652 employees of 15 hospitals in Nakuru town were the study's targeted population, and a descriptive study methodology was used in the investigation.
determine the study's sample size, 86 employees were chosen using a sampling technique.
Data were gathered using the Likert scale questionnaires with five points.
Regression and correlation analyses were performed on the gathered data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
The results showed an insufficiently significant positive connection between organizational commitment and flexible work arrangements.
The study concluded that employees' organizational commitment in public hospitals in Nakuru town is greatly impacted by flexible work arrangements, and it was suggested that the public hospital management should create work structures that accommodate these flexible work arrangements.
Employee productivity will significantly increase as a result, as they will be able to better manage their time to balance personal and professional Theoretical Framework The study is anchored on the work-family border theory, developed by Clark .
The theory describes how individuals attempt to strike a balance by negotiating the boundaries between their personal lives and their obligations at work.
The fundamental tenet of this theory is that, although belonging to different domains or spheres, work and family are related.
Clark .
goes on to say that this is because people typically belong to different cultures in both their families and their workplaces, which means they must constantly switch between the two on a daily basis.
Borders can be psychological .
ules established by people that determine when thinking structure, behavior patterns, and emotions are suitable for one area but not the othe.
, temporal .
, work hours, indicating when work is done and from when household duties can be embarked o.
, or physical .
walls, characterizing where domain-relevant actions should take precedenc.
The extent to which components from other domains are able to penetrate another domain is known as the degree to which a border can expand or contract in response to demands from one domain or another is known as flexibility.
and the result of high permeability as well as flexibility near the border is known as blending, which denotes the blending of the borders of the These are the three characteristics of These three border characteristics show how strong the border is.
Strong borders have high resistance, high rigidity, and the incapacity to permit blending (Bellavia & Frone, 2.
This theory is based on the idea that family and work are two different worlds that impact one another.
Additionally.
Clark .
notes that although there are many aspects of the work and family spheres that are difficult to change, employees can still find ways to close gaps in their lives and strike a healthy balance so that neither of both spheres is compromised.
In this context, balance means that both the home and the workplace are functioning satisfactorily and with little or no conflict.
To uphold employee commitment at the workplace and strike this balance, flexible work arrangements offer strategies to adopt.
According to Clark's .
study, the goal of border theory is to facilitate employees' commitment and performance so they can function well at home and at work.
Okolie et al can be seen from the above, the theory is indispensable to this research because it concentrated on the pertinent issue.
By attending to their own needs as well as those of their management, it assists employees in balancing the conflicting demands of the work and nonwork domains.
The premise of border theory aligns with the idea that a health system with permeable as well as flexible boundaries will more effectively support and promote balance between work and personal lives and that flexible work arrangements have a positive impact on employee commitment.
Employee commitment in the healthcare industry must be developed and enhanced through flexible work arrangements.
Healthcare workers, particularly physicians and nurses, have incredibly difficult and challenging jobs.
support the aforementioned perspective.
Kangogo and Wanamiro .
assert that changes in work culture, work style, family needs, and work demands also have an impact on hospital employees, including doctors, nurses, and other staff members.
Moreover, increased workplace pressure has a negative impact on hospital employees' work-life balance, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment.
Thus, in order to increase employee commitment and job satisfaction, hospital administration must take the required actions to create flexible work schedules, as stated by Nwekpa et al.
Flexible employees to take charge of their work schedules in an effort to reduce the negative effects of work-related stress and balance work and personal obligations.
These behaviors have been linked to greater degrees of organizational Much fewer observations are made when evaluating the impact of flexible work arrangements on employee commitment in general hospitals in Aceh.
Indonesia, and Delta State.
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arrangements and their widespread research publication in developed nations.
Previous research indicates that offering flexible work schedules to staff members can boost their commitment to the organization.
In this study, the following hypothesis was developed to test the causal link between flexible work arrangements and employee commitment in a subset of general hospitals located in Aceh.
Indonesia, and Delta State.
Nigeria:
H1: There is a significant difference between male and female healthcare respondentsAo opinions on the components of flexible work arrangements in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
H2: The independent variables of flexible work arrangements .
lexi-time, teleworking, compressed work weeks, job sharing, shift work, part-time work, subcontracting or outsourcing, and moonlightin.
are not significant in explaining the variance in workplace commitment of employees in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
METHOD.
DATA.
AND ANALYSIS
Cross-sectional research design was utilized in this study.
A cross-sectional study allows the researchers to observe multiple variables at once and provides additional information about the connection between the variables (Breakwell et , 1.
Six hundred and forty-nine .
healthcare employees of Eku General Hospital .
Ughelli Central Hospital .
, and Abraka General Hospital .
in Delta State.
Nigeria.
Meuraxa Regional General Hospital .
Zainoel Abidin General Hospital.
Banda .
, and Cempaka Lima General Hospital .
in Aceh City.
Indonesia, constituted the population for this study.
General hospitals in Delta State in Nigeria and Aceh City in Indonesia were chosen for this study for reasons of proximity and convenience for data In addition, a substantial amount of fieldwork and materials was needed for this size of study in order to determine the extent to which flexible work arrangements such as job sharing, teleworking, compressed work weeks, shift work, part-time work, subcontracting, and moonlighting affect workers' commitment to their jobs in general hospitals in Indonesia and Nigeria.
In order to gather data for this study, a selfadministered structured questionnaire was used in conjunction with a basic random sampling technique to gather information from the healthcare staff of the chosen hospitals.
This was corroborated by Jameel .
, who asserts that a representative sample that is chosen at random and is unbiased is essential for drawing conclusions from research findings and that a straightforward random sampling strategy lowers the possibility of unequal participation.
Using a pre-test survey, the instrument's reliability was assessed.
To pre-test the study tool, twenty .
copies of the questionnaires were given to the staff members of Meuraxa Regional General Hospital in Aceh.
Indonesia, and Abraka General Hospital in Delta State.
Nigeria.
In order to ascertain the internal consistency of the survey questions and the reliability of the study questionnaire, the data gathered from the recovered questionnaires was tested using the CronbachAos alpha test of reliability and SMART .
pecific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timeboun.
learning style criteria.
The coefficients of the two constructs for Cronbach's alpha range from 0.
733 to 0.
782 and composite reliability from 0.
819 to 0.
respectively, as shown in Table 1 above.
The Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite coefficient results have values greater than the cutoff of 0.
70, implying the reliability of all the constructs (Hair et al.
, 2017.
Karoro, 2.
The Okolie et al Table 1: Reliability Results Construct Flexi-time Teleworking Compressed work weeks Job sharing Shift work Part-time work Subcontracting or outsourcing Moonlighting Employee commitment Source: Field Survey, 2024 No.
of Items Composite Reliability CronbachAos Alpha Average Variance Extract average variance extract (AVE) discriminant validity figures, which are also above the 0.
level, support the reliability results (Hair et al.
Face validity was employed in this study, and the instruments were exposed to independent assessors in order to ensure the validity of the tool for cross-examination.
Professionals in the field from the Departments of Management and Public Administration in Nigeria and Indonesia were heavily consulted prior to the application of the questionnaire.
As a result, the constructs in this study demonstrated outstanding internal consistency and reliability.
The study employed version 23.
0 of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software to test the hypotheses using multiple regression analysis and the independent T-test.
The 40 items used to measure flexible work arrangements were adopted from Nwekpa et al.
Husein and Bayudhirgantara .
Salami et al.
, and Meyer and Allen .
, who were the source of the 12 items used to measure employee commitment.
A fivepoint Likert-type scale, ranging from strongly agree .
to strongly disagree .
, was used to measure each of these variables.
Study Areas This research was conducted in Aceh City.
Indonesia, and Delta State.
Nigeria.
Delta State is a state located in the South-South geopolitical In 1991, the state was founded with 12 local government units.
these were later expanded to 19 and as of right now, there are 25 local government units.
The state's economic hub is Warri, which is situated on the southwest coast, while Asaba, the capital, is situated alongside the River Niger in the northeastern part of the state.
With a projected population of more than 8.
5 million as of 2023.
Delta is the twelfth most populated and 23rd largest state out of the 36 states in Nigeria.
It is home to a variety of tourist attractions and outdoor activities.
Under facility code 10/08/1/2/1/0001, general hospitals in Delta State are permitted to operate as secondary healthcare centers by the Nigerian Ministry of Health.
Psychiatry/behavioral medicine, family medicine, ophthalmology, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, radiology, immunization.
HIV/AIDS services, tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases, family planning, communicable diseases, hepatitis, accidents and emergencies, nutrition, health education and community mobilization, pulmonology, neonatology, obstetrics, and gynecology are among the services offered by general hospitals in Delta State.
Because of its strategic location as a southern state surrounded by land to the north, west, and east.
Delta State was chosen as the study's focal point.
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the advantage of absorbing the social, economic, and political norms of other regions for progress as well as sustainable development.
On the other hand.
Aceh is Indonesia's westernmost province.
The capital of Aceh, and the largest city on the island of Sumatra, located at its northern tip, is Banda Aceh.
It shares maritime boundaries with Malaysia and Thailand to the east, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the west, the Strait of Malacca to the northeast, and the province of North Sumatra to the east.
Aceh, a religiously conservative territory with special autonomy status, is the only province in Indonesia to formally implement Sharia (Islami.
The region is home to ten distinct indigenous ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Acehnese, who made up roughly 70% of the 5 million people living there as of the middle The Hadih Maja .
"Hukomngoen Adat Lagee Zat Ngoen Sifeut" (Sharia and traditions are a distinct unity in the life of the Acehnese peopl.
describes the atmosphere of Acehnese society, which is based on Islamic law.
This legal foundation has long been in place in Aceh.
in fact, it was ingrained in the local population even before the Republic of Indonesia was established, specifically during the era of the sultanate.
Acehnese culture is also wise when it comes to government, with the Sultan holding the highest position of authority, the Ulama handling the law, the empress fully in charge of customs, and the commander in chief in charge of military power.
"Adat Bak Po Teumeureuhom Hukom Bak Syiah Kuala.
Qanun Bak Putroe Phang Reusam Bak Laksamana" is another Hadih Maja proverb that reflects this.
Hadih Maja illustrates the division of powers in the present, indicating that Acehnese culture rejects dictatorial ideals.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
This study investigated the effect of flexible work arrangements .
lexi-time, teleworking, compressed work weeks, job sharing, shift work, part-time work, subcontracting or outsourcing, commitment of employees in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
To achieve this, six hundred and forty-nine .
questionnaires were administered across the six selected general hospitals in Delta State.
Nigeria, and Aceh City.
Indonesia, and the questionnaire administered consists of each respondentAos personal data and the subject matter.
Thus, we were able to retrieve 497 out of the 649 copies of the questionnaire that were distributed, which translates to a response rate of The demographic features illustrate how the respondents' categories are distributed based on age, gender, and authority level, as indicated in Table 3 below.
Table 2: Distribution of Questionnaire and Response Rate
S/N
Local Government Areas Eku General Hospital Ughelli Central hospital Abraka General Hospital Meuraxa Regional General Hospital Zainoel Abidin General Hospital Banda Cempaka Lima General Hospital Total Source: ResearchersAo Fieldwork .
Questionnaires Distributed Questionnaires Retrieved Percentage % Okolie et al Table 3: Demographic Characteristics Results Category Gender Age Level Frequency Percentage (%) Total <30 years 31 - 40 years 41 - 50 years Above 50 years Total Subordinates Supervisors Senior Officers Hospital Directors Total Male Female Source: Field Survey, 2024 The results in Table 3 show that 261 .
of the respondents were male and 236 .
were female.
Furthermore, the age distribution of the respondents indicates that most of them were in the 31-40 age range, with 194 .
falling into this group.
Those between 41 and 50 years accounted for 125 .
2%).
those over 50, accounted for 110 .
1%), and lastly, those under 30 years accounted for 68 .
7%) of the respondents.
It appears that those who responded were not only from extremely trustworthy offices but also mature enough to express their opinions on the impact of flexible work arrangements on the workplace commitment of employees in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia, given that the majority of respondents were over thirty years of age.
of the sample, or 158 respondents, were subordinates.
senior officers accounted for 89 .
9%),
followed by supervisors at 142 .
6%), and directors at 108 .
7%).
This validates the precision as well as the representativeness of the data collected from those surveyed.
Testing of Hypotheses Finding out if the male and female healthcare respondents have distinct views about the components of flexible work arrangements in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia was The outcome was shown in Table 4 H1: There is a significant difference between male and female healthcare respondentsAo opinions on the components of flexible work arrangements in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
All calculated "t" values .
525, 1577, 1.
634, 1.
600, 1.
616, 1.
629, and 1.
are less than the critical "t" value .
, in line with the results shown in Table 4.
This shows that respondents' opinions about flexible work arrangements in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia are similar.
These include teleworking, compressed work weeks, job sharing, shift work, part-time work, subcontracting or outsourcing, and moonlighting.
As a result, the first hypothesis was disproved, and it was reiterated that there is no discernible difference between the opinions of male and female respondents concerning the elements of flexible work arrangements that were put into place in general hospitals located in Aceh City.
Indonesia, and Delta State.
Nigeria.
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Table 4: Opinions of Male and Female Healthcare Respondents on the Components of Flexible Work Arrangements in General Hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia Variables Flexi-time Teleworking Compressed work weeks Job sharing Shift work Part-time work Subcontracting or outsourcing Moonlighting Group Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Mean Cat.
Crit.
Source: SPSS Output, 2024 H2: The independent variables of flexible work arrangements .
lexi-time, teleworking, compressed work weeks, job sharing, shift work, part-time work, subcontracting or outsourcing, and moonlightin.
are not significant in explaining the variance in workplace commitment of employees in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
The Pearson's correlation coefficient of R= 793 in Table 5 above demonstrates that the causal connection between the workplace commitment of employees and the eight flexible work arrangementsAo components was significant.
The aspect of flexible work arrangements that is practiced, which accounts for 65.
8%, explains the variance in workplace commitment of this is indicated by the R-squared value of 0.
But other factors not included in the model explained 34.
2% of the unexplained variance in workplace commitment of To put it in another way, this study has considered important factors that are critical in predicting workers' commitment to their jobs in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
Additionally.
Table 5 demonstrates that the significance of the F-statistic, which is equal to 050, is indicated by the alpha value of 0.
being greater than the p-value (Sig.
It is feasible to draw the conclusion that the link between the predictors and the dependent factor is accurately described by this model.
Thus, the independent variables .
lexi-time, teleworking, compressed work weeks, job sharing, shift work, part-time work, subcontracting or outsourcing, and moonlightin.
account for a significant portion of the variance in employees' workplace It was confirmed that independent variables .
omponents of flexible work arrangement.
were significant in explaining the variation in the workplace commitment of employees in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia, as the p-value is less than 0.
refuting hypothesis two.
The eight independent variables in this study are also significant predictors of the dependent variable, employees' workplace commitment, since their p-values (Sig.
) are less than the 0.
05 alpha values.
As a result, a regression equation is created using the data from the column labelled AoBAo in table 5 Below is the regression equation:
Okolie et al Table 5: Multiple Regression Analysis Results on the Effect of Flexible Work Arrangements on the Workplace Commitment of Employees in General Hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
Independent Variables Constant Flexi-time Teleworking Compressed work weeks Job sharing Shift work Part-time work Subcontracting or outsourcing Moonlighting Adjusted R2 **Significant at 0.
005 level Source: SPSS Output, 2024 Unstandardized Coefficients - .
The workplace commitment of employees= .
426 flexi-time 0.
612 teleworking 550 compressed work weeks 0.
462 job sharing 0.
395 shift work 0.
437 part-time work 0.
398 subcontracting or outsourcing 347 moonlighting.
According to Table 5 above, teleworking has the highest beta coefficient .
when compared to other predictor variables.
This indicates that at general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia, teleworking was the most predictive factor that strongly affected the variation of the dependent variable .
mployee commitmen.
On the other hand, significance, while compressed work weeks, job sharing, and flexi-time have more reasonable levels of signifycance.
DISCUSSION
Workers in Nigeria's healthcare sector have more responsibilities and put in longer workdays that are more than 48 hours, which makes it challenging for them to maintain work-life Standardized Coefficients Beta t-value Sig.
equilibrium with their families and other personal matters.
This has led to work-life issues, which have been linked to mental health problems like stress and depression.
Over time, these problems have been shown to have an impact on employee commitment and organizational performance.
It is essential for all organizations to establish a work environment that encourages growth and development in this current competitive landscape.
Experience has demonstrated that an organizationAos ability to provide healthcare is influenced by the knowledge, abilities, and drive of its individual staff members.
Enhancing the efficiency of health interventions through increased workers' efficiency as well as service delivery is still a challenge for healthcare organizations.
In the field of medicine today, instances of industrial actions or medical strikes have become quite Health workers in Nigeria, in particular, have made it commonplace to take industrial actions to voice their complaints about their conditions of employment.
Amidst these Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business.
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actions, the question of employee commitment among health workers comes to the fore.
However, based on the data analysis and the results displayed above, the study's goal has been accomplished.
Two hypotheses were developed for this investigation.
The results of the first hypothesis indicated that the respondents' opinions about flexible work arrangements in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia are These include teleworking, compressed work weeks, job sharing, work shifts, part-time work, subcontracting or outsourcing, and moonlighting.
This suggests that despite the disparities in organizational cultures between Nigeria and Indonesia, flexible work arrangement practices there are comparable.
According to Yadav et al.
, employing flexible work arrangements as a management strategy that helps workers to successfully manage their personal and professional lives across national borders can yield similar outcomes.
Signaling theory states that employees will conduct an evaluation that improves their job and strengthens their commitment to organizations when they perceive organizational support, including flexible work arrangement policies (Casper & Harris, 2.
Organizational flexibility is required to deal with environmental changes, which calls for both increased individual adaptations to demands for flexibility and a higher degree of versatility (Svensson.
Thus, flexible work schedules can be implemented in different countries and can yield comparable results.
This study found that employees' commitment to their jobs at general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia was positively correlated with flexible work arrangements, such as teleworking, compressed work weeks, job sharing, shift work, part-time work, subcontracting or outsourcing, and moonlighting.
Thus, employeesAo level of workplace commitment was significantly influenced by their flexible work schedule.
The result aligned with the recommendations made by Salami et al.
and Kangogo and Wanambiro .
in their studies on the health sector in Kenya regarding the adoption of highquality flexible work arrangements.
Initiatives for compressed work schedules, flexi-time, job sharing, shift work, part-time work, outsourcing, moonlighting, and telecommuting are some of the suggested flexible work arrangement They also observed higher levels of productivity and dedication from workers in organizations implementing these flexible work The results of Nwekpa et al.
who believed that increasing work schedule flexibility increased employees' commitment at work, also corroborated this finding.
Furthermore, the study's findings showed that the characteristics of flexible work arrangements had a statistically and significantly positive impact on the workplace commitment of workers at general hospitals in Indonesia and Nigeria.
This investigation's findings are consistent with previous research conducted by Eaton .
Choo et al.
Kipkoech .
Husein and Bayudhirgantara .
Onyekwelu et al.
Salami et al.
Kangogo and Wanambiro .
In line with this discovery.
Essien and Edwinah .
discovered that flexible work schedules have a favorable effect on employees' affective, continuance, and normative commitments within an organization.
Also, to bolster the results of this investigation.
Atiku et al.
contended that telecommuting and flexi-time scheduling options are critical for increasing workers' productive hours in the digital era.
It is possible to work in early mornings, in the afternoon, at night, and on weekends and holidays.
According to Nwekpa et al.
, workers who have flexible work schedules and telework experience consistently high levels of confidence because these arrangements lower work-related stress, enhance physical and mental well-being, and boost dedication.
According to Kottey and Sharma .
, job-sharing improved workers' abilities and freed up more time for social and family obligations, but in the long run, it decreased financial benefits and raised job Thus, flexible work schedules have a positive impact on workers' dedication in the healthcare industry.
All things taken into account, the findings demonstrated that flexi-time, remote work, shortened workweeks, job sharing, work shifts, part-time work, outsourcing or subcontracting, and moonlighting have a major impact on staff commitment in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
Second, the multiple regression analysis results indicate that teleworking has a higher effect on staff commitment in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
The study's findings indicated that teleworking was a significant factor influencing workers' commitment to their employers at work.
A flexible work arrangement known as teleworking allows employees to work from different locations, usually with the use of information and communication technology devices.
Teleworking, also known as home-based or telecommuting work, allows employees to regularly communicate virtually with colleagues, reducing commuting time and removing the need to lease an urban As flexible work arrangements become more common in the workplace, employees may perceive increased emotional encouragement from their employer, which increases happiness at work and commitment to the organization (Chen & Fulmer, 2.
Sunaryo et al.
characterize teleworking as the Aunext working environment revolutionAy and state that interest in it is still organizations, and other stakeholders.
One Okolie et al cutting-edge strategy to boost productivity and comfort levels among employees is teleworking.
With the aid of enabling technology, teleworking can raise worker commitment and efficiency as well as happiness since it gives workers a cozy place to work (Abilash & Siju, 2.
Employee creativity can be influenced by a calm environment, which can ultimately spark more Teleworking has gained attention from experts and scholars due to its flexibility in terms of work location and time (Diab-Bahman & Al-Enzi, 2.
Furthermore.
Diab-Bahman and Al-Enzi .
pointed out the advantages of teleworking for workers, such as more time to spend with family, the ability to work from home in the event of illness, and reduced transportation expenses.
Nonetheless, certain drawbacks of remote work have also been documented, such as the absence of on-site supervisory oversight, increased challenges with coordination, and knowledge transfer within the organization (Robbins & Judge, 2.
Furthermore, teleworking may raise employees' feelings of loneliness, decrease their level of job satisfaction, and increase the possibility of the "out of sight, out of mind" effect (Robbins & Judge, 2.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
In conclusion, this study indicated that a variety of flexible work arrangements, including job sharing, teleworking, compressed work weeks, shift work, part-time work, subcontracting or outsourcing, and moonlighting, are highly indicative of employees' commitment to their The statistical results of this study demonstrate the importance of flexible work arrangements in less developed nations like Nigeria and Indonesia due to shifting economic conditions, shifting family structures, an increase in the proportion of female employees, advancements in technology, and growing Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business.
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resistance to long workweeks.
Therefore, the quality of flexible work arrangements can have a direct impact on the establishment of a long-term workplace commitment of employees in general hospitals in Nigeria and Indonesia.
Organizational flexible work policies should prioritize employees' long-term commitment in the current competitive environment in order to enhance the success and effectiveness of the One important component in lowering work-family conflict is an individual's degree of control and flexibility.
Better mental health, lower levels of stress, burnout, turnover, and absenteeism, as well as increases in retention and loyalty, job fulfillment, and creativity, as well as improved interpersonal relationships, greater efficiency, higher organizational citizenship behaviors, and organizational productivity, are all associated with employees who take advantage of flexible work Flexible work arrangements are frequently provided by organizations with the intention of promoting favorable outcomes for both the employers and the employees, and it is crucial to assess whether these outcomes are truly achieved.
Every human being on the planet battles to survive in the face of conflicting demands because there are countless needs but few In addition to organizationsAo struggles to meet stakeholder demands for capital appreciation, growing market share, industry survival, and the effective retention of priceless workers also face intense competition for how best to allocate their time between competing demands like taking care of family matters, attending political and social events, and engaging in other personal activities that occasionally conflict with organizational Flexible work schedules foster a win-win working environment that acknowledges and meets the demands of both workers and their Every employer thinking about flexible work arrangements ought to perform an organizational assessment to ascertain how well and what form of flexible work arrangement will best suit their needs.
However, not all flexible work arrangements are feasible or beneficial for all sizes and types of organizations.
Workers who are granted flexible work schedules frequently exhibit complete dedication to both work and leisure activities.
Based on the aforementioned, this study recommended that the hospital management in Nigeria and Indonesia should establish comprehensive policies that will advise both the staff and the management on flexible work arrangements.
The hospital management should also support job sharing, teleworking, collapsed work weeks, flexi-time scheduling, shift work, part-time work, subcontracting or outsourcing, and moonlighting in order to lower stress at work and increase staff commitment, loyalty, and support for an organization that values their well-being.
Flexible work schedules encourage employees to take care of and manage their They also give workers time for socializing, study, exercise, and family and household responsibilities.
Finally, they lessen the long-term stress that comes with time and conflicting roles that occur when work and nonwork obligations fall within the same time block.
Limitations The study's limitations stem from its restricted scope, which only includes six general hospitals in Delta State.
Nigeria, and Aceh City.
Indonesia, with the aim of generalizing the findings to all hospitals in the two countries.
Additionally, the study's sample size was insufficiently representative, and the results may not apply to other general hospitals in other states or nations.
In light of this, it is recommended that future researchers conduct a comprehensive study of this scope in order to close the gaps that have been identified.
More hospitals should be used to sample a larger population and improve future research's The inability to obtain a completely random sample, as well as the low response rate, are additional limitations.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We are truly grateful to the Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business, published by the Faculty of Economics and Business.
Universitas Gadjah Mada, for the opportunity to share our research.
We sincerely appreciate the editorial team's dedication in reviewing and overseeing the publication process.
REFERENCE