Abstract:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Sri Lanka's recent economic downturn,
work-from-home (WFH) and long-distance leadership (LDL) have been widely adopted
across sectors, raising concerns about their impact on employee performance. Thisstudy
examines the effects of WFH and LDL on the performance of selected government
employees in Sri Lanka using an explanatory sequential mixed-method approach.
Quantitative data were collected via structured questionnaires from 197 government
employees and analyzed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling
(PLS-SEM). Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews with seven
public service employees and analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitative findin
show WFH and LDL positively impact employee performance, with WFH having a more
significant influence. Qualitative results corroborate these findings, emphasizi
effectiveness of remote work in enhancing performance. The study suggests government
departments should promote remote work environments and invest in robust WFH
infrastructure to maximize employee performance, especially when remote work
becomes essential.
