Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Frontiers Media SA  

Introduction

The rapid adoption of telework, accelerated by advancements in ICT and the COVID-19 pandemic, offers potential benefits for wellbeing and environmental impact. However, telework’s effects on work productivity, work-life balance, and social connectedness remain complex, particularly within hybrid models combining work-from-home (WFH) and in office days.

Methods

This study assessed telework’s impact by comparing WFH and office days. A survey of 1,500 full-time workers in Japan’s Tokyo Metropolitan Region focused on daily time allocation, and telework preferences during telework periods. Principal component and cluster analyses were used to identify groups with distinct work and lifestyle patterns.

Results

Six telework-related groups emerged, reflecting diverse experiences in productivity and daily life. Groups such as the “Overall Increase” and “Housework and Rest Increase” reported gains in leisure and family time, positively impacting wellbeing. In contrast, the “Unsuitable for WFH” group faced increased office-day workloads and reduced WFH productivity, indicating that telework’s effectiveness depends on job and individual characteristics.

Conclusion

The findings highlight telework’s potential to enhance wellbeing and sustainability but also underscore the need for tailored policies that address diverse job requirements and personal characteristics. This study contributes to sustainable telework strategies by offering insights into effective support systems that balance flexibility, productivity, and environmental sustainability, aiming both for an enhanced personal life and societal benefits.

DOI： 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1534548

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Frontiers Media SA  

Individual behaviors of citizens are important for implementing the necessary measures for adapting to climate change. However, studies on the adaptive behaviors of ordinary citizens are limited. Therefore, in this study, we developed behavioral models to understand individual behaviors for adaption to and mitigation of climate change. We compared four behavior groups, namely, G1, individual mitigation; G2, individual adaptive; G3, long-term adaptive; and G4, solar-energy system installation behaviors. Following a questionnaire survey for the four behavioral groups, behavioral models were developed using structural equation modeling, which considered psychological factors along with selected attitudes, perceived effectiveness, norms, benefits, practicality, and intention. Furthermore, we considered the recognition and attribution of local climate change as key factors for adaptation behaviors toward local climate change. The behaviors of citizens in four prefectures in Japan, namely, Nagano, Tokyo, Saitama, and Kanagawa were considered. Among them, Nagano Prefecture, wherein the implementation of adaptation measures was at a low level while that of mitigation measures was at a high level, showed a differing trend. In the behavioral models, the recognition of local climate change directly affected the behavior of citizens in the individual adaptive behavior group. In both the individual adaptive and long-term adaptive behavior groups, the impact of benefits was substantial, with significant differences across local areas. Thus, effective adaptation strategies might involve tangible and familiar examples demonstrating the consequences of behavior, thus enhancing citizens' behavior evaluation perception and fostering its acceptance as a desirable behavior. Tailoring adaptation strategies to specific local contexts might also be necessity. To encourage citizens to adapt to climate change and its impacts, we propose two-way efforts, instead of providing one-way information, by supporting citizens to think about self-help and mutual help effectively. Our study can serve as a reference for future studies focusing on citizen behavior about climate change mitigation and enhance their adaptation for locally implemented strategies.

DOI： 10.3389/fclim.2024.1283946

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, JAPAN  

A questionnaire survey was conducted on changes in work and commuting conditions in the COVID-19 situation were surveyed with respect to teleworking, which is expected to reduce environmental impact. Respondents with telework experience in 2020 were sampled in Tokyo, which is highly rail-dependent area, and in Tochigi, which is highly car-dependent area.

Even during the period of maximum telework, there were few teleworkers who completely teleworked from home or used satellite offices, and many teleworkers worked in combining office work and home. The trend of continuous teleworkers in Tokyo was that many of them were in their 40 s, worked in the information and telecommunications industry, and had a long commuting time. Furthermore, a high percentage of them rearranged furniture or purchased new furniture for telecommuting. On the other hand, women and those in the education industry were the most frequent users only during the emergency declaration period.

In Tochigi, where the environmental burden of commuting is high due mainly to the use of automobiles, the frequency of commuting to work was high during telework period and the environmental burden associated with commuting resumed as well, as the employees returned to their traditional work style in November 2020 when the COVID-19 disaster subsided somewhat.

DOI： 10.11353/sesj.36.122

CiNii Research

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J-GLOBAL

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Total pages：viii, 196 p.   Language：English  

CiNii Books

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