Unpacking the Paradox of Flexibility: Remote Work, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intention in Higher Education
Keywords:
remote work flexibility, job satisfaction, turnover intention, permanent lecturers, PLS-SEM
Abstract
This study aims to examine the influence of remote work flexibility on job satisfaction and turnover intention among permanent lecturers at the Institute of Technology and Business (IT&B) Medan. Lecturer turnover remains a pressing concern that undermines academic continuity and the overall quality of higher education. Adopting a quantitative approach, the research employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and involved a full population of permanent faculty members through a saturated sampling technique. The results reveal that remote work flexibility positively and significantly affects job satisfaction as well as turnover intention. Conversely, job satisfaction was found to have a negative yet statistically insignificant effect on turnover intention. These findings indicate that while remote flexibility enhances satisfaction, it may also increase the likelihood of lecturers seeking alternative career opportunities. The study offers practical recommendations for university leadership in developing flexible work arrangements that foster satisfaction while preserving institutional loyalty and long-term retention.
References
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Fadli, A. (2024). The Influence of Safety Leadership and Work Engagement on Job Satisfaction ( Case Study at University of Mahkota Tricom Unggul ). Journal of Business Integration and Competitive (JoBIC), 1(1), 21–30.
Faris, S., Rezeki, F., & Lubis, A. (2024). Enhancing Public Sector Performance : Work Engagement as a Mediator between Organizational Justice , Support , and Employee Outcomes in Bireuen Regency , Indonesia. Journal of Logistics, Informatics and Service Science, 11(12), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.33168/JLISS.2024.1201
Faruque, M. O., Talukder, T., Pranto, M. N., Debnath, A., & Sultana, S. (2024). The Rise of Remote Work and Its Impact on Small Businesses. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 14(6). https://doi.org/https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=134162
Fatahillah, M., Zakaria, A. R., Setiadi, C., Barnamij, N., Hafidhoh, H., Tinggi, S., Islam, A., Malaya, U., Yogyakarta, U. M., Tinggi, S., Ekonomi, I., Khas, S., Jaelani, A., Tinggi, S., & Islam, A. (2024). Malaysian Online Journal of Satisfaction : a Case Study At Kuningan Islamic. 12(3), 23–32.
Gunarto, M. (2024). Perceived Organizational Support as a Moderator of Job Insecurity, Turnover Intention, and Job Satisfaction in Private Higher Education. 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.46254/AP05.20240250
Hansson, M., & Eriksson, M. (2025). Work related indicators of midwives’ job satisfaction and the modifying effect of sense of coherence. A national cross-sectional study in Sweden. Midwifery, 142. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2025.104287
Harinto, A. (2024). The Influence of Workload on Lecturer Performance through Job Satisfaction at the IT & B Medan Campus. Journal of Business Integration and Competitive (JoBIC), 1(1), 1–9.
Huang, C. Y. L. C. K. (2020). Employee turnover intentions and job performance from a planned change: the effects of an organizational learning culture and job satisfaction. International Journal of Manpower, 42(3), 409–423. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-08-2018-0281
Krajčík, M., Schmidt, D. A., & Baráth, M. (2023). Hybrid Work Model: An Approach to Work–Life Flexibility in a Changing Environmentfile:///C:/Users/ADLINA/Desktop/workstress,mentalhealth.pdf. Administrative Sciences, 13(6), 1–8.
Leonardi, P. M., Parker, S. H., & Shen, R. (2024). How Remote Work Changes the World of Work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 11. https://doi.org/https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-091922-015852
Liem, I. K., Fatril, A. E., & Husna, F. A. (2024). Satisfaction of lecturers and undergraduate students of medical faculties in Indonesia towards online anatomy learning during COVID-19 pandemic. Springer Link, 24(695).
Lubis, F. R. A., Syaifuddin, Lubis, Y., & Nasib. (2023). The Influence of Managerial Coaching and Team Autonomy on Employee Performance in Palm Oil Plantation and Processing Companies in Sumatra. Society, 11(2), 626–643. https://doi.org/10.33019/society.v11i2.587
Lubis, F. R. A., Syaifuddin, Sofiyan, Lubis, Y., & Nasib. (2023). Impact of Improving Organizational Climate , Employee Empowerment on Employee Engagement and Performance. Journal of System and Management Sciences, 13(2), 273–284. https://doi.org/10.33168/JSMS.2023.0219
Lubis, Y., Ananda, F. R., Syaifuddin, Sofiyan, & Nasib. (2024). The Impact of Volunteerism and Emotional Regulation Traits on Job Satisfaction and Performance an Indonesian Agribusiness Corporation. Journal of System and Management Sciences, 14(11), 431–448. https://doi.org/10.33168/jsms.2024.1123
Mariana, L., Ramly, M., Sinring, B., & Rahman, Z. (2024). Influence Work-Family Conflict, Workplace Well-Being, and the Workload Turnover Intention on Lecturer Performance in Lldikti Region Ix. Revista de Gestao Social e Ambiental, 18(8), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v18n8-089
Novita, Fatkhurahman, Priadana, S., & Juniarti, A. T. (2025). The Mediating Role Of Job Satisfaction And Professional Commitment In Enhancing The Performance. Jurnal Riset Bisnis Dan Investasi, 18(1), 135–151.
Özkan, A. H., & Başol, O. (2025). From Safety Climate To Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Role Of Job Stress And Job Satisfaction. Safety and Health at Work, 28. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2025.04.006 Get rights and content
Simamora, J., Harnjo, E., Gunawan, E., Tarigan4, S. A., & Susanto. (2022). The Influence Of Job Satisfaction Towards Organizational Commitment At Bengkel Samarinda, Medan. Jurnal Cakrawala Ilmiah, 2(4), 1609–1620.
Skogen, K. H. K. R. B. C. (2021). Work overload and leader–member exchange: The moderating role of psychological flexibility. Journal of General Management, 46(3), 173–184. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306307020942905
Sulistiarini, E. B. (2024). The Relationship between Lecturer Performance Factors and Increased Insight , Strategy , and Impact on Higher Education Students. Jurnal Pedagogi Dan Pembelajaran, 7(2), 252–261. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.23887/jp2.v7i2.81155
Susanto, Lim, B., Linda, T., Tarigan, S. A., & Wijaya, E. (2021). Antecedents Employee Performance: a Perspective Reinforcement Theory. Journal of Industrial Engineering & Management Research, 2(4), 1–14.
Syah, M. S. T. Y. R. (2021). Job Insecurity Anomaly on Turnover Intention and Employee Performance in The Organization Heavy Equipment Transportation Services. European Journal of Business and Management Research, 6(2), 211–216. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejbmr.2021.6.2.822
Syaifuddin, Ananda, F. R., Lubis, Y., & Nasib. (2022). Can Life Satisfaction Become an Important Role in Increasing Employee Performance ? A Case Study. Journal of System and Management Sciences, 12(6), 379–397. https://doi.org/10.33168/JSMS.2022.0623
Syaifuddin, F., Rezeki, F., & Lubis, A. (2024). Drivers of Turnover Intentions and Vulnerability to Employee Poaching : A Study of Permanent Lecturers in Indonesian Private Universities. Journal of Logistics, Informatics and Service Science, 11(12), 90–115. https://doi.org/10.33168/JLISS.2024.1205
Syaifuddin, Lie, D., Lubis, F. R. A., Novirsari, E., & Nasib. (2024). The role of job satisfaction in mediating the relationship between family conflict, volunteer management, and employee performance at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara 3. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 11(12), 180–191. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2024.12.020
Tambunan, D. (2023). The Effect of Work Environment and Skills on Employee Job Satisfaction at PT . Jaya Pratama Motorindo Medan. The 1st Proceeding of The International Conference on Business and Economics, 1(2), 62–77.
Theng, B. P., Satrianny, I. P., Tarigan, S. A., Susanto, S., & Leonardi, F. (2024). The Impact of Organizational Culture toward Organizational Competitiveness at PT . Mega Royal Utama Medan Pengaruh Budaya Organisasi Terhadap Daya Saing Organisasi. Jurnal Kolaboratif Sains, 7(2), 769–773. https://doi.org/10.56338/jks.v2i1.639
Theng, B. P., Wijaya, E., Juliana, J., Eddy, E., & Putra, A. S. (2021). The role of transformational leadership, servant leadership, digital transformation on organizational performance and work innovation capabilities in digital era. JPPI (Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Indonesia), 7(2), 225–238. https://doi.org/10.29210/020211164
Tuerah, P. R., Korompis, M. E., Sumilat, G. D., & Kondoy, E. (2024). The Influence of Social Change on Human Resource Management Strategies in the Digital Era. Technium Sustainability, 9(2).
Turnip, M., Juniso, G., Almahd, T. H., Riyanda, A., Dharma, A., & Arif, M. (2024). Analysis of Lecturer Satisfaction Assessment of Academic Management Using the Service Quality Method. IEEE International Conference on Control & Automation, Electronics, Robotics, Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence (CERIA). https://doi.org/10.1109/CERIA64726.2024.10914970
Wang, Y., Cao, Y., Xi, N., Chen, H., & Gianni, M. (2021). High-Performance Work System , Strategic Flexibility , and Organizational Performance — The Moderating Role of Social Networks. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12(November), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.670132
Yuhertiana, I., Izaak, W. C., Rahmawati, A., & Sucahyati, D. (2024). Creative performance of lecturers in post-pandemic COVID 19: evidence from Indonesia. Cogent Education, 11. https://doi.org/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2369974#abstract
Ardi, A., Cahyadi, H., P, Y. F. C., Meilani, & Pramono, R. (2024). Talent attraction through flexible work anytime from anywhere. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(3). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i3.2998
Barbieri, B., & Bellini, D. (2024). Flexible Work in the Public Sector: A Dual Perspective on Cognitive Benefits and Costs in Remote Work Environments. Public Personnel Management, 54(1). https://doi.org/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00910260241275241
Chatterjee, S., Chaudhuri, R., & Vrontis, D. (2022). Does remote work flexibility enhance organization performance? Moderating role of organization policy and top management support. Journal of Business Research, 139. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.10.069
Cohen, G., Blake, R. S., & Goodman, D. (2015). Does Turnover Intention Matter? Evaluating the Usefulness of Turnover Intention Rate as a Predictor of Actual Turnover Rate. Sage Journals, 36(3). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X1558185
Fadli, A. (2024). The Influence of Safety Leadership and Work Engagement on Job Satisfaction ( Case Study at University of Mahkota Tricom Unggul ). Journal of Business Integration and Competitive (JoBIC), 1(1), 21–30.
Faris, S., Rezeki, F., & Lubis, A. (2024). Enhancing Public Sector Performance : Work Engagement as a Mediator between Organizational Justice , Support , and Employee Outcomes in Bireuen Regency , Indonesia. Journal of Logistics, Informatics and Service Science, 11(12), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.33168/JLISS.2024.1201
Faruque, M. O., Talukder, T., Pranto, M. N., Debnath, A., & Sultana, S. (2024). The Rise of Remote Work and Its Impact on Small Businesses. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 14(6). https://doi.org/https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=134162
Fatahillah, M., Zakaria, A. R., Setiadi, C., Barnamij, N., Hafidhoh, H., Tinggi, S., Islam, A., Malaya, U., Yogyakarta, U. M., Tinggi, S., Ekonomi, I., Khas, S., Jaelani, A., Tinggi, S., & Islam, A. (2024). Malaysian Online Journal of Satisfaction : a Case Study At Kuningan Islamic. 12(3), 23–32.
Gunarto, M. (2024). Perceived Organizational Support as a Moderator of Job Insecurity, Turnover Intention, and Job Satisfaction in Private Higher Education. 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.46254/AP05.20240250
Hansson, M., & Eriksson, M. (2025). Work related indicators of midwives’ job satisfaction and the modifying effect of sense of coherence. A national cross-sectional study in Sweden. Midwifery, 142. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2025.104287
Harinto, A. (2024). The Influence of Workload on Lecturer Performance through Job Satisfaction at the IT & B Medan Campus. Journal of Business Integration and Competitive (JoBIC), 1(1), 1–9.
Huang, C. Y. L. C. K. (2020). Employee turnover intentions and job performance from a planned change: the effects of an organizational learning culture and job satisfaction. International Journal of Manpower, 42(3), 409–423. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-08-2018-0281
Krajčík, M., Schmidt, D. A., & Baráth, M. (2023). Hybrid Work Model: An Approach to Work–Life Flexibility in a Changing Environmentfile:///C:/Users/ADLINA/Desktop/workstress,mentalhealth.pdf. Administrative Sciences, 13(6), 1–8.
Leonardi, P. M., Parker, S. H., & Shen, R. (2024). How Remote Work Changes the World of Work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 11. https://doi.org/https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-091922-015852
Liem, I. K., Fatril, A. E., & Husna, F. A. (2024). Satisfaction of lecturers and undergraduate students of medical faculties in Indonesia towards online anatomy learning during COVID-19 pandemic. Springer Link, 24(695).
Lubis, F. R. A., Syaifuddin, Lubis, Y., & Nasib. (2023). The Influence of Managerial Coaching and Team Autonomy on Employee Performance in Palm Oil Plantation and Processing Companies in Sumatra. Society, 11(2), 626–643. https://doi.org/10.33019/society.v11i2.587
Lubis, F. R. A., Syaifuddin, Sofiyan, Lubis, Y., & Nasib. (2023). Impact of Improving Organizational Climate , Employee Empowerment on Employee Engagement and Performance. Journal of System and Management Sciences, 13(2), 273–284. https://doi.org/10.33168/JSMS.2023.0219
Lubis, Y., Ananda, F. R., Syaifuddin, Sofiyan, & Nasib. (2024). The Impact of Volunteerism and Emotional Regulation Traits on Job Satisfaction and Performance an Indonesian Agribusiness Corporation. Journal of System and Management Sciences, 14(11), 431–448. https://doi.org/10.33168/jsms.2024.1123
Mariana, L., Ramly, M., Sinring, B., & Rahman, Z. (2024). Influence Work-Family Conflict, Workplace Well-Being, and the Workload Turnover Intention on Lecturer Performance in Lldikti Region Ix. Revista de Gestao Social e Ambiental, 18(8), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v18n8-089
Novita, Fatkhurahman, Priadana, S., & Juniarti, A. T. (2025). The Mediating Role Of Job Satisfaction And Professional Commitment In Enhancing The Performance. Jurnal Riset Bisnis Dan Investasi, 18(1), 135–151.
Özkan, A. H., & Başol, O. (2025). From Safety Climate To Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Role Of Job Stress And Job Satisfaction. Safety and Health at Work, 28. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2025.04.006 Get rights and content
Simamora, J., Harnjo, E., Gunawan, E., Tarigan4, S. A., & Susanto. (2022). The Influence Of Job Satisfaction Towards Organizational Commitment At Bengkel Samarinda, Medan. Jurnal Cakrawala Ilmiah, 2(4), 1609–1620.
Skogen, K. H. K. R. B. C. (2021). Work overload and leader–member exchange: The moderating role of psychological flexibility. Journal of General Management, 46(3), 173–184. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306307020942905
Sulistiarini, E. B. (2024). The Relationship between Lecturer Performance Factors and Increased Insight , Strategy , and Impact on Higher Education Students. Jurnal Pedagogi Dan Pembelajaran, 7(2), 252–261. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.23887/jp2.v7i2.81155
Susanto, Lim, B., Linda, T., Tarigan, S. A., & Wijaya, E. (2021). Antecedents Employee Performance: a Perspective Reinforcement Theory. Journal of Industrial Engineering & Management Research, 2(4), 1–14.
Syah, M. S. T. Y. R. (2021). Job Insecurity Anomaly on Turnover Intention and Employee Performance in The Organization Heavy Equipment Transportation Services. European Journal of Business and Management Research, 6(2), 211–216. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejbmr.2021.6.2.822
Syaifuddin, Ananda, F. R., Lubis, Y., & Nasib. (2022). Can Life Satisfaction Become an Important Role in Increasing Employee Performance ? A Case Study. Journal of System and Management Sciences, 12(6), 379–397. https://doi.org/10.33168/JSMS.2022.0623
Syaifuddin, F., Rezeki, F., & Lubis, A. (2024). Drivers of Turnover Intentions and Vulnerability to Employee Poaching : A Study of Permanent Lecturers in Indonesian Private Universities. Journal of Logistics, Informatics and Service Science, 11(12), 90–115. https://doi.org/10.33168/JLISS.2024.1205
Syaifuddin, Lie, D., Lubis, F. R. A., Novirsari, E., & Nasib. (2024). The role of job satisfaction in mediating the relationship between family conflict, volunteer management, and employee performance at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara 3. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 11(12), 180–191. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2024.12.020
Tambunan, D. (2023). The Effect of Work Environment and Skills on Employee Job Satisfaction at PT . Jaya Pratama Motorindo Medan. The 1st Proceeding of The International Conference on Business and Economics, 1(2), 62–77.
Theng, B. P., Satrianny, I. P., Tarigan, S. A., Susanto, S., & Leonardi, F. (2024). The Impact of Organizational Culture toward Organizational Competitiveness at PT . Mega Royal Utama Medan Pengaruh Budaya Organisasi Terhadap Daya Saing Organisasi. Jurnal Kolaboratif Sains, 7(2), 769–773. https://doi.org/10.56338/jks.v2i1.639
Theng, B. P., Wijaya, E., Juliana, J., Eddy, E., & Putra, A. S. (2021). The role of transformational leadership, servant leadership, digital transformation on organizational performance and work innovation capabilities in digital era. JPPI (Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Indonesia), 7(2), 225–238. https://doi.org/10.29210/020211164
Tuerah, P. R., Korompis, M. E., Sumilat, G. D., & Kondoy, E. (2024). The Influence of Social Change on Human Resource Management Strategies in the Digital Era. Technium Sustainability, 9(2).
Turnip, M., Juniso, G., Almahd, T. H., Riyanda, A., Dharma, A., & Arif, M. (2024). Analysis of Lecturer Satisfaction Assessment of Academic Management Using the Service Quality Method. IEEE International Conference on Control & Automation, Electronics, Robotics, Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence (CERIA). https://doi.org/10.1109/CERIA64726.2024.10914970
Wang, Y., Cao, Y., Xi, N., Chen, H., & Gianni, M. (2021). High-Performance Work System , Strategic Flexibility , and Organizational Performance — The Moderating Role of Social Networks. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12(November), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.670132
Yuhertiana, I., Izaak, W. C., Rahmawati, A., & Sucahyati, D. (2024). Creative performance of lecturers in post-pandemic COVID 19: evidence from Indonesia. Cogent Education, 11. https://doi.org/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2369974#abstract
Published
2025-05-09
How to Cite
Susanto. (2025). Unpacking the Paradox of Flexibility: Remote Work, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intention in Higher Education. International Journal of Economics, Business and Innovation Research, 4(03), 399-413. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijebir.v4i03.1757
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