Can flexible work arrangements boost engagement and desirable employee behaviour?

The recent global recession has contributed to many workers feeling increasingly under pressure to “work harder and longer with no additional reward” (Thomas et al., 2013, p.3). In efforts to maintain engagement and performance during the recession, many organisations increased their usage of flexible work arrangements (FWAs), such as flexitime and working from home (CIPD, 2012). Although the availability and use of such arrangements have been found to promote positive work attitudes (McNall, Nicklin, & Masuda, 2010), little is known about how employees generally perceive flexible work arrangements, and whether these perceptions lead to specific forms of behaviour. The present study seeks to address this gap in by testing the relationship between perceptions of FWAs and citizenship behaviors via employee engagement, and examining the potential moderating role of employment security given the effects of the recession on employment (van Wanrooy et al., 2013). In doing so, this paper will have a practical benefit as practitioners currently focus time and resources into providing flexible work arrangements (CIPD, 2012), and assessing engagement with the organisation rather than with the job (Fletcher & Robinson, 2014; Truss, 2014).