Flexible work arrangements and employee performance in international non-governmental organizations: the mediating role of job satisfaction

Abstract

Abstract

This study aims to examine the relationship between flexible work arrangements and employee performance in international non-governmental organizations in Burkina Faso, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of job satisfaction. The study adopts a quantitative, cross-sectional research design based on survey data collected from 234 employees working in international non-governmental organizations. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire and analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships and the mediating effect of job satisfaction. The results indicate that flexible work arrangements do not have a significant direct effect on employee performance. However, they have a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction, which in turn enhances employee performance. The findings further confirm that job satisfaction plays a positive and significant mediating role in the relationship between flexible work arrangements and employee performance. The study suggests that managers should consider flexible work arrangements as a strategic lever to improve employee satisfaction rather than expecting immediate, direct gains in performance. By implementing flexibility practices aligned with employees’ needs and promoting work–life balance, organizations can indirectly strengthen employee performance. The integration of job satisfaction indicators into management control systems is also recommended to monitor organizational outcomes better. This research contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence from the underexplored context of international non-governmental organizations in Burkina Faso. It highlights that the effect of flexible work arrangements on employee performance is primarily indirect, operating through job satisfaction, thereby enriching the understanding of these relationships in developing-country contexts.

Keywords: Job satisfaction, flexible work arrangements, employee performance, international non-governmental organizations, structural equation models.