Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, guidelines for people’s confinement have been implemented to prevent the disease’s spread. As a result of this, companies have implemented teleworking as an emerging way to work from home using information technology. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ecuador, with a sample of 204 teleworkers in the city of Quito. The results show that the teleworkers rearranged their bedrooms to carry out their activities. The respondents in each age group stated they did not perceive more significant ailments than those experienced before beginning teleworking. The relationships between the variables were analyzed utilizing the Chi-Square test and Fisher’s exact test, finding a relationship between neck ailments and age of p = 0.031 * and between arm/forearm ailments of p = 0.032 *. This study contributes to a greater understanding of the ergonomic situation of the teleworkers and provides us with information to mitigate the ergonomic risks to which they are exposed.

Procrastination involves voluntarily or habitually delaying unpleasant tasks for later. It is characterized by short-term benefits and long-term costs. The COVID-19 pandemic set specific circumstances that may have influenced procrastination behavior. This scoping review identified the existing peer-reviewed literature in English or Spanish about procrastination during the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2020 to April 2021) in six electronic databases. To conduct the review, a five-step methodological framework, as well as established PRISMA guidelines, was followed. A total of 101 articles were found. After removing duplicates and reviewing the articles, only 13 were included in the review. Findings indicate that procrastination was studied mostly in academic contexts in various parts of the globe. Procrastination behavior was related to anxiety, distress, time management, self-control, and other variables. There is limited information about interventions to prevent or decrease procrastinating behaviors in the context of confinement or in the living conditions generated by the pandemic. Future research should consider how procrastination evolved during the pandemic using longitudinal methodologies. Individual differences related to procrastination also should be identified, and the evaluation of the efficacy of existing interventions is still needed. This information might help in the creation of appropriate interventions that target detrimental procrastination behaviors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to adopt different work modalities to ensure their operation during this period. In this study, we described and compared working conditions and perceptions among face-to-face workers, teleworkers, and hybrid workers in Ecuador. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 542 participants, using a self-report survey to assess sociodemographic data, working conditions, and workers’ perceptions. Variables were described and then compared by the Chi-square test, ANOVA, and the Kruskal–Wallis test. The results indicated a higher proportion of on-site workers without higher education and in the public sector compared to the other modalities. At the same time, there was evidence of increased perceived productivity. People in the hybrid modality tended to have more than one job, earning a higher monthly salary, perceiving a decrease in productivity, an increase in daily working hours, and a lower capacity for time management. In addition, most teleworkers reported fair working conditions, a dedicated workspace, and easy adaptation to this work mode. This study builds a more in-depth understanding of how workers perceived their working conditions among work modalities for organizational decision-making because the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic is modifying the ways of working permanently.

This research focused on decision-making supported by multi-criteria decision methods, specifically TOPSIS, OWA, and their respective variants within personnel selection. The study presented models aimed at facilitating the selection of the best candidate for a job through competency-based assessments and comparing the application of four methods across various scenarios. We employed methods such as TOPSIS, OWA, and two variations (Canós–Liern method and an OWA model based on mathematically replicating expert opinion). Each model provided distinct rankings and demonstrated adaptability to specific situations within a company. Furthermore, it was emphasized that each method could and should be tailored according to the company’s reality to derive maximum benefit from its implementation. A crucial aspect of securing the best candidates involves understanding the context and identifying the appropriate methodology.

This article introduces an innovative questionnaire designed to assess key competencies in selection processes applicable across all organizational levels, including operational, tactical, and strategic. The questionnaire was developed using the Fuzzy Delphi Method, which integrates fuzzy logic to address the inherent ambiguity in consensus-building and decision-making processes. Fuzzy logic effectively manages uncertainty and subjectivity, optimizing the resources involved in selection procedures. This approach overcomes the limitations of traditional tools, offering a more objective and practical evaluation method. The instrument adapts the DISC and BFQ questionnaires to evaluate eight essential competencies, including decision-making, teamwork, and innovation. Its validation employed rigorous statistical techniques, such as Fleiss’ Kappa coefficient and Cronbach’s Alpha, confirming its reliability and internal consistency across 53 items. The practical implementation of this questionnaire in the selection process of an insurance company demonstrated its effectiveness, enabling quantitative classifications that align with organizational objectives while minimizing subjectivity. This questionnaire provides a scalable and resource-efficient solution that addresses the current demands of organizations, fostering equitable and evidence-based hiring decisions. The findings of this study establish a new standard in recruitment practices, significantly contributing to talent management and the optimization of selection processes.

Understanding how work-home interactions relate to work engagement is essential in organizational research. This study examined associations between bidirectional positive and negative work-home interactions and work engagement and tested whether these relationships are moderated by gender or differ across work modalities (in-person, hybrid, and remote) during the COVID-19 transition. A non-experimental, cross-sectional design was employed in Ecuador, utilizing snowball sampling to recruit 541 working individuals. We estimated the model using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), and comparisons between work modalities were conducted through multigroup analysis after establishing partial measurement invariance. The main findings indicated that Negative Home-Work Interaction and Positive Work-Home Interaction were significantly related to work engagement. Gender moderated only the Positive Home-Work Interaction, with a small effect size. Differences across work modalities emerged only for the positive work-home interaction-engagement relationship, with a stronger association in the on-site group than in hybrid and remote groups. These findings extend JD-R theory in a context of transition: engagement tends to be higher when resources into family gains and tends to be lower when home demands interfere with work. The strength of the enrichment-engagement association varies by work modality. Consequently, organizations may reinforce resources in face-to-face environments and design micro-rituals that facilitate their transfer in hybrid and remote settings, as well as to aim to limit home-work interference through policies that set realistic limits and workloads. Given the cross-sectional, time-bound evidence (Aug 2021-Jan 2022), these implications should be interpreted as provisional.