The study of sustainability as a mediator of new approaches to work and workspace usage

Purpose Many corporates in India are constantly working to adapt new sustainable working practices that can reduce average space usage in the Indian workspace. This study aims to analyze the strategic shifts in terms of new approaches to work (NAW) adopted by information technology (IT) companies, influenced by sustainable practices that have a positive impact on the reduction in usage of brick and motor workspace and carbon footprint. Design/methodology/approach The research is descriptive in nature. A questionnaire survey was sent to certified ISO 41001 Indian IT companies to collect data through SurveyMonkey. Stratified sampling was used to collect a sample of 583 respondents, which was also verified using G* software. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and partial least square-structured equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the mediating effect of sustainability on NAW and reduction in usage of workspace. Findings The structural model results obtained through the bootstrapping technique showed that sustainability has become essential to survive in a competitive business environment while developing NAW that can reduce workspace usage. The findings of this study support the partial mediation effect (38%) of sustainability on NAW and workspace usage patterns in the Indian IT workspace. Originality/value This research adds value to the limited literature on the effect of NAW in the Indian IT sector and provides empirical evidence of the impact of technology-enabled NAW based on sustainable practices that can help reduce the demand for workspace.