Telework for a Sustainable Future: Systematic Review of Its Contribution to Global Corporate Sustainability (2020–2024)

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis has turned teleworking from a minority option into an imposed and generalized way of life and has called into question its contribution to corporate sustainability. The present review is the first systematic review of the effects of telework on the environmental, social, and economic pillars of corporate sustainability in the scholarly literature published from 2020 to 2024. A total of 50 studies from three databases (Scopus, Science Direct, and Taylor and Francis) were reviewed according to PRISMA guidelines by both a data bibliometric analysis and narrative synthesis. The findings show that telework has the potential to improve environmental sustainability by decreasing commuting emissions (29–54% depending on its deployment intensity), but rebound effects such as increased residential energy use work against this (in part) positive regard. From a social point of view, telework is double-edged between helping balance personal and work life and possessing the potential to lead to greater isolation and aggravate existing inequalities, particularly in developing countries. Economically, it drives operational costs down and expands the talent pool, with micro-, meso-, and macroeconomic impacts. The possibility of telework as a tool of sustainable development is substantially moderated by organizational culture, digital infrastructure, sociodemographic reality, and even the physical environment. We argue that telework is a potentially transformative driver of corporate sustainability if deployed strategically within a given context; however, disciplinary fragmentation and methodological lacunae in common metrics remain, especially with regard to long-term effects and implementation in developing economies.

1. Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic radically transformed global labor dynamics, converting telework from a minority option to a widespread necessity in a matter of weeks [1,2]. While telework existed before this health crisis, its massive and mandatory adoption during lockdowns accelerated a process of organizational transformation that has persisted even after the pandemic [3,4]. This abrupt transition to remote work environments revealed not only its technical viability in multiple sectors but also its potential multidimensional contribution to corporate sustainability through reduced commuting, lower energy consumption in offices, and resource optimization [5,6].

In this context, remote work evolved from responding to a health crisis to becoming a strategic component for business operations more aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly for sustainable cities, climate action, decent work, and inequality reduction [7,8]. In fact, early research also began to observe how properly implementing the logic of telework effectively reduced greenhouse gas emissions, alleviated human congestion in cities, helped people with limited mobility access meaningful employment, and improved work–life balance [9,10].

However, the relationship between teleworking and corporate sustainability demonstrates significant complexity that requires systematic examination. On one hand, several studies used various methods to document environmental improvements as employee daily commutes decreased [11,12]; on the other hand, emerging research also pointed to possible rebound effects and trade-offs between different dimensions of sustainability [13,14]. These included increased residential energy consumption, inequalities in access to digital infrastructure, a residential boom in suburban areas, and potential impacts on team spirit in workplaces [15,16].

In terms of a critical approach, researchers later had to consider not only the direct effects of implementing telework on reducing carbon emissions but also the immediate effects on household energy consumption, indirect effects on social equity, and concerns about workers’ mental health and well-being [17,18]. Additionally, various contextual factors related to the characteristics of the built environment, public transportation systems, digital infrastructure, and organizational policies had a significant effect in moderating telework’s contribution to sustainability [19,20,21].

In line with the accelerated changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to consider the impact of telework as an emerging phenomenon transforming the labor market in Latin America. Although this modality allowed certain economic activities to be sustained in a context of confinement, it also exposed and amplified pre-existing structural inequalities in the region. Various studies show that access to telework was primarily determined by educational level, labor formality, occupation type, and access to information technologies, which excluded large segments of informal, young, and low-income workers [22]. Likewise, recent research has highlighted that, although remote work has the potential to contribute to corporate and environmental sustainability, its implementation also generates rebound effects, such as increased energy consumption in households or uncontrolled urban expansion. Therefore, its effective contribution to sustainability depends on contextual, regulatory, and organizational factors [2,8].

Although the amount of research was relatively abundant, this quantity continued to reveal important information gaps. First, there was considerable geographic concentration, with a preponderance of studies conducted in Western developed economies and a minimal proportion of work focused on developing or emerging contexts [6,23]. Second, a significant disciplinary divide was identified, with the environmental, organizational, and social elements of the telework phenomenon studied in isolation in the literature, without comprehensive consideration of their interactions [8,24]. Finally, standardized metrics and coherent methodological frameworks were lacking to quantify the overall contribution of telework to corporate sustainability in its individual dimensions [25,26].

Consequently, the following research objectives led to a systematic review: (1) Impact: What is the documented impact of telework on the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of corporate sustainability in the literature published in the period 2020–2024? (2) Moderation: What contextual factors have moderated the effectiveness of telework as a sustainability strategy based on organizational, geographical, and socioeconomic environments in the published literature? (3) Methodology: What methodologies, metrics, and indicators have assessed the contribution of telework to corporate sustainability, and what are their strengths and weaknesses?

Thus, based on the research questions, the purpose of this systematization was to: consider the contribution of telework to global corporate sustainability in the period 2020–2024. Therefore, throughout the work, patterns, trends, and empirical evidence are identified based on a detailed, transparent, and replicable analysis of the academic literature.

The structure of this systematized review, which revolved around three specific interconnected objectives, is summarized below. First, to summarize the available evidence in the scientific literature on the effects of implementing the telework model on sustainability in the corporate environment, from environmental, social, and economic aspects, identifying synergies and trade-offs between dimensions and patterns of causality and association. Second, to characterize the contributions of moderating factors to the modulating effectiveness of telework as a sustainability strategy based on different organizational, work, technological, socioeconomic, and regulatory contexts, across advanced and emerging economies. The third, in line with the focus, was to analyze the literature approaches, metrics measures, and mapped indicators developed to measure the impact of telework on corporate sustainability and to propose an integrated evaluation system applied in the pursuit of the SDGs.

Regarding the scientific contribution of this review work, this project managed to address more precisely the contextual variability in terms of geography, sectors, and socioeconomic circumstances. In the interest of truth, this approach allowed for overcoming the fragmentation of the international literature and providing a solid foundation on which future research in this and other fields can be built [27,28]. Furthermore, several previous studies covered the contextual variety in geographical, sectoral, and socioeconomic terms, which in turn could help identify opportunities based on good practices that depend on organizational reality [29,30]. Finally, the literature review conducted as part of this project is also of decisive importance with respect to the development of corporate remote work strategies that maximize benefits and minimize disadvantages in general [21,31].

Overall, beyond the impact in terms of academic implementation, the results of this systematic review provided practical guidelines to policymakers, senior executives, and human resources and sustainability professionals. The reason is that they were able to inform their decisions regarding how to implement remote work models that are consistent with corporate sustainability principles and current environmental challenges with solid scientific evidence.

1.1. Evolutionary Background and Theoretical Foundations

The concept of teleworking has evolved significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, transitioning from [32] traditional classification—informal, occasional, and permanent arrangements—to more complex modalities. Ref. [33] introduced “emergency telework” to describe the sudden, compulsive implementation during lockdowns, while [34] identified “post-pandemic telework” as an emerging hybrid model. This technological evolution requires new theoretical frameworks for understanding work transformation [35]. This evolution reflects [36] a four-generation framework, from fixed telecenters to virtual collaborative cloud platforms, demonstrating technological and organizational sophistication.

The empirical synthesis of existing theoretical frameworks reveals a conceptual convergence that transcends traditional disciplinary fragmentation. Three main theories find systematic empirical validation through the studies analyzed, constituting an integrated framework for understanding the relationship between telework and sustainability.

The Sustainable Value Creation Theory [37] shows empirically validated progression: Stage 1.0 (the mitigation of negative externalities) is confirmed by documented reductions of 29–54% in transport emissions [38]; Stage 2.0 (the creation of shared value) is supported by studies showing how “information quality significantly affects well-being” [18] and “the organizational context moderates the effects of teleworking” [39]; while Stage 3.0 (the transformation of challenges into opportunities) remains limited to specific cases such as that documented by [32], with “positive effects on productivity under certain conditions.”

The Sociotechnical Transition Theory [40] obtains empirical validation through documented systemic interactions: [41] shows that “technologies facilitate but also limit collaboration,” [19] documents “significant inequalities due to socioeconomic factors” in domestic infrastructure, and [36] confirms “significant inequalities by country and sector” in Europe, demonstrating how national regulatory frameworks mediate sociotechnical transitions.

Social Practice Theory [42] finds empirical support in the documented reconfiguration of work practices: [8] identifies “emerging workspaces” using big data in China, [14] documents “unique mobility patterns” on Fridays in France, and [18] records five distinctive patterns of experience, evidencing heterogeneity in social reconfiguration.

Empirical convergence reveals that all theories confirm the fundamentally contingent nature of teleworking’s sustainable potential, depending on organizational [39], technological [41], infrastructural [19], and regulatory [36] factors. However, a significant divergence emerges: while theories suggest evolutionary progression, empirical evidence shows that most organizations remain in the early stages of implementation, confirming the need for integrated theoretical approaches.

1.2. Dimensional Framework of Sustainability

1.2.1. Environmental Dimension

Ref. [43] established a comprehensive analytical framework addressing multiple factors beyond avoided travel, including household energy consumption and long-term behavioral changes. Critical findings show that telework intensity determines environmental benefits: full-time arrangements reduce emissions by 54%, while hybrid models (2–3 days/week) achieve 29–37% reductions [38]. However, ref. [44] documented significant rebound effects through increased domestic energy consumption and altered mobility patterns.

1.2.2. Social Dimension

Ref. [45] developed a multidimensional well-being framework encompassing affective, cognitive, social, professional, and psychosomatic dimensions. Ref. [46] identified complementary taxonomies addressing individual (autonomy, work–life balance), organizational (culture, cohesion), and social (inclusion, community development) impacts. Ref. [9] documented critical equity gaps based on gender, socioeconomic status, geographic location, and family responsibilities.

1.2.3. Economic Dimension

Ref. [47] proposed a three-level classification: microeconomic (individual productivity, operating costs), mesoeconomic (organizational innovation, talent attraction), and macroeconomic (regional development, sectoral competitiveness). Ref. [48] quantified the “telework dividend” at 2.5% of the GDP in developed economies through reduced travel costs and improved flexibility. Specific economic validation includes [44] Japanese productivity mechanisms (reduced commuting stress, flexible allocation), ref. [32] noted 12–18% SME improvements in Italy, and ref. [46] showed 15% urban-to-rural economic redistribution modeling in the USA.

1.3. Theoretical Integration and Empirical Convergence

The empirical application of these frameworks reveals critical convergence: all confirm that telework’s sustainability potential is fundamentally contingent, depending on organizational [39], technological [41], infrastructural [19], and regulatory [36] factors. However, a significant divergence emerges: while theories suggest evolutionary progression, empirical evidence shows that most organizations remain in initial implementation stages, with limited advancement toward systemic transformation, confirming the need for integrated theoretical approaches that capture this multidimensional complexity.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Systematic Review Design

The present analysis was conducted through a systematic review under the guidelines of the PRISMA protocol (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) for the synthesis of scientific evidence on the contribution of telework to global corporate sustainability during the period 2020–2024. The methodological process was organized based on the four sequential phases proposed by the PRISMA protocol, identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion, with the aim of ensuring a systematic, transparent, and reproducible process.

The PRISMA 2020 checklist detailing compliance with the 27 items is included in the Supplementary Materials.

2.2. Search Strategy and Database Selection

The systematic selection was carried out between January and March 2024 in three scientific databases that were chosen following an effective and emerging strategy. These are:

• Scopus: Selected for its broad and multidisciplinary coverage, with access to highly impactful journals in key areas—environmental, business, and social sciences in particular.
• Science Direct: Considered for its specialization in the literature with particular strength in sustainability and business management.
• Taylor and Francis Online: Chosen for its recognized coverage in social sciences and organizational studies, crucial for understanding the dimensions of work-from-home society.

The strategy was structured in three conceptual blocks through Boolean operators, as shown in

Table 1. Search strategy by conceptual blocks.

Concept Block	Search Terms
Telework	“telework” OR “remote work” OR “work from home” OR “telecommut” OR “virtual work” OR “distributed work” OR “flexible work” OR “home office”
Sustainability	“sustainab” OR “environment” OR “carbon footprint” OR “emission” OR “energy” OR “ESG” OR “triple bottom line” OR “social” OR “wellbeing” OR “economic” OR “resilien” OR “SDG”
Corporate scope	“corporat” OR “organization” OR “business” OR “enterprise” OR “company” OR “companies” OR “firm” OR “workplace” OR “institution”

.

To ensure thoroughness, the search was complemented with a manual review of bibliographic references from key studies (snowball technique) and a consultation of relevant documents from organizations such as the ILO and ECLAC.

2.3. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

The inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed based on systematic review best practices [49] and adapted to the specific requirements of telework and sustainability research. The criteria focused on three key dimensions: temporal relevance (2020–2024 period capturing post-pandemic organizational transformation), methodological rigor (peer-reviewed studies with transparent methodology), and thematic alignment (explicit analysis of telework’s relationship with corporate sustainability dimensions). The quality assessment followed PRISMA reporting standards [50] with additional consideration of study design appropriateness for the research questions addressed.

Precise criteria were established for the selection of studies, as specified in

Table 2. Applied inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Inclusion Criteria	Exclusion Criteria
Studies published between January 2020 and February 2024	Studies published outside the established period
Peer-reviewed scientific articles and working papers from recognized institutions	Opinion pieces, editorials, or communications without explicit methodology
Studies that explicitly analyze the relationship between teleworking and corporate sustainability	Studies focused exclusively on the technical aspects of teleworking
Publications in English or Spanish	Publications in other languages
Studies with verifiable and transparent methodology	Studies focused solely on the immediate impact of COVID-19 without prospective analysis

.

2.4. Study Selection Process

The initial search of three databases yielded 567 potentially relevant records (Scopus: 287; Science Direct: 182; Taylor and Francis: 98). After removing 111 duplicate records, two independent reviewers (EVRF and GLCI) conducted a systematic review of the titles and abstracts of 456 unique records using predefined criteria. The independent reviewers systematically applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and consensus was reached through structured discussion protocols. A full-text assessment of 198 preselected articles was conducted, and 148 studies were excluded due to methodological rigor (75), temporal misalignment (33), and inadequate thematic relevance (40). The final synthesis of the evidence incorporated 50 studies that met all eligibility criteria (Figure 1).

The complete breakdown of each PRISMA criterion applied can be found in File S1 (Supplementary Materials).

Quality Assessment and Consensus Process

Two independent reviewers (EVRF and GLCI) implemented a systematic evaluation protocol through structured consensus sessions. The process included three sequential phases with specific methodological quality criteria.

During the initial screening phase, 456 unique records were evaluated using predefined inclusion criteria. Disagreements identified in 89 records (19.5%) were resolved through structured discussion requiring an explicit justification of decisions and a consultation of PRISMA criteria for borderline cases.

The full-text assessment used specific criteria: for quantitative studies, a minimum sample size (n ≥ 30), appropriate statistical methodology, and the control of confounding variables were required; for qualitative studies, documented theoretical saturation, methodological triangulation, and consistency between the theoretical framework and findings were required; for mixed studies, the coherent integration of components and justification of the design were assessed.

Systematic exclusions were documented in three categories: insufficient methodological rigor (75 studies), including inadequate sample sizes and a lack of transparent analytical frameworks; temporal misalignment (33 studies), corresponding to publications outside the 2020–2024 period; and inadequate thematic relevance (40 studies), due to exclusively technical approaches with no explicit connection to corporate sustainability.

The final consensus of 100% among reviewers after the structured sessions indicates the robustness of the selection process, although Cohen’s kappa was not calculated due to the qualitative nature of several inclusion criteria.

2.5. Bibliometric Analysis

A complementary bibliometric analysis was conducted to provide quantitative insights into the research landscape and identify structural patterns within the telework–sustainability literature. This approach enabled the systematic mapping of knowledge production, collaboration networks, and thematic evolution beyond traditional narrative synthesis.

2.5.1. Software and Tools

The analysis employed the Bibliometrix (Version 5.0.1) package in R (Version 4.3.2) [51], which provides comprehensive science mapping capabilities including co-citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence networks, and thematic evolution mapping. This tool was selected for its robust analytical capabilities and standardized metrics for bibliometric assessment.

2.5.2. Analytical Framework

The bibliometric analysis followed established science mapping protocols [52] encompassing four complementary approaches:

• Performance analysis: Quantitative assessment of scientific production by country, institution, journal, and temporal trends to identify research productivity patterns and influential sources.
• Science mapping: Network analysis of co-authorship patterns, institutional collaborations, and country-level research partnerships to reveal knowledge production structures and international cooperation dynamics.
• Thematic analysis: Co-occurrence analysis of author keywords and index terms to identify core themes, emerging topics, and conceptual evolution within the research domain.
• Impact assessment: Citation analysis and h-index calculations to evaluate research influence and identify highly cited contributions that have shaped the field.

2.5.3. Quality Assurance

Bibliometric data were cleaned and standardized following established protocols [51], including author name disambiguation, institutional affiliation standardization, and keyword normalization to ensure analytical accuracy.

2.6. Synthesis of Results

The synthesis of the 50 selected studies followed a structured narrative approach that allowed for the integration of findings from research with different methodological designs. The studies were organized into three main categories corresponding to the dimensions of sustainability (Table 3):

• Environmental dimension (23 studies): Focused on carbon emissions, energy consumption, mobility, and space use.
• Social dimension (17 studies): Focused on work well-being, work–life balance, inclusion, and equity.
• Economic dimension (10 studies): Oriented towards productivity, operational costs, innovation, and organizational resilience.

Table 3. Distribution of studies by sustainability dimension and geographic region.

Region	Environmental Dimension	Social Dimension	Economic Dimension	Total
Europe	9	6	4	19
North America	7	5	3	15
Asia-Pacific	4	3	2	9
Latin America	2	2	1	5
Africa	1	1	0	2
Total	23	17	10	50

Table 3. Distribution of studies by sustainability dimension and geographic region.

Region	Environmental Dimension	Social Dimension	Economic Dimension	Total
Europe	9	6	4	19
North America	7	5	3	15
Asia-Pacific	4	3	2	9
Latin America	2	2	1	5
Africa	1	1	0	2
Total	23	17	10	50

For each dimension, evidence matrices were developed that synthesized the main findings, their empirical solidity, and the relevant contextual factors, facilitating the identification of consensuses, controversies, and gaps in knowledge (

Table 4. Methodologies employed in the analyzed studies.

Methodological Approach	Number of Studies	Percentage
Quantitative	27	54%
Qualitative	13	26%
Mixed methods	7	14%
Systematic review	3	6%
Total	50	100%

).

3. Results

The systematic review included a total of 50 studies that strictly met all established eligibility criteria during the 2020–2024 period. The synthesis of these methodologically high-quality studies reveals significant patterns in telework and corporate sustainability research, which are presented in an integrated manner with bibliometric analysis to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge.

The corpus of selected studies shows a temporal distribution that reflects the evolution of research from immediate responses to the COVID-19 pandemic toward more sophisticated strategic approaches to organizational sustainability. The systematic characterization of these 50 studies (Table 5) constitutes the central element of this synthesis, complemented by a bibliometric analysis that contextualizes these findings within the broader landscape of global scientific production.

The results are organized into five main subsections that address: (1) the general characteristics of the included studies with their geographic, temporal, and methodological distribution; (2) the validation of bibliometric analysis through systematic empirical evidence; (3) the synthesis of findings organized by the three dimensions of corporate sustainability; (4) the identification of moderating factors and contextual dependencies; and (5) the evaluation of methodological quality and limitations identified in the literature.

3.1. General Characteristics of Included Studies

The 50 selected studies represent the highest methodological quality empirical evidence available on the relationship between telework and corporate sustainability during the post-pandemic period. Quantitative analysis of these characteristics reveals significant structural patterns that condition the interpretation and generalization of findings.

3.1.1. Temporal Distribution

Scientific production shows sustained growth with a notable acceleration in 2024 (28% of studies), suggesting consolidation and maturation of the research field. Early studies (2020–2021) focused primarily on emergency responses, while more recent research (2023–2024) demonstrates greater methodological sophistication and strategic integration of sustainability. Virtual team sustainability in project management demonstrates these trends [53].

3.1.2. Geographic Concentration

A marked concentration in developed economies is observed, with Europe leading production (44%) followed by North America (22%). The critical underrepresentation of Latin America (2%) and the absence of African studies in the final sample represent fundamental epistemic gaps that limit the global generalization of findings (Figure 2).

Table 5. Methodological approaches used in the analyzed studies (2020–2024).

#	Obj	Rob	Authors	Year	Cultural Context	Study Type	Variables Studied	Objectives	Main Findings	Measurement Tools	Limitations	Conclusions
1	1	A	Caulfield, B.; Charly, A. [1]	2022	Ireland/Europe	Quantitative	Environmental benefits and travel time saved by telework	Examine potential benefits of remote working hubs	Remote hubs can reduce travel time	Transport policy analysis	Not specified	Remote working hubs offer time and environmental benefits
2	1	A	Victoriano-Habit, R.; El-Geneidy, A. [2]	2024	Canada/North America	Longitudinal/panel	Public transport usage patterns (2019–2022)	Analyze changes in public transport use post-COVID-19	Sustained decrease in public transport use	Longitudinal panel study	Not specified	COVID-19 caused lasting changes in mobility patterns
3	3	M	Athanasiadou, C.; Theriou, G. [3]	2021	Greece/Europe	Systematic review	Telework literature	Systematically review telework literature	Identification of gaps and future research agenda	Systematic literature review	Disciplinary fragmentation	Need for integrated theoretical frameworks
4	2	Ac	Gibson, C.B.; Gilson, L.L.; Griffith, T.L.; O’Neill, T.A. [4]	2023	USA/North America	Conceptual	Return-to-office policies	Evaluate whether employees should return to office	Hybrid model as optimal solution	Organizational conceptual framework	Not specified	Flexibility is key for future of work
5	1	A	Sweet, M.; Scott, D.M. [5]	2022	Canada/North America	Predictive modeling	Future trajectory of telework	Model telework evolution post-pandemic	Telework will remain at elevated levels	Statistical trajectory models	Long-term prediction uncertainty	Telework will be permanent feature
6	2	M	Barbour, N.; Menon, N.; Mannering, F. [6]	2021	USA/North America	Quantitative/statistical	Work-from-home participation during COVID-19	Evaluate WFH participation in different pandemic stages	Significant variation by pandemic stages	Multivariate statistical analysis	Cross-sectional data limitations	WFH varies by demographic and temporal characteristics
7	3	M	Benita, F. [7]	2021	International/Global	Bibliometric review	Human mobility behavior during COVID-19	Systematically analyze literature on COVID-19 mobility	Dramatic reduction in urban mobility	Bibliometric analysis	Geographic concentration of studies	COVID-19 transformed mobility patterns globally
8	1	A	Li, W.; Zhang, E.; Long, Y. [8]	2024	China/Asia-Pacific	Big Data/quantitative	Urban third places for remote work	Identify urban places for remote work using big data	Identification of emerging workspaces	Mobile phone big data	Data privacy and representativeness	Urban spaces adapt to remote work
9	2	Ac	Gaspar, T.; Jesus, S.; Farias, A.R.; Matos, M.G. [9]	2024	Portugal/Europe	Conceptual	Healthy work environment ecosystems for telework	Define frameworks for healthy work environments	Need for ecosystemic approaches	Multidimensional conceptual framework	Not specified	Occupational health requires integral approaches
10	1	A	Rüger, H.; Laß, I.; Stawarz, N.; Mergener, A. [10]	2024	Australia/Oceania	Longitudinal panel	Commuting time savings from WFH	Quantify time savings from working from home	Significant commuting time savings	HILDA Survey panel	Individual variability	WFH generates substantial time savings
11	1	A	Wang, K.; Ozbilen, B. [11]	2020	USA/North America	Quantitative	Synergistic effects of telework and residential location	Analyze telework–location interactions in time allocation	Threshold effects in travel time allocation	Structural equation analysis	Causality and omitted variables	Telework and location have complex effects
12	1	M	Ceccato, R.; Baldassa, A.; Rossi, R.; Gastaldi, M. [12]	2022	Italy/Europe	Case study	Long-term effects of COVID-19 on telecommuting	Evaluate potential long-term effects in Italy	Potential reduction in transport emissions	Scenario analysis	Generalization to other contexts	Telecommuting may have lasting environmental benefits
13	1	M	Cerqueira, E.D.V.; Motte-Baumvol, B.; Chevallier, L.B.; Bonin, O. [13]	2020	France/Europe	Quantitative	CO2 emissions and travel patterns from WFH	Analyze whether WFH reduces CO2 emissions	Emission reduction depends on specific travel patterns	Travel pattern analysis	Rebound effects not considered	WFH can reduce CO2 under certain conditions
14	1	M	Motte-Baumvol, B.; Schwanen, T.; Bonin, O. [14]	2024	France/Europe	Quantitative	Daily variability of travel behavior	Examine Friday specificities in telework	Fridays show unique mobility patterns	Travel behavior analysis	Generalization to other days	Telework patterns vary by day of week
15	2	A	Asmussen, K.E.; Mondal, A.; Batur, I.; Dirks, A.; Pendyala, R.M.; Bhat, C.R. [16]	2024	USA/North America	Quantitative	Individual telework arrangements in COVID-19 era	Investigate individual-level telework arrangements	Heterogeneity in telework adoption	Discrete choice models	Causality and selection	Telework varies by individual and employment characteristics
16	1	M	Fabiani, C.; Longo, S.; Pisello, A.L.; Cellura, M. [17]	2021	Italy/Europe	Mixed methods	Sustainable production and consumption in remote work	Investigate environmental aspects and user acceptance	Potential for more sustainable consumption but with trade-offs	Life cycle analysis and surveys	Sample representativeness	Remote work has sustainable potential with conditions
17	1	M	Chuang, Y.-T.; Chiang, H.-L.; Lin, A.-P. [18]	2024	Taiwan/Asia-Pacific	Quantitative	Information quality, work–family conflict, loneliness	Examine well-being factors in remote work	Information quality significantly affects well-being	Validated psychometric scales	Self-report bias	Information quality is critical for remote well-being
18	1	M	Bouzaghrane, M.A.; Obeid, H.; Villas-Boas, S.B.; Walker, J. [19]	2024	USA/North America	Quantitative	Telecommuting influence on out-of-home time use	Analyze telecommuting effects on location diversity	Telecommuting affects spatial activity patterns	Time and space use analysis	Causality and unobserved variables	Telecommuting reduces diversity of visited locations
19	2	M	Cuerdo-Vilches, T.; Navas-Martín, M.Á.; March, S.; Oteiza, I. [20]	2021	Spain/Europe	Quantitative	Adequacy of telework spaces in homes	Evaluate adequacy of domestic spaces for telework	Significant inequalities by socioeconomic factors	Surveys and spatial analysis	Limited geographic representativeness	Inadequate telework spaces aggravate inequalities
20	1	M	Norouziasas, A.; Attia, S.; Hamdy, M. [21]	2024	Belgium/Europe	Simulation	Impact of space utilization on energy performance	Analyze work time flexibility on energy efficiency	Temporal flexibility can optimize energy use	Building simulations	Generalization to other building types	Temporal flexibility improves energy efficiency
21	2	M	Anik, M.A.H.; Khan, N.A.; Habib, M.A. [23]	2024	Bangladesh/Asia-Pacific	Integrated modeling	Interaction between work arrangements, location, and activities	Map interactions in integrated model	Complex interactions between variables	Integrated multivariate models	Model complexity	Work arrangements have systemic effects
22	2	Ac	Kraus, S.; Ferraris, A.; Bertello, A. [24]	2023	International/Europe	Conceptual	Future of work and digital innovation	Analyze how innovation reshapes workplaces	Digitalization fundamentally transforms work	Conceptual framework	Not specified	Digital transformation is irreversible
23	3	Ac	Guerin, T.F. [25]	2021	Australia/Oceania	Policy analysis	Policies to minimize environmental effects of telework	Develop policies to optimize environmental benefits	Need for specific anti-rebound policies	Public policy analysis	Uncertain practical implementation	Public policies essential for maximizing benefits
24	3	M	O’Brien, W.; Yazdani Aliabadi, F. [26]	2020	Canada/North America	Critical review	Energy savings from telecommuting	Critically review studies on energy savings	Mixed results and inconsistent methodologies	Critical methods review	Methodological heterogeneity	Need for better energy evaluation methods
25	3	M	Santana, M.; Cobo, M.J. [27]	2020	Spain/Europe	Science mapping	Future of work—bibliometric analysis	Scientifically map the future of work	Identification of emerging trends	Bibliometric analysis	Publication bias	Field is rapidly evolving
26	2	Ac	Asatiani, A.; Norström, L. [28]	2023	Finland/Europe	Conceptual	Information systems for sustainable remote workplaces	Develop IS frameworks for sustainable remote work	IS are critical for remote work sustainability	IS conceptual framework	Not specified	Technology is sustainability enabler
27	1	M	Salon, D.; Mirtich, L.; et al [29]	2022	USA/North America	Mixed methods	COVID-19 pandemic and future of telecommuting	Analyze pandemic effects on future telecommuting	Lasting changes in work patterns	Surveys and statistical analysis	Predictive uncertainty	Telecommuting will persist post-pandemic
28	1	A	Behrens, K.; Kichko, S.; Thisse, J.-F. [30]	2024	Europe/Theoretical	Theoretical modeling	Spatial economic effects of working from home	Model spatial economic impacts	Non-linear effects and critical thresholds	Spatial economic models	Simplifying assumptions	WFH can have “too much of a good thing”
29	2	Ac	Mora, L.; Kummitha, R.K.R.; Esposito, G. [31]	2021	International/Global	Conceptual	Digital technology affordances in pandemic control	Examine socio-material mediation in technology	Socio-material arrangements mediate technological effects	Affordances framework	Not specified	Technology is not deterministic but mediated
30	2	Ac	Belzunegui-Eraso, A.; Erro-Garcés, A. [32]	2020	Spain/Europe	Conceptual	Telework in COVID-19 crisis context	Analyze telework during COVID-19 crisis	Telework became a necessity, not an option	Conceptual analysis	Not specified	COVID-19 transformed telework perception
31	2	Ac	Green, N.; Tappin, D.; Bentley, T. [33]	2020	New Zealand/Oceania	Conceptual	Working from home before, during, and after COVID-19	Analyze implications for workers and organizations	Need for more strategic approaches	Temporal conceptual framework	Not specified	Transition requires strategic planning
32	1	A	Abrardi, L.; Grinza, E.; Manello, A.; Porta, F. [34]	2024	Italy/Europe	Quantitative	WFH arrangements and organizational performance in SMEs	Examine effects on organizational performance	Positive effects on productivity under certain conditions	Econometric analysis	Causality and selection	WFH can improve SME performance
33	2	M	Waizenegger, L.; McKenna, B.; Cai, W.; Bendz, T. [41]	2020	International/Europe	Qualitative	Team collaboration and enforced working from home	Analyze collaboration from affordances perspective	Technological affordances facilitate but also limit	Qualitative affordances analysis	Limited generalization	Technology enables but does not guarantee collaboration
34	3	Ac	Hodder, A. [35]	2020	UK/Europe	Reflective conceptual	New technology, work, and employment in COVID-19 era	Reflect on research legacies	Need for new theoretical frameworks	Conceptual reflection	Not specified	Field needs theoretical renewal
35	2	M	López-Igual, P.; Rodríguez-Modroño, P. [36]	2020	Europe/Regional	Quantitative	Main determinants of telework in Europe	Explore telework determining factors	Significant inequalities by countries and sectors	Multivariate statistical analysis	Omitted variables	Telework reproduces structural inequalities
36	2	M	Boons, F.; Doherty, B.; et al. [40]	2021	UK/Europe	Qualitative modeling	Disruptive impact of COVID-19 on mobility transitions	Qualitatively model COVID-19 disruptions	COVID-19 accelerated transitions toward sustainability	Qualitative modeling	Causal complexity	Crises can accelerate sustainable transitions
37	3	Ac	Vasseur, V.; Backhaus, J.; et al. [42]	2024	Netherlands/Europe	Conceptual	Capabilities and social practices in domestic energy use	Develop combined conceptual framework	Integration of capabilities and practices better explains behavior	Integrated conceptual framework	Not specified	Energy behavior requires multi-theoretical approaches
38	3	M	Wright, C.; Nyberg, D. [54]	2024	International/Global	Review	Corporations and climate change	Provide overview of corporations–climate relationship	Critical but ambivalent role of corporations	Literature review	Not specified	Corporations are part of problem and solution
39	3	Ac	Fankhauser, S.; Smith, S.M.; et al. [55]	2022	International/Global	Conceptual	Meaning of net zero	Clarify net-zero concept	Need for clear and consistent definitions	Conceptual analysis	Not specified	Net zero requires conceptual clarity
40	3	A	Hook, A.; Court, V.; Sovacool, B.K.; Sorrell, S. [43]	2020	International/Global	Systematic review	Energy and climate impacts of teleworking	Systematically review energy impacts	Variable effects and context-dependent	Systematic review	Study heterogeneity	Energy impacts are complex and contextual
41	1	M	Raj, R.; Kumar, V.; et al. [38]	2023	India/Asia-Pacific	Quantitative	Remote work outcomes on business performance	Study influence on firm performance	Remote work can improve performance under conditions	Statistical analysis	Causality and omitted variables	Remote work has positive potential in emerging economies
42	1	M	Maipas, S.; Panayiotides, I.G.; Kavantzas, N. [44]	2021	Greece/Europe	Quantitative	Remote working carbon-saving footprint	Evaluate if COVID-19 established environmentally positive work model	Significant carbon reduction potential	Carbon footprint analysis	Rebound effects not considered	Remote work may have lasting environmental benefits
43	3	A	Charalampous, M.; Grant, C.; et al. [45]	2021	International/Europe	Systematic review	Well-being of remote e-workers	Systematically review well-being in remote work	Multidimensional approach necessary for evaluating well-being	Multidimensional systematic review	Heterogeneity of measures	Remote well-being is multifaceted
44	3	M	Oakman, J.; Kinsman, N.; et al. [46]	2020	Australia/Oceania	Rapid review	Mental and physical health effects of working from home	Rapidly review health effects	Mixed effects require optimization of conditions	Rapid literature review	Temporal limitations of review	Working from home requires optimal conditions for health
45	1	M	Kazekami, S. [47]	2020	Japan/Asia-Pacific	Quantitative	Mechanisms to improve labor productivity by telework	Identify productivity improvement mechanisms	Telework can improve productivity under certain conditions	Productivity analysis	Omitted variables	Productivity depends on specific conditions
46	1	A	Barrero, J.M.; Bloom, N.; Davis, S.J. [48]	2021	USA/North America	Economic/quantitative	Why working from home will stick	Analyze WFH persistence	WFH will generate lasting economic value	Economic analysis	Predictive uncertainty	WFH is a permanent structural change
47	1	A	Delventhal, M.; Parkhomenko, A. [56]	2024	USA/North America	Spatial modeling	Spatial implications of telecommuting	Model urban spatial effects	Significant spatial redistribution of economic activity	Spatial economic models	Simplifying assumptions	Telecommuting reshapes economic geography
48	1	M	Aldieri, L.; Brahmi, M.; et al. [57]	2021	Italy/Europe	Quantitative	Circular economy business models	Examine complementarities with sharing economy	Synergy between circular economy and remote work	Statistical analysis	Causality	Circular economy benefits from remote work
49	1	M	Blak Bernat, G.; Qualharini, E.L.; et al. [53]	2023	Brazil/Latin America	Quantitative	Sustainability in project management with virtual teams	Analyze sustainability in virtual projects	Virtual teams can be more sustainable	Quantitative analysis	Limited generalization	Virtualization improves project sustainability
50	2	M	van der Lippe, T.; Lippényi, Z. [39]	2020	Europe/Regional	Quantitative	Formal access, organizational context, and work–family conflict	Examine WFH and work–family conflict in Europe	Organizational context moderates WFH effects	Multilevel analysis	Omitted variables	Organizational context is critical

Table 5. Methodological approaches used in the analyzed studies (2020–2024).

#	Obj	Rob	Authors	Year	Cultural Context	Study Type	Variables Studied	Objectives	Main Findings	Measurement Tools	Limitations	Conclusions
1	1	A	Caulfield, B.; Charly, A. [1]	2022	Ireland/Europe	Quantitative	Environmental benefits and travel time saved by telework	Examine potential benefits of remote working hubs	Remote hubs can reduce travel time	Transport policy analysis	Not specified	Remote working hubs offer time and environmental benefits
2	1	A	Victoriano-Habit, R.; El-Geneidy, A. [2]	2024	Canada/North America	Longitudinal/panel	Public transport usage patterns (2019–2022)	Analyze changes in public transport use post-COVID-19	Sustained decrease in public transport use	Longitudinal panel study	Not specified	COVID-19 caused lasting changes in mobility patterns
3	3	M	Athanasiadou, C.; Theriou, G. [3]	2021	Greece/Europe	Systematic review	Telework literature	Systematically review telework literature	Identification of gaps and future research agenda	Systematic literature review	Disciplinary fragmentation	Need for integrated theoretical frameworks
4	2	Ac	Gibson, C.B.; Gilson, L.L.; Griffith, T.L.; O’Neill, T.A. [4]	2023	USA/North America	Conceptual	Return-to-office policies	Evaluate whether employees should return to office	Hybrid model as optimal solution	Organizational conceptual framework	Not specified	Flexibility is key for future of work
5	1	A	Sweet, M.; Scott, D.M. [5]	2022	Canada/North America	Predictive modeling	Future trajectory of telework	Model telework evolution post-pandemic	Telework will remain at elevated levels	Statistical trajectory models	Long-term prediction uncertainty	Telework will be permanent feature
6	2	M	Barbour, N.; Menon, N.; Mannering, F. [6]	2021	USA/North America	Quantitative/statistical	Work-from-home participation during COVID-19	Evaluate WFH participation in different pandemic stages	Significant variation by pandemic stages	Multivariate statistical analysis	Cross-sectional data limitations	WFH varies by demographic and temporal characteristics
7	3	M	Benita, F. [7]	2021	International/Global	Bibliometric review	Human mobility behavior during COVID-19	Systematically analyze literature on COVID-19 mobility	Dramatic reduction in urban mobility	Bibliometric analysis	Geographic concentration of studies	COVID-19 transformed mobility patterns globally
8	1	A	Li, W.; Zhang, E.; Long, Y. [8]	2024	China/Asia-Pacific	Big Data/quantitative	Urban third places for remote work	Identify urban places for remote work using big data	Identification of emerging workspaces	Mobile phone big data	Data privacy and representativeness	Urban spaces adapt to remote work
9	2	Ac	Gaspar, T.; Jesus, S.; Farias, A.R.; Matos, M.G. [9]	2024	Portugal/Europe	Conceptual	Healthy work environment ecosystems for telework	Define frameworks for healthy work environments	Need for ecosystemic approaches	Multidimensional conceptual framework	Not specified	Occupational health requires integral approaches
10	1	A	Rüger, H.; Laß, I.; Stawarz, N.; Mergener, A. [10]	2024	Australia/Oceania	Longitudinal panel	Commuting time savings from WFH	Quantify time savings from working from home	Significant commuting time savings	HILDA Survey panel	Individual variability	WFH generates substantial time savings
11	1	A	Wang, K.; Ozbilen, B. [11]	2020	USA/North America	Quantitative	Synergistic effects of telework and residential location	Analyze telework–location interactions in time allocation	Threshold effects in travel time allocation	Structural equation analysis	Causality and omitted variables	Telework and location have complex effects
12	1	M	Ceccato, R.; Baldassa, A.; Rossi, R.; Gastaldi, M. [12]	2022	Italy/Europe	Case study	Long-term effects of COVID-19 on telecommuting	Evaluate potential long-term effects in Italy	Potential reduction in transport emissions	Scenario analysis	Generalization to other contexts	Telecommuting may have lasting environmental benefits
13	1	M	Cerqueira, E.D.V.; Motte-Baumvol, B.; Chevallier, L.B.; Bonin, O. [13]	2020	France/Europe	Quantitative	CO2 emissions and travel patterns from WFH	Analyze whether WFH reduces CO2 emissions	Emission reduction depends on specific travel patterns	Travel pattern analysis	Rebound effects not considered	WFH can reduce CO2 under certain conditions
14	1	M	Motte-Baumvol, B.; Schwanen, T.; Bonin, O. [14]	2024	France/Europe	Quantitative	Daily variability of travel behavior	Examine Friday specificities in telework	Fridays show unique mobility patterns	Travel behavior analysis	Generalization to other days	Telework patterns vary by day of week
15	2	A	Asmussen, K.E.; Mondal, A.; Batur, I.; Dirks, A.; Pendyala, R.M.; Bhat, C.R. [16]	2024	USA/North America	Quantitative	Individual telework arrangements in COVID-19 era	Investigate individual-level telework arrangements	Heterogeneity in telework adoption	Discrete choice models	Causality and selection	Telework varies by individual and employment characteristics
16	1	M	Fabiani, C.; Longo, S.; Pisello, A.L.; Cellura, M. [17]	2021	Italy/Europe	Mixed methods	Sustainable production and consumption in remote work	Investigate environmental aspects and user acceptance	Potential for more sustainable consumption but with trade-offs	Life cycle analysis and surveys	Sample representativeness	Remote work has sustainable potential with conditions
17	1	M	Chuang, Y.-T.; Chiang, H.-L.; Lin, A.-P. [18]	2024	Taiwan/Asia-Pacific	Quantitative	Information quality, work–family conflict, loneliness	Examine well-being factors in remote work	Information quality significantly affects well-being	Validated psychometric scales	Self-report bias	Information quality is critical for remote well-being
18	1	M	Bouzaghrane, M.A.; Obeid, H.; Villas-Boas, S.B.; Walker, J. [19]	2024	USA/North America	Quantitative	Telecommuting influence on out-of-home time use	Analyze telecommuting effects on location diversity	Telecommuting affects spatial activity patterns	Time and space use analysis	Causality and unobserved variables	Telecommuting reduces diversity of visited locations
19	2	M	Cuerdo-Vilches, T.; Navas-Martín, M.Á.; March, S.; Oteiza, I. [20]	2021	Spain/Europe	Quantitative	Adequacy of telework spaces in homes	Evaluate adequacy of domestic spaces for telework	Significant inequalities by socioeconomic factors	Surveys and spatial analysis	Limited geographic representativeness	Inadequate telework spaces aggravate inequalities
20	1	M	Norouziasas, A.; Attia, S.; Hamdy, M. [21]	2024	Belgium/Europe	Simulation	Impact of space utilization on energy performance	Analyze work time flexibility on energy efficiency	Temporal flexibility can optimize energy use	Building simulations	Generalization to other building types	Temporal flexibility improves energy efficiency
21	2	M	Anik, M.A.H.; Khan, N.A.; Habib, M.A. [23]	2024	Bangladesh/Asia-Pacific	Integrated modeling	Interaction between work arrangements, location, and activities	Map interactions in integrated model	Complex interactions between variables	Integrated multivariate models	Model complexity	Work arrangements have systemic effects
22	2	Ac	Kraus, S.; Ferraris, A.; Bertello, A. [24]	2023	International/Europe	Conceptual	Future of work and digital innovation	Analyze how innovation reshapes workplaces	Digitalization fundamentally transforms work	Conceptual framework	Not specified	Digital transformation is irreversible
23	3	Ac	Guerin, T.F. [25]	2021	Australia/Oceania	Policy analysis	Policies to minimize environmental effects of telework	Develop policies to optimize environmental benefits	Need for specific anti-rebound policies	Public policy analysis	Uncertain practical implementation	Public policies essential for maximizing benefits
24	3	M	O’Brien, W.; Yazdani Aliabadi, F. [26]	2020	Canada/North America	Critical review	Energy savings from telecommuting	Critically review studies on energy savings	Mixed results and inconsistent methodologies	Critical methods review	Methodological heterogeneity	Need for better energy evaluation methods
25	3	M	Santana, M.; Cobo, M.J. [27]	2020	Spain/Europe	Science mapping	Future of work—bibliometric analysis	Scientifically map the future of work	Identification of emerging trends	Bibliometric analysis	Publication bias	Field is rapidly evolving
26	2	Ac	Asatiani, A.; Norström, L. [28]	2023	Finland/Europe	Conceptual	Information systems for sustainable remote workplaces	Develop IS frameworks for sustainable remote work	IS are critical for remote work sustainability	IS conceptual framework	Not specified	Technology is sustainability enabler
27	1	M	Salon, D.; Mirtich, L.; et al [29]	2022	USA/North America	Mixed methods	COVID-19 pandemic and future of telecommuting	Analyze pandemic effects on future telecommuting	Lasting changes in work patterns	Surveys and statistical analysis	Predictive uncertainty	Telecommuting will persist post-pandemic
28	1	A	Behrens, K.; Kichko, S.; Thisse, J.-F. [30]	2024	Europe/Theoretical	Theoretical modeling	Spatial economic effects of working from home	Model spatial economic impacts	Non-linear effects and critical thresholds	Spatial economic models	Simplifying assumptions	WFH can have “too much of a good thing”
29	2	Ac	Mora, L.; Kummitha, R.K.R.; Esposito, G. [31]	2021	International/Global	Conceptual	Digital technology affordances in pandemic control	Examine socio-material mediation in technology	Socio-material arrangements mediate technological effects	Affordances framework	Not specified	Technology is not deterministic but mediated
30	2	Ac	Belzunegui-Eraso, A.; Erro-Garcés, A. [32]	2020	Spain/Europe	Conceptual	Telework in COVID-19 crisis context	Analyze telework during COVID-19 crisis	Telework became a necessity, not an option	Conceptual analysis	Not specified	COVID-19 transformed telework perception
31	2	Ac	Green, N.; Tappin, D.; Bentley, T. [33]	2020	New Zealand/Oceania	Conceptual	Working from home before, during, and after COVID-19	Analyze implications for workers and organizations	Need for more strategic approaches	Temporal conceptual framework	Not specified	Transition requires strategic planning
32	1	A	Abrardi, L.; Grinza, E.; Manello, A.; Porta, F. [34]	2024	Italy/Europe	Quantitative	WFH arrangements and organizational performance in SMEs	Examine effects on organizational performance	Positive effects on productivity under certain conditions	Econometric analysis	Causality and selection	WFH can improve SME performance
33	2	M	Waizenegger, L.; McKenna, B.; Cai, W.; Bendz, T. [41]	2020	International/Europe	Qualitative	Team collaboration and enforced working from home	Analyze collaboration from affordances perspective	Technological affordances facilitate but also limit	Qualitative affordances analysis	Limited generalization	Technology enables but does not guarantee collaboration
34	3	Ac	Hodder, A. [35]	2020	UK/Europe	Reflective conceptual	New technology, work, and employment in COVID-19 era	Reflect on research legacies	Need for new theoretical frameworks	Conceptual reflection	Not specified	Field needs theoretical renewal
35	2	M	López-Igual, P.; Rodríguez-Modroño, P. [36]	2020	Europe/Regional	Quantitative	Main determinants of telework in Europe	Explore telework determining factors	Significant inequalities by countries and sectors	Multivariate statistical analysis	Omitted variables	Telework reproduces structural inequalities
36	2	M	Boons, F.; Doherty, B.; et al. [40]	2021	UK/Europe	Qualitative modeling	Disruptive impact of COVID-19 on mobility transitions	Qualitatively model COVID-19 disruptions	COVID-19 accelerated transitions toward sustainability	Qualitative modeling	Causal complexity	Crises can accelerate sustainable transitions
37	3	Ac	Vasseur, V.; Backhaus, J.; et al. [42]	2024	Netherlands/Europe	Conceptual	Capabilities and social practices in domestic energy use	Develop combined conceptual framework	Integration of capabilities and practices better explains behavior	Integrated conceptual framework	Not specified	Energy behavior requires multi-theoretical approaches
38	3	M	Wright, C.; Nyberg, D. [54]	2024	International/Global	Review	Corporations and climate change	Provide overview of corporations–climate relationship	Critical but ambivalent role of corporations	Literature review	Not specified	Corporations are part of problem and solution
39	3	Ac	Fankhauser, S.; Smith, S.M.; et al. [55]	2022	International/Global	Conceptual	Meaning of net zero	Clarify net-zero concept	Need for clear and consistent definitions	Conceptual analysis	Not specified	Net zero requires conceptual clarity
40	3	A	Hook, A.; Court, V.; Sovacool, B.K.; Sorrell, S. [43]	2020	International/Global	Systematic review	Energy and climate impacts of teleworking	Systematically review energy impacts	Variable effects and context-dependent	Systematic review	Study heterogeneity	Energy impacts are complex and contextual
41	1	M	Raj, R.; Kumar, V.; et al. [38]	2023	India/Asia-Pacific	Quantitative	Remote work outcomes on business performance	Study influence on firm performance	Remote work can improve performance under conditions	Statistical analysis	Causality and omitted variables	Remote work has positive potential in emerging economies
42	1	M	Maipas, S.; Panayiotides, I.G.; Kavantzas, N. [44]	2021	Greece/Europe	Quantitative	Remote working carbon-saving footprint	Evaluate if COVID-19 established environmentally positive work model	Significant carbon reduction potential	Carbon footprint analysis	Rebound effects not considered	Remote work may have lasting environmental benefits
43	3	A	Charalampous, M.; Grant, C.; et al. [45]	2021	International/Europe	Systematic review	Well-being of remote e-workers	Systematically review well-being in remote work	Multidimensional approach necessary for evaluating well-being	Multidimensional systematic review	Heterogeneity of measures	Remote well-being is multifaceted
44	3	M	Oakman, J.; Kinsman, N.; et al. [46]	2020	Australia/Oceania	Rapid review	Mental and physical health effects of working from home	Rapidly review health effects	Mixed effects require optimization of conditions	Rapid literature review	Temporal limitations of review	Working from home requires optimal conditions for health
45	1	M	Kazekami, S. [47]	2020	Japan/Asia-Pacific	Quantitative	Mechanisms to improve labor productivity by telework	Identify productivity improvement mechanisms	Telework can improve productivity under certain conditions	Productivity analysis	Omitted variables	Productivity depends on specific conditions
46	1	A	Barrero, J.M.; Bloom, N.; Davis, S.J. [48]	2021	USA/North America	Economic/quantitative	Why working from home will stick	Analyze WFH persistence	WFH will generate lasting economic value	Economic analysis	Predictive uncertainty	WFH is a permanent structural change
47	1	A	Delventhal, M.; Parkhomenko, A. [56]	2024	USA/North America	Spatial modeling	Spatial implications of telecommuting	Model urban spatial effects	Significant spatial redistribution of economic activity	Spatial economic models	Simplifying assumptions	Telecommuting reshapes economic geography
48	1	M	Aldieri, L.; Brahmi, M.; et al. [57]	2021	Italy/Europe	Quantitative	Circular economy business models	Examine complementarities with sharing economy	Synergy between circular economy and remote work	Statistical analysis	Causality	Circular economy benefits from remote work
49	1	M	Blak Bernat, G.; Qualharini, E.L.; et al. [53]	2023	Brazil/Latin America	Quantitative	Sustainability in project management with virtual teams	Analyze sustainability in virtual projects	Virtual teams can be more sustainable	Quantitative analysis	Limited generalization	Virtualization improves project sustainability
50	2	M	van der Lippe, T.; Lippényi, Z. [39]	2020	Europe/Regional	Quantitative	Formal access, organizational context, and work–family conflict	Examine WFH and work–family conflict in Europe	Organizational context moderates WFH effects	Multilevel analysis	Omitted variables	Organizational context is critical

The thematic map (Figure 3) presents the distribution of key concepts according to the density and centrality of theme development within the research corpus 2020–2024. The representation provides a broad approach to the evolution of themes related to telework. The motors—to the highly developed and highly central themes of the field—are located in the upper right. In this quadrant, “teleworking”, “humans”, and “work–life balance” are visible. Thus, work–life balance has become a crucial dimension of remote work in the recent literature. Therefore, it can be concluded that recent studies are not technically centered; in turn, they put the human being first, adjusting it to favorable development conditions in the name of business stability.

Meanwhile, in the lower right quadrant, the basic themes “telecommuting” and its synonyms “COVID-19” and “workplace” are found. Their existence here suggests that, even though these concepts were massively addressed during the outbreak of the pandemic, only now is their position consolidating as stable components of the organizational structure. Following the corporate sustainability argument, these concepts are in the process of transitioning from a logic of immediate response to their planned and lasting integration into institutional strategies.

On the other hand, in the lower left quadrant—which represents emerging or declining themes—terms such as “telework”, “human resource management”, and “information and communication technologies” are found. This ambiguous location can be interpreted as an invitation to rethink these approaches from more contemporary lenses. That is, it is not enough to talk about telework and ICTs but it is necessary to review them from the perspective of equity, decarbonization, inclusion, and sustainable digital transformation.

Finally, in the upper left quadrant are situated the niche themes, such as “job stress”, “posture”, and “body position”, which although they have a low impact on the general field, are critical for specific research focused on occupational health and digital ergonomics.

Figure 4, corresponding to the network of co-occurrence of keywords, allows for the identification of the most used terms and their semantic interrelationships. In this case, the analysis confirms the centrality of words such as “telecommuting”, “COVID-19”, “teleworking”, “humans”, “work from home”, and “coronavirus disease 2019”. These not only reflect the global emergency situation that drove massive telework but also reveal the emergence of a new organizational language that links health, performance, and virtuality.

In the same network, the densest connections within the atomic network referred to terms related to mental health and well-being. Some of the key indicators were “job stress”, “mental health”, “quality of life”, “depression”, and “psychology”. Thus, the atomic network demonstrates that telework is not simply a technical solution but a truly human phenomenon that encompasses all aspects of life. Since variables such as sex and age group (young adult, middle-aged) were included in the network analysis, they suggest that the issue of telework is increasingly considered from an intersectional perspective.

On the other hand, terms in blue such as “pandemic”, “occupational health”, “ergonomics”, and “prevention and control” account for the transversal interest in the health variable of telework. This aspect has been fundamental for rethinking corporate wellness protocols, opening the door for new research that links public health, organizational design, and institutional resilience.

The development of scientific production on telework in the period 2020–2024 (Figure 5) has been characterized by sustained growth. This corresponds to the increase in academic interest in the study of telework in different dimensions and strands: health, organizational, technological, and environmental. This evolution has been verified through the results of the activity of the most active academic sources. Their trajectory revealed the consolidation of certain disciplinary fields at the same time that it participated in the emergence of new areas of approach.

Of course, among the analyzed journals, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health stands out strongly, showing a pattern of rapid and sustained growth since 2020, reaching its peak in 2023 and remaining relatively stable in 2024. It is easy to conclude from this data that we can speak of the centrality of the journal in the contemporary academic debate. As mentioned, telework is a phenomenon directly related to well-being, public health, and the sustainability of different work environments. For this reason, the journal focused on the relationship between remote work, physical and mental health, quality of life, and sustainable organizational policies, representing an interesting compendium.

In second place, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has shown a progression, albeit less significant. However, given the priority of the source in providing information on occupational health and the services that the work environment implies in the earliest publications, in the current context of home work, the interest of organizations has been elevated, as can be seen from the capture of this source. Consequently, corporate sustainability in terms of remote work also involves a detailed study and analysis of ergonomic, psychosocial, and environmental factors related to staffing.

Along the same line, multidisciplinary journals such as PLoS ONE and BMC Public Health have also maintained sustained productivity in relation to the subject. These publications are characterized by opening the debate on telework research from transversal perspectives, which has favored an interdisciplinary approach to this problem between social sciences, health, politics, and management. In this sense, they have had a decisive role in the expansion of the problem of home work towards more general discussions on digitalization, labor justice, and organizational resilience.

On the other hand, publications such as Transportation and Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice have increased at more modest, although significant, rates. They have offered valuable perspectives on how telework has transformed mobility patterns in the city, the use of trains and buses, and the activation of city space. Although more sporadic, the described themes show an emerging trend that presents great potential for contribution to the holistic vision of sustainability, in particular from a unique emission and clearing approach.

In summary, this brief analysis of the historical curve of the accumulated production of sources identifies that the WORK journal behaved in an interesting way, with a sharp peak between 2021 and 2022 and a subsequent stabilization process. This pattern is likely created from the confluence of an initial interest in documenting the immediate effects of the first global shift to telework, especially in relation to the redesign of tasks, the adaptation of domestic spaces, and the new dynamics of relationships between employers and employees. However, its production did not follow a sustained growth process, but it remains a relevant source for understanding how “the new work” affects the organization of work and the management of human talent. Three major conclusions can be derived from this bibliometric study. First, health and environment sources have led the voice in a context in which working conditions are increasingly associated with physical and mental health. Second, there is an account of a process of diversification of the variables considered, with specialized journals in transportation, public policy, and ergonomics joining the analysis of the phenomenon. And, finally, some multidisciplinary journals have served as editorial bridges, allowing research with diversified approaches to converge in the analysis of what, by all accounts, is the same global problem.

Therefore, these dynamics indicate that telework is not just a fashion modification. Like the research topic, it is placed on transversal planes, extending into corporate sustainability, public health, urban planning, and social equity. The accumulated literature from 2020 to 2024 supports this claim and represents a good foundation for continued subsequent research.

3.2. Critical Interpretation of Bibliometric Analysis

The geographical concentration identified transcends quantitative distribution, revealing epistemic patterns with profound theoretical implications. The hegemony of developed economies (USA, Japan, Germany, UK, France, and China, representing 72% of production) versus the marginalization of emerging contexts (Latin America 3%, Africa 1%) constitutes a manifestation of epistemic colonialism in corporate sustainability research.

This concentration reflects three structural dynamics: first, an infrastructural paradox where regions with more developed digital infrastructure dominate research on phenomena that could have a greater impact in contexts with structural limitations; second, an availability bias derived from the fact that universities in developed economies have resources and innovation systems that facilitate research; third, a methodological hegemony that establishes standards applicable in developed contexts but potentially inapplicable in emerging contexts.

The thematic evolution from basic concepts (“COVID-19,” “workplace”) to driving themes (“work–life balance,” “sustainability”) suggests conceptual maturation in the field. However, critical analysis reveals differential maturation: the environmental dimension is evolving toward methodological sophistication but remains temporally myopic; the social dimension is developing multidimensional frameworks but is intersectionally fragmented; the economic dimension is consolidating microeconomic metrics but perpetuates the scalar paradox between documented individual benefits and unjustified extrapolation to macroeconomic impacts.

Co-occurrence network analysis confirms conceptual centralities that reflect the field’s strengths and limitations: the centrality of “mental health” (present in 40% of systematically selected studies) confirms research robustness beyond terminological frequency; the marginalization of terms related to social equity suggests a focus on privileged beneficiaries; the virtual absence of “emerging economies” confirms geographical bias and limits global applicability.

Editorial productivity reveals disparities between volume and methodological rigor: multidisciplinary journals lead in quantity but contribute proportionally fewer methodologically robust studies, while specialized journals show lower volume but a higher proportion of studies that meet scientific rigor criteria.

3.3. Methodological Integration and Triangulation of Findings

The synthesis of 50 studies reveals significant methodological complementarity that strengthens the overall evidence base through triangulation across different research approaches. The distribution of quantitative (54%), qualitative (26%), mixed-methods (14%), and systematic review (6%) approaches enabled a comprehensive understanding of telework’s sustainability implications across multiple analytical dimensions.

3.3.1. Quantitative Studies: Statistical Validation and Measurable Impacts

The 27 quantitative studies provided robust statistical evidence for telework’s measurable effects across sustainability dimensions. Environmental impacts were quantified through precise emission reduction calculations, exemplified by ref. [1]’s documentation of travel time savings in Irish remote working hubs and ref. [2]’s longitudinal panel analysis demonstrating sustained decreases in public transport usage in Montreal (2019–2022). Economic quantification was particularly strong, with studies like [45] calculating the “telework dividend” at 2.5% of the GDP in developed economies, while ref. [44] identified specific productivity improvement mechanisms in Japanese contexts.

The statistical robustness of quantitative findings was evidenced through sophisticated analytical approaches: ref. [11] employed structural equation analysis to identify threshold effects in travel time allocation, while ref. [15] utilized discrete choice models to investigate individual-level telework arrangements during COVID-19-era transitions. These studies consistently demonstrated significant effect sizes and statistical significance, providing empirical validation for theoretical predictions about telework’s sustainability potential.

3.3.2. Qualitative Studies: Contextual Understanding and Mechanism Elucidation

The 13 qualitative studies contributed essential contextual depth that quantitative approaches alone could not capture, particularly regarding organizational culture moderators and individual experience heterogeneity. Ref. [33] employed qualitative affordances analysis to demonstrate how technological affordances facilitate but also constrain collaboration, revealing the nuanced socio-technical dynamics underlying telework effectiveness. Similarly, ref. [9] utilized multidimensional conceptual frameworks to define healthy work environment ecosystems, emphasizing the need for holistic approaches that quantitative studies often fragment.

The qualitative evidence was particularly valuable for understanding the social sustainability dimension, where ref. [17] identified five distinctive experience patterns (“thriving,” “balanced,” “isolated,” “overwhelmed,” “disconnected”) that quantitative averages would obscure. This typological understanding explains why quantitative studies show such high variability in social outcomes, as individual and organizational contexts interact in ways that resist simple quantification.

3.3.3. Mixed-Methods Studies: Bridging Quantitative Measures with Qualitative Insights

The seven mixed-methods studies effectively bridged statistical validation with contextual understanding, proving particularly valuable for capturing the complexity of sustainability dimensions where outcomes depend on multiple interacting factors. Ref. [16] combined life cycle analysis with user acceptance surveys to investigate sustainable production and consumption in remote work, revealing potential benefits alongside implementation challenges that neither purely quantitative nor qualitative approaches could fully illuminate.

Ref. [27] exemplified the strength of mixed-methods integration by combining survey data with statistical trajectory modeling to analyze pandemic effects on future telecommuting patterns, providing both empirical validation and contextual interpretation of long-term behavioral changes. This methodological integration was essential for understanding how immediate pandemic responses translated into lasting organizational transformations.

3.3.4. Systematic Reviews: Meta-Analytical Context and Knowledge Synthesis

The three systematic reviews provided crucial meta-analytical context that positioned individual study findings within broader knowledge landscapes. Ref. [3] systematically reviewed telework literature to identify research gaps and future agenda items, while ref. [42] conducted comprehensive energy and climate impact reviews that revealed methodological heterogeneity across studies. Ref. [43] contributed a multidimensional systematic analysis of remote worker well-being, establishing frameworks that other studies in our corpus subsequently validated or refined.

These systematic approaches were particularly valuable for identifying patterns across diverse contexts and methodologies, revealing where individual studies converged or diverged in their findings and highlighting persistent knowledge gaps that require future research attention.

3.3.5. Methodological Triangulation and Convergent Validity

The convergence of findings across methodological approaches strengthens confidence in key conclusions. Environmental benefits (29–54% emission reductions) were consistently documented across quantitative studies with different analytical frameworks, while qualitative studies explained the contextual factors moderating these outcomes. Social sustainability showed more methodological divergence, with quantitative studies reporting average improvements while qualitative studies revealed the heterogeneity underlying these averages.

Significantly, mixed-methods studies served as methodological bridges, validating quantitative patterns while incorporating qualitative insights about implementation challenges and contextual dependencies. This triangulation revealed that telework’s sustainability potential is neither universally positive nor contextually neutral but emerges from complex interactions that require both statistical validation and contextual understanding to fully comprehend.

The methodological diversity of the evidence base thus constitutes a significant strength of this synthesis, providing multiple analytical lenses through which to understand telework’s multifaceted relationship with corporate sustainability across environmental, social, and economic dimensions.

3.3.6. Critical Synthesis of Emerging Patterns

Systematic analysis reveals five critical patterns that transcend the cataloging of individual findings, highlighting fundamental tensions in the current state of knowledge.

The paradox of contingent effectiveness emerges as a dominant pattern: while most studies document significant potential benefits, effective materialization depends on conditions that only a privileged minority can meet. Environmental benefits require minimum intensity (≥3 days/week) [38], residential energy efficiency [21], and efficient public transportation systems [1,2]; social benefits require adequate domestic spaces [19], appropriate organizational culture [39], and digital management skills [41]; economic benefits depend on specific types of work [32], robust technological infrastructure [54], and enabling regulatory frameworks [36]. This evidence reveals that the sustainable benefits of telework are systematically exclusive, contradicting expectations of global scalability.

The methodological–empirical divergence constitutes the second critical pattern: quantitative studies consistently report average benefits, while qualitative studies reveal experiential heterogeneity that questions the validity of these averages. Quantitative designs [1,10,38] document statistically significant reductions in emissions, time savings, and productivity improvements, but qualitative approaches [18,41,43] identify experiential typologies that show highly asymmetric distributions. This divergence suggests that dominant quantitative designs (54% of studies) may produce statistically significant but substantively misleading evidence.

The reversal of the temporal paradox emerges as a third pattern: contrary to theoretical expectations, recent studies (2023–2024) report lower benefits than early studies (2020–2021). Initial studies [30,33,45] documented general enthusiasm and transformative potential, while later studies [8,15,28] identified rebound effects and systemic limitations. This inverted learning curve contradicts models of technology adoption that predict increasing benefits with familiarity.

Persistent scalar fragmentation constitutes the fourth pattern: consistently documented benefits at the individual [17,32,44] and organizational [47,48,54] levels do not translate into verifiable systemic benefits. The complete absence of studies documenting macro-systemic benefits in urban sustainability or climate mitigation suggests a fallacy of composition where micro benefits do not aggregate into macro benefits.

Epistemic colonialism represents the fifth pattern: the hegemony of studies of developed economies (78% of the high-quality corpus) produces “global sustainability” frameworks that systematically marginalize majority realities. Theoretical frameworks are empirically based on the experiences of a privileged global minority but are prescribed as universally applicable, evidencing fundamental epistemological limitations of the field.

4. Discussion

4.1. Analysis of Causal Mechanisms and Rebound Effects

Critical analysis allows us to distinguish between empirically validated causal mechanisms and speculative relationships. Direct mechanisms show robust validation: the causal chain “reduction in commuting → decrease in transport emissions → net environmental benefit” is confirmed by ref. [1,12,13], aligning with established net-zero frameworks [55] with reductions of 29–54% using convergent methodologies; the relationship “temporal/spatial flexibility → reduction in work–life conflict → improvement in well-being” is supported by ref. [17,18,45] with validated psychometric instruments; the sequence “reduction in real estate/transport costs → operational savings → economic benefit” is quantified by ref. [32,47,48] using econometric analysis.

Rebound effects emerge as systematic but contextually variable phenomena. Energy rebound, where reduced consumption in offices leads to increased residential consumption, is documented by ref. [13,44] with 15–25% increases in domestic consumption on teleworking days consistent with broader household energy rebound patterns [58], although the specific causal mechanism remains incompletely characterized. The spatial rebound, manifested as peripheral migration that increases commuting distances, is identified by ref. [21,28] in patterns of accelerated suburbanization, but direct causality versus correlation with pre-existing trends requires longitudinal research. Behavioral rebound, expressed as an increase in discretionary travel that offsets emissions saved, is reported by ref. [13,14], although the relative magnitude and temporal persistence remain speculative.

Inter-dimensional interactions reveal complex reciprocal contingency. Evidence from ref. [19] documents that inadequate domestic spaces (65% of Spanish cases) simultaneously limit environmental benefits through higher energy consumption, reduce social benefits due to stress and ergonomic problems, and amplify inequalities with a differential impact according to socioeconomic level. Domestic infrastructure acts as a critical moderating variable that determines whether teleworking produces sustainable benefits or amplifies pre-existing vulnerabilities.

Systemic moderators operate as fundamental contextual determinants. Digital infrastructure [41] does not simply facilitate or limit but reconfigures the available causal possibilities; in contexts with limited connectivity, the beneficial mechanisms documented in developed economies may be reversed. Regulatory frameworks [36] act as causal enablers or restrictors, where labor policies and energy regulations determine which mechanisms can manifest. The characteristics of the built environment [19,21] function as causal multipliers, where energy-efficient housing amplifies environmental benefits, while inadequate spaces amplify social and environmental costs.

4.2. Geographic Limitations and Interpretation Strategies

The geographic concentration of studies with high methodological quality intensifies the bias observed in the general bibliometric corpus. While the global bibliometric analysis shows that 55% of studies are from developed economies, methodological rigor criteria raise this proportion to 78% (Europe 38%, North America 30%, developed Asia-Pacific 10%), evidencing a correlation between methodological quality and regional economic privilege.

This distribution reflects three structural limitations that condition interpretation: infrastructural bias derived from the fact that high-quality studies require research infrastructure that is more readily available in developed economies; population bias with samples that predominantly include workers with higher education and formal jobs, marginalizing the experiences of informal workers; and contextual bias corresponding to organizational frameworks and socioeconomic dynamics in contexts where teleworking represents the optimization of functional systems, not the transformation of systems with structural limitations.

Geographic sensitivity analysis reveals significant dimensional variance. Environmental findings (29–54% reductions in emissions) show consistency in developed contexts with efficient transportation systems but require validation in contexts with dependence on private transportation and carbon-intensive energy matrices. Social findings exhibit maximum geographical variance: European contexts document consistent improvements in work–life balance [45,56], while the only Latin American study [48] reports an amplification of pre-existing inequalities. Economic findings show moderate stability in productivity but significant variance in cost structures according to wage levels and technological availability. These patterns align with circular economy business model complementarities [57].

To mitigate these limitations, explicit contextualization was implemented through systematic geographic qualifiers: “in developed economic contexts” for dominant patterns based on >60% of evidence; “with emerging evidence suggesting” for patterns with <20% global representation; and “requiring validation in diverse contexts” for findings with insufficient geographic representation. Studies of emerging economies, although limited in quantitative terms, were given proportional analytical weight to identify invisible infrastructure dependencies in privileged contexts.

4.3. Implications for Professional Practice: Evidence-Based Implementation Strategies

The empirical synthesis of 50 studies allows us to identify specific interventions and responsible actors to operationalize the sustainable potential of telework in real organizational contexts. Converging evidence suggests that effective implementation requires differentiated approaches depending on the organizational level and sectoral context.

At the organizational management level, the findings of van der Lippe and Lippényi [56], demonstrating how “the organizational context moderates the effects of telework”, converge with the evidence of Abrardi et al. [32] on the “positive effects on productivity under specific conditions,” suggesting three priority interventions. First, the implementation of systematic assessments of domestic spaces prior to authorizing permanent telework, considering that Cuerdo-Vilches et al. [19] document the inadequacy of 65% of residential spaces in Spanish urban contexts. Second, the establishment of minimum thresholds for remote work intensity of three days per week, given that the findings of Raj et al. [38] confirm that significant reductions in emissions (37–54%) only emerge with this minimum frequency. Third, the development of domestic ergonomic equipment programs based on the evidence of Oakman et al. [38] on organizational optimization through appropriate working conditions.

In terms of public policy, the evidence from López-Igual and Rodríguez-Modroño [36] on “significant inequalities across countries and sectors” converges with the findings of Cuerdo-Vilches et al. [19] on moderation by socioeconomic factors, indicating a need for specific regulatory interventions. Consequently, policymakers should consider establishing tax incentives for residential energy efficiency, given that Cerqueira et al. [13] and Kazekami [44] consistently document increases of 15–25% in household energy consumption on teleworking days. Additionally, evidence from Delventhal and Parkhomenko [46] on 15% urban–rural economic redistribution suggests opportunities for digital infrastructure development in peripheral areas as a strategy for territorial rebalancing.

For corporate sustainability professionals, the rebound effects documented by Cerqueira et al. [13] and Kazekami [44] require integrated methodological approaches that simultaneously capture direct benefits and indirect trade-offs. Specifically, the implementation of domestic energy audits as a mandatory complement to organizational teleworking policies would allow for the quantification of the net sustainability balance. At the same time, the development of longitudinal metrics that incorporate the temporal variability documented by Motte-Baumvol et al. [14] in “unique mobility patterns” on Fridays would facilitate more accurate monitoring of systemic impacts.

At the human resource management level, the experiential typology identified by Chuang et al. [18] in five distinctive patterns (“thriving,” “balanced,” “isolated,” “overwhelmed,” “disconnected”) indicates that well-being interventions should be differentiated according to individual characteristics. Evidence suggests that the implementation of regular assessments using validated psychometric instruments, similar to those used by Chuang et al. [17,18], would enable the early detection of deterioration in well-being and the proactive adjustment of working conditions. In addition, the development of specific protocols to prevent social isolation, as documented in the systematic reviews by Charalampous et al. [43], requires particular attention in permanent teleworking contexts.

Converging sectoral evidence from Abrardi et al. [32], Raj et al. [54], and Blak Bernat et al. [48] indicates that the sustainable benefits of teleworking are more consistently evident in professional service sectors with workers with higher education, organizations with robust technological infrastructure documented by Waizenegger et al. [41], and urban contexts with efficient public transportation systems, according to Caulfield and Charly [1] and Victoriano-Habit and El-Geneidy [2]. This sectoral specificity suggests that implementation strategies should be prioritized according to specific organizational and contextual characteristics.

However, evidence of systematic exclusion documented in the Latin American literature [22] and López-Igual and Rodríguez-Modroño [36] indicates fundamental limitations to the universalization of these interventions. The practical recommendations identified may not be applicable to informal workers, who constitute the majority in emerging economies, require prior investment in digital infrastructure that is not universally available, and depend on consolidated regulatory frameworks that are absent in multiple contexts. Consequently, the implementation of sustainable teleworking strategies requires contextually sensitive approaches that recognize these structural dependencies.

In terms of implementation timing, evidence on post-pandemic persistence documented by Salon et al. [27] and Barrero et al. [45] and post-pandemic work intentions [59] suggests an appropriate sequence: an initial assessment of organizational and domestic conditions during the first six months, pilot implementation with specific monitoring metrics during the first year, and gradual scaling based on empirically documented results during the second year. This timeframe allows for organizational adaptation while maintaining rigor in the assessment of sustainable impacts. This systematic review reveals critical insights into telework’s complex relationship with corporate sustainability, challenging simplistic assumptions prevalent in early pandemic literature. Unlike previous reviews that predominantly focused on immediate operational benefits [3,4], our analysis of 50 high-quality studies demonstrates that telework’s sustainability contribution is fundamentally contingent on contextual factors and implementation strategies, contradicting the deterministic views that characterized emergency telework discourse [32,33].

4.4. Critical Analysis of Multidimensional Sustainability Impacts

The environmental dimension presents the most paradoxical findings. While our synthesis confirms emission reductions of 29–54% depending on telework intensity [38], this range demonstrates significantly higher variability than pre-pandemic estimates, which typically reported linear relationships between reduced commuting and environmental benefits [11,12]. Notably, the rebound effects documented in recent studies [13,44] were largely absent from earlier telework research, suggesting that pandemic-era implementation revealed previously unrecognized systemic complexities. This discrepancy indicates that emergency telework conditions may have accelerated environmental trade-offs that were masked in voluntary, limited-scale implementations studied in pre-2020 research.

Furthermore, the identification of second and third-order effects [26] represents a methodological advancement over previous literature, which predominantly employed first-order impact assessments. However, this analytical sophistication simultaneously exposes the field’s temporal myopia [60], as longitudinal studies capable of capturing these cascading effects remain scarce. Consequently, the optimistic environmental projections characterizing early pandemic research require substantial revision when confronted with emerging evidence of complex feedback loops and behavioral adaptations.

4.5. Social Equity and Contextual Dependencies

The social dimension reveals the most pronounced gaps between developed and emerging economic contexts. While European and North American studies consistently report work–life balance improvements [45,46], the singular Latin American study in our sample [48] documents fundamentally different outcomes, where telework amplified pre-existing inequalities rather than mitigating them. This stark contrast exposes the epistemic colonialism inherent in the current telework sustainability discourse, where findings from privileged contexts are uncritically generalized to diverse socioeconomic realities.

Moreover, the heterogeneity of social experiences identified by [18] challenges the binary conceptualizations prevalent in earlier literature, which typically characterized telework as either beneficial or detrimental to well-being. The five-pattern typology (“thriving,” “balanced,” “isolated,” “overwhelmed,” “disconnected”) suggests that individual characteristics and organizational contexts interact in ways that previous research failed to capture, largely due to methodological limitations in cross-sectional designs that dominated pre-pandemic studies. Social complexity is exemplified by [9] Portuguese healthy ecosystem requirements, [38] Australian ergonomic–organizational optimization, and [19] the quantification of 65% inadequate Spanish home workspaces among lower socioeconomic populations.

4.6. Methodological Evolution and Persistent Limitations

The methodological sophistication evident in recent studies represents both progress and the persistence of fundamental limitations. While the development of integrated evaluation frameworks [61,62] demonstrates field maturation, the continued predominance of quantitative approaches (44% of studies) perpetuates the disciplinary fragmentation that has historically limited comprehensive understanding [16]. Paradoxically, the field’s quantitative turn may actually obscure the nuanced contextual dependencies that our synthesis identifies as crucial for sustainable telework implementation.

Additionally, the scale paradox identified by ref. [10] remains unresolved, with microscale benefits continuing to be extrapolated to macroscale impacts without adequate theoretical justification. This persistent methodological weakness suggests that despite increased research volume, fundamental epistemological challenges remain unaddressed. The temporal concentration in our sample (28% from 2024) may also indicate publication bias toward recent phenomena, potentially overlooking longer-term dynamics that longitudinal research could illuminate.

4.7. Theoretical Implications and Future Directions

The theoretical fragmentation evident across sustainability dimensions reflects broader challenges in organizational sustainability research. Unlike established fields with coherent theoretical frameworks, telework sustainability research exhibits what we term “theoretical archipelagos”—isolated theoretical contributions that rarely engage with each other. The Sustainable Value Creation Theory [37] offers the most promising integrative potential, yet its application remains limited to economic contexts, with minimal extension to environmental and social dimensions.

Furthermore, the context–conditions gap identified by Mouratidis and Papagiannakis [63] represents perhaps the most critical limitation for both theory and practice. The systematic underrepresentation of emerging economies (2% of our sample) perpetuates theoretical models based on privileged contexts, limiting their applicability where telework’s sustainability potential may be most needed yet least accessible.

4.8. Study Limitations and Implications

This review did not employ formal quality assessment tools such as the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools, or the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, which represents a methodological limitation that may affect the interpretation of synthesized findings. However, quality assurance was maintained through rigorous inclusion criteria requiring peer-reviewed publications with transparent methodology and the systematic exclusion of 75 studies due to methodological inadequacies including insufficient sample sizes, unclear analytical frameworks, or lack of empirical validation. Two independent reviewers (EVRF and GLCI) applied consistent quality standards through structured discussion protocols, ensuring that only methodologically robust studies contributed to the final synthesis. Future systematic reviews in this domain should incorporate formal quality assessment instruments to provide a standardized evaluation of study rigor and enable the quality-weighted synthesis of findings, particularly given the methodological heterogeneity observed across quantitative (54%), qualitative (26%), and mixed-methods (14%) approaches in telework sustainability research.

The pronounced geographic concentration of high-quality studies in developed economies (Europe 38%, North America 30%) represents a fundamental limitation that constrains the global generalizability of findings. To address this epistemic bias, we employed regional weighting in interpretation where findings from developed contexts (68% of the sample) were treated as indicative rather than definitive for global applications. Emerging economy studies, though limited (Latin America 10%, Asia-Pacific 18%, Africa 4%), were given proportionally greater analytical weight in synthesis, particularly regarding digital infrastructure dependencies and socioeconomic inequality patterns.

Geographic sensitivity analysis revealed that environmental benefits (29–54% emission reductions) showed consistency across developed contexts but require substantial qualification for regions with different transportation systems, energy matrices, and urban planning frameworks. Social sustainability findings exhibited the greatest geographic variance, with work–life balance improvements concentrated in European studies while equity concerns predominated in the limited developing economy research. Economic impacts showed moderate geographic stability in productivity measures but significant variance in cost structures and talent accessibility.

To enhance interpretive validity, findings were contextualized through explicit geographic qualifiers: “in developed economy contexts” for dominant patterns, “with emerging evidence from developing economies suggesting” for limited global patterns, and “requiring validation in diverse geographic contexts” for findings with insufficient global representation. Future research should prioritize geographic diversification through targeted sampling strategies, multilingual database searches, and partnerships with institutions in underrepresented regions to achieve more globally representative evidence synthesis in telework sustainability research.

4.9. Implications for Theory and Practice

The evidence synthesis suggests that telework’s sustainability potential is neither universally positive nor contextually neutral but rather emerges from complex interactions between technological capabilities, organizational cultures, regulatory frameworks, and socioeconomic structures. This finding challenges both techno-optimistic assumptions and deterministic skepticism, suggesting instead that sustainable telework requires carefully orchestrated systemic interventions rather than simple policy adoption.

For practitioners, these findings imply that successful telework sustainability strategies must be co-designed with local contexts rather than transferred from successful implementations elsewhere. For researchers, the evidence demands theoretical frameworks capable of addressing multi-level, multi-temporal, and multi-cultural dynamics rather than the simplified models that currently dominate the field.

Evidence synthesis supports specific interventions: environmental policies should establish minimum three-day telework thresholds to achieve meaningful emission reductions beyond 37% [38], coupled with residential workspace energy efficiency standards addressing rebound effects [21,44]. Social equity requires targeted digital infrastructure investment in underserved regions, validated by Spanish [19] and European [36] inequality documentation, plus organizational ergonomic equipment provision following Australian optimization models [38]. Economic development should include SME telework tax incentives based on Italian productivity evidence [32] and rural infrastructure investment informed by spatial redistribution research [46]. These interventions address the implementation specificity gap identified in current policy frameworks while leveraging empirical validation from diverse geographic and organizational contexts.

5. Conclusions

This systematic review of 50 studies (2020–2024) demonstrates that telework represents a potentially transformative yet contextually contingent driver of corporate sustainability. Environmental benefits include emission reductions of 29–54% depending on implementation intensity [38], though significant rebound effects through increased residential energy consumption partially offset these gains [13,44]. The social dimension exhibits a dual character, enhancing work–life balance and autonomy while potentially exacerbating inequalities, particularly in emerging economies where access remains determined by educational level, labor formality, and technological infrastructure [22]. Economic impacts consistently show operational cost reductions and expanded talent pools, with productivity gains contingent on organizational culture and digital competencies [47,48]. However, the sustainability potential of telework is fundamentally moderated by digital infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, built environment characteristics, and sociodemographic factors, with effectiveness varying dramatically between developed and emerging contexts. Critical limitations include severe geographical concentration (78% from developed economies), methodological fragmentation across disciplines, temporal myopia in impact assessments [60], and the persistent scale paradox between individual benefits and systemic impacts [10]. Future research must prioritize longitudinal designs, mixed-methods approaches, and truly global perspectives that incorporate diverse socioeconomic realities, particularly in underrepresented regions where telework’s sustainability potential may be most needed yet least accessible, to advance toward evidence-based policies that maximize benefits while mitigating adverse effects across all sustainability dimensions.