The Effects of Telecommuting

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how computers, the Internet, and other forms of advanced technology have made possible the near-instantaneous transfer of vast amounts of information anywhere across the globe. Because of this, an organization may conduct its operations from anywhere or, in effect, from nowhere. Many contemporary businesses have little in the way of traditional "overhead," their employees are scattered around in different locations, many working out of small local offices, or even telecommuting from the comfort of their own homes. This paper asserts that telecommuting offers many advantages to both employers and workers. Among these benefits are flexibility, lack of additional expenses for a physical plant, and the ability to make use of talent wherever it might be found. Workers benefit by being able to set their own schedules, spend more time with their families, and, in general, manage their time more productively and save on the expenses of genuine commuting. However, telecommuting also has its problems in terms of worker motivation, quality control, productivity, morale, and even environmental impact. Furthermore, this paper asserts that telecommuting can be a terrific success, but it can also be a two-edged sword, with benefits succumbing to disabilities.

From the Paper:

"Nevertheless, many of the benefits of telecommuting also have their corresponding downsides. The human resources bonanza that has been promised by the new technologies and trends have also raised the specter of difficult relations between management and employees, and particularly between managers or owners of companies, and employees living and working in very different physical, cultural and social environments in widely disparate parts of the globe. Indeed, the incredible array of regulations, legal procedures, labor laws, and so and on, that are to be found from country to country, and even within national boundaries i.e. state or provincial codes, municipal ordinances, bylaws, etc. is of especial concern to the global computer logistics business. As companies can operate across so many jurisdictional boundaries, and across the dividing lines of so many different commercial and manufacturing fields, and even across the frontiers of a multiplicity of distinct corporate entities, an enormous amount of information - and its appropriate regulatory data - must be accurately maintained. Some nations, and nation-like organizations, possess strict rules regarding the transmission of data that contains personal information. In 1998, the European Union created an especially strict ban that completely forbade transmission of data to countries considered not to offer sufficiently-tight controls over data. In general, within the European Union, consent of the employee is necessary in order to process - or in many cases - even store - data, and many of the European Union's member nations have further restrictions governing data usage. Formal differences in national, regional, and local human resource policies find counterparts, as well, in the widely different attitudes regarding employment, work ethic, social distance, rank and status - cultural demands that if not taken into account can cause grave problems for a business. Insensitivity to these cultural preferences can be another factor in declining employee morale that adversely affects customer service and redounds to the detriment of the goals of the customer-centric organization. Once again, accidental errors in these areas can be especially problematic and result in long-term unintentional difficulties."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Andrey, Jean C., Kyle R. Burns, and Sean T. Doherty. "Toward Sustainable Transportation: Exploring Transportation Decision Making in Teleworking Households in a Mid-Sized Canadian City." Canadian Journal of Urban Research 13.2 (2004): 257+..
• Avery, Christine, and Diane Zabel. The Flexible Workplace: A Sourcebook of Information and Research. Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 2001.
• Bielski, Lauren. "The Case for Business Process Outsourcing: Yes, You Can Renovate Process and Cut Costs. but Make No Assumptions and Get Specific." ABA Banking Journal 96.5 (2004): 43+.
• Crandall, William, and Longge Gao. "An Update on Telecommuting: Review and Prospects for Emerging Issues." SAM Advanced Management Journal 70.3 (2005): 30+.
• Doyle, Christine E. Work and Organisational Psychology: An Introduction with Attitude. London: Psychology Press, 2002.

More papers on The Effects of Telecommuting:

• Term Paper # 149793 : "Assessing the Use of Virtual Teams"
• Research Paper # 56312 : "Telecommuting"
• Essay # 27682 : "Telecommuting for a Software Development Firm"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: