Technology has been rapidly changing the appearance of organizations and the way we interact with others on a daily basis. In an evolving marketplace, technology provides growth opportunities to organizations and assists in the continuation of a competitive. Many organizations have tested the new flexible schedule work theory to use modern technology as a competitive advantage and a way to stay ahead of the competition. Flexible schedules can have positive and negative effects on an organization. Positive effects include reducing overhead costs by saving money in the office by saving cost on supplies, electricity, and the amount of space an organization needs which assists the company in participating in the go green campaign and flexed schedules also assist individuals on balancing their work and personal lives. Unfortunately, flexed schedules can have negative effects on an organization such as loosing the day-to-day interaction with your co-workers and customers and not interacting with management that can have negative affects on an employees performance reviews and maintaining personal contact between the groups. Instant messenger, email, and the telephone have replaced face-to-face communication. The typical nine to five work schedules are replace by working virtually from the comfort of your own home.
The key to an off-site team is for everyone to feel as though they have an active role in the team and for everyone to feel that they are an asset to the team as well and not to feel disconnected which can easily happen by not participating in daily interaction with the team. In order to keep everyone in the loop management must organize mandatory face-to face meetings weekly this allows all parties the interaction necessary...
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...echnology for projects and issues. Employees must have a balance between technology and human interaction.
In conclusion, it takes a disciplined individual who can handle the positive and negative aspects of a virtual environment. Not every employee will be able to adapt to an independent environment, especially those who are unable to adapt to change. Management must keep an open mind and offer flexible schedules to employees on a case-by-case basis. By working virtually individuals tend to depend solely on technology, which is not always 100% accurate. The customer rapport that built over the years will soon start to fade away along with the social skills we have obtained and progressed throughout the years. Employees in a business setting require an environment without personal distractions and a team where they see themselves as an asset to the organization.
As technology improves, businesses expand and recruitment pools decrease, organizations contemplate ways to, not only reduce the overhead costs of doing business but, to attract new talent in a competitive employment marketplace (Darleen, 2012). To do so, many organizations have redefined what it means to ‘go to work’, in terms of not only the act of getting there, but how work is accomplished and where (Lojeski & Yuva, 2008). A study conducted three years ago by the Society For Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that almost half of the organizations surveyed utilized virtual teams (Minton-Eversole, 2012). Anyone who conducts business using mobile technology devices is considered
Flextime - a versatile work program - permits individuals to determine on when they work, as long as they place in their total range of hours each week. Counting on the leader could mean complete freedom to style their work schedule, or having the ability to decide on from among many predetermined sets of choices. Two (or a lot of, though not sometimes the case,) workers could share one position, every worker operating some of the specified time. That way, individuals will hold, or still hold, the position they need, and still build time to play with young ones or aging oldsters, carry out of different family
In the previous study, the authors stated that there are various studies about the telecommuting include references to corporate attitudes toward telecommuting, motivation, productivity, supervision and employee satisfaction.
The development of the four-day workweek actually began in the 1970s as a theoretical practice to help organizations optimize operations while saving resources and improving worker quality of life (Poor, 2010). Beginning in the 1980s, the use of the four-day workweek began to accelerate and the Department of Labor began keeping records regarding outcomes for companies using this work arrangement (Poor, 2010). Although the Department of Labor continues to track alternative work arrangements, Poor contends that four-hour workweeks have morphed into flexible work arrangements with companies offering workers a wide range of programs to acquire time-off from the traditional 5/40 schedule. Even though efforts to evaluate the impact of the four-day workweek have shifted to a general classification of outcomes for flextime, the four day-workweek remains the principle tool used by organizations to offer ...
Given that there are derived challenges of adopting telecommuting, MedEx should come up with a way to maneuver each of the challenges and seek to accomplish the right objectives. As illustrated, there is a social problem associated with telecommuting. To solve this problem, MedEx should prioritize on the right socialization. For instance, it should encourage employees to be actively involved in social media. The telecommuting system should have a social media platform that encourages employees to communicating on various challenges affecting the organization. As well, the organization other social interaction points, for instance, having regular retreats and seminars where it is going to hammer the organization policy on telecommuting. Bruhn
An increasing amount of companies are implementing flexible work practices as more US households have dual incomes, working longer hours, and labor force participation rates increase (Winder, 2009). Flexible work practices can enable workers with care giving responsibilities to perform at their peak capacity instead of conforming to standard work schedules that stifle their efforts to succeed (Glass, 2004). If, true the productivity of workers should rise with the use of flexible work practices and should be positively correlated with enhanced wage growth over time. This productivity enhancing effect should particularly lead to higher wage growth among those impeded by rigid work schedules and long hours of work, namely mothers of dependent children (Sharpe, Hermsen & Billings, 2002). However this may not be the case with women. Currently women are not on par dollar for dollar with men. Yet economists think that the gap between pay for women and men is due to different personal choices men and women make about personal fulfillment, child rearing and hours at work. Following this further, in the past women would choose to work less hours to allot more time to their children, but there is an increasing number of women who continue to work fulltime throughout motherhood with the help of flextime (Glass, 2004). However these women still encounter the same pattern of wage stagnation (McCrate, 2005). Parents are using flexible work options but mothers appear to be penalized for it.
Remaining focused on the overall goals and objectives of a project can become an issue if these are not consistently restated by managers or team leaders. Without the advantage of regular and ad hoc personal meetings, members of virtual teams may misinterpret, inadvertently change, or lose focus on the goals of the project. Because of this, individuals are charged with a greater responsibility to remain focused on both expected outcomes and objectives (Chinowsky & Rojas, 2003).
The advantage of telecommuting for some employees can be invaluable. One huge advantage an employee has when telecommuting is flexibility. Telecommuting allows for increased flexibility to coordinate work schedules with personal and family priorities. Flexible working arrangements improve quality and work done (Dudman, 2001). Achieving a balance between work and personal duties can help individuals gain more control over their lives.
“Human beings have always functioned in face-to-face groups. While the use of teams is on the rise the Wall Street Journal reports that two-thirds of American companies employ them – the face to face aspect of normal working relationships is changing. Electronic communication and digital technologies give people a historically unprecedented ability to work together at a distance.” (Lipnack, J., & Stamps, J., 1997).
Employees are increasingly interested in jobs with flexible work schedules. What factors are driving this interest?
During the past decade, the internet has revolutionized and changed the way organizations do business by offering rapid communication systems and enhanced information access and innovation of technological advancements have created a brave new workplace. Further, the internet enables organizations to decrease expenses, reduce product life cycle time, market goods and services more efficiently (Anandarajan et al, 2000). However, with these kinds of benefits, the internet provides employees with a technique
The workplace today goes beyond just the walls and ceilings that surround an office environment or office building. According to the International Telework Association and Council, 44.4 million Americans worked from home at least part of the time in 2004, up 7.5% from just on year earlier (Earthweb, 2005). Though it may be very convenient to work from home, the choice can bring its own set of problems. There are financial reasons, efficiencies, and even managing time are just a few to name that bring about many challenges and issues that any remote employee would face in that type of work environment.
Communication: it is a key factor that allows feedback between all team members, therefore enables the team to have an appropriate organizational cli...
In modern firms, flexibility at workplace are now viewed as an effective organizational structure. According to the definition in the article ‘too much of a good thing’, it highlights flexibility as the ability to adapt to changing needs both effectively and efficiently.
...ease employee engagement in jobs the redesigning of jobs and careful attention towards Job analysis. Telework could play a vital role in this manner.