There are several elements that pose challenges for the employees and employers when implementing a telecommuting option in the workplace. Among them are performance management and the ability to keep employees motivated while working independently. However, probably the most challenging element to replace would be lack of communication stemming from the employees being physically separated from each other and gaining trust. There is much that is lost when physical contact and face to face interaction are absent. For instance, it can be difficult to accurately display emotion or concern through text and the element of trust may not develop. Without this physical aspect, we no longer have the familiar tools for communication that are naturally used: body language, inflection in the human voice and hand gestures. We cannot remotely detect a flip of the head, roll of the eyes or look of amazement. All of these gestures help us communicate with each other and derive meaning to accompany the words we speak. The option to telecommute requires teamwork among the entire team and the administration. This team consists of professionals working remotely in various locations. Some members may work out of their homes; some may work in co-working offices, while others might work in branch offices. All, however, must commit to working on the same team and working toward the same objectives. Virtual team members collaborate and work together from separate locations by leveraging the technology available today: instant messenging, web conferencing, Skype, online project management software, etc. These updated technical systems are very important to help the telecommuters communicate successfully. Collaboration is always important, face-to-fac... ... middle of paper ... ...ine-to-five schedule, virtual employment can be anytime, anywhere. Current management policies and procedures may not be prepared to handle the issues that arise for telecommuters at present; typically these rules and regulations fall behind current practices. Therefore, changes and revisions need to be considered along with a study of the lack of clarity regarding occupational liability and employer responsibility for telecommuters. Among both business and academic communities there is a general belief that the more a business firm is “collaborative” as a team, the more successful it will be and that collaboration is more essential than in the past. A collaborative, team-oriented culture won’t produce benefits if there are inadequate information systems in place to enable collaboration. The tables below are examples of tools that can be used and benefits provided.
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.
Videoconferencing in Virtual Teams, The Business Review, 7(1) p.164-170.
Explain that less office space will be needed and how employees of companies that offer telecommuting often have a better retention rate than companies that do not.
A virtual team is a group of people working interdependently via various types of electronic media across organizational and geographical boundaries for a shared purpose (D’Souza & Colarelli, 2010). Research indicates virtual teams are becoming increasingly popular in organizations across the United States and the world (D’Souza & Colarelli, 2010; Rusman, van Bruggen, Sloep, & Koper, 2010). These teams vary in size, degree of geographic dispersion, prior shared work experience, nature of assignment, and expectations of a common future (Rusman et al., 2010). Although virtual teams have potential advantages like the removal of physical boundaries, the ability to form new partnerships, and optimization of competencies (Chinowsky & Rojas, 2003), they also introduce many challenges that may not be as prevalent in traditional teams.
The methods of communicating for a virtual team consist of different tools than used by a traditional team because “…awareness of others’ activities is more difficult and requires some degree of technological intervention” (Fussell et.al., 1998, p. 276). A virtual team needs to use alternative tools because it has members working from different geographical areas and possibly at different times. A traditional team meets face to face, whereas a virtual team needs the use of technology to operate and interact efficiently. Teleconferencing, video conferencing, faxing, e-mail, and instant messaging are some of the tools available to a virtual team.
One of the main driving factors for any company is economics and how will telecommuting allow the corporation to be profitable. The primary saving for companies embarking upon the telecommuting concept is the reduction in the amount of office space required to conduct business. Telecommuting benefits the employer because they have an expanded pool of employees. The skills of employees with commuting difficulties, childcare conflict, disabilities, geographical barriers are made available to a telecommuting employer. Companies are now starting to expanding oversees where the labor price is cheaper for telecommuting. This however can be looked at as both an advantage to the employer, and as a disadvantage to the employee.
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.
In today’s virtual society our office experience is getting more and more dependent on cyber culture. Due to the increase in employees working at home, virtual offices have become a convenient way for staff, clients, educators, students and all other types of business people to stay connected. Teleconferencing, skyping, e-mails, and texting have become mainstream ways of conducting business so it seems pertinent that businesses learn to effectively create and conduct virtual teams.
What is telecommuting, and why would anyone want to either be employed by or employ others to work from their home? The telecommuting employees are “Salaried employees of an organization replace or modify the commute by working at home or a location closer to home than the regular workplace, generally using ICT to support productivity and communication with the supervisor, co-workers, clients, and other colleagues.” (Hoang, Nickerson, Beckman, & Eng, 2008) and according to studies 47 percent of telecommuting workers report that they are more productive while working from home due to a lessening of stress and increased satisfaction in their career - while their employers glean the benefit of saving 63 percent of the cost of absenteeism and save thousands of dollars annually over traditionally employed workers. (Potter, 2003) While some may say that in order to function properly in a workplace you have to be in the workplace, with minor adjustments in technology on both the employer’s and employee’s part telecommuting has become a proven, viable way for businesses to function profitably while their workforce remains able to reduce the stress of commuting on their personal and family lives.
Virtual teams – virtual team is one of the most popular teams in every organization because in virtual team the member are separated in different nation and use technologies to communicate to accomplish their goal on the time.
...ease employee engagement in jobs the redesigning of jobs and careful attention towards Job analysis. Telework could play a vital role in this manner.
Organizations use teamwork because it increases productivity. This concept was used in corporations as early as the 1920s, but it has become increasingly important in recent years as employ...
-Virtual communication allows an individual to communicate despite engagement in other schedules hence this can well be practiced by employees and their Employers.
With the rise of mobile working whereby companies employ from different regions without necessarily having employees enclosed in one building, they end up employing more skilled and qualified workers regardless of their location. This has been made possible by companies embracing virtual meetings and video conferencing where managers and
Teamwork is one of the important component that is required in any types of business organization . Team is defines as “a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to the common purpose, performance goal, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable”(katzenbach and Smith 1993) . Teamwork offer numbers of advantages like in teamwork work are completed earlier because large task are divided into smaller projects and then it find out an individual who is best for doing the jobs. Tasks that are smaller in size also need less time and brainpower then the work is less sporting to the people who are working. Teamwork also helps in combing the unique skills of people and makes them work efficiently. In a teamwork strength of different people are combined for the benefit of entire team and to produce better product and teamwork also help in building the unity among the group member .In a teamwork relationship play an important role because it helps people to communicate properly with one another whereas friendship helps in creating a job satisfaction. Support system is also important because if support system will be stronger than people will be comfortably depend on each other. These are the advantage of the teamwork but in teamwork there are also disadvantage like in teamwork there is an uneven participation of the members because they depend on other for doing the majority of work this can lead to hatred in the workplace. In a teamwork everyone is not team player, as they cannot perform well while team is working because they want to do their own so they might face problems to get fitted in a certain work culture, which will result in displeasure. In teamwork there is less creativity among th...