ABSTRACT
Home-based work, also referred to as distance work, virtual work or Telework, is enabled by information and communication technologies, and has been in existence for over 35 years. Even with significant technological improvements, telework has not achieved widespread adoption. Of the many aspects of telework investigated, few studies have examined the effect of organisational features which can affect telework success. This research study examined the role of the organisation in telework adoption and explored the organisational factors that may positively or negatively influence telework diffusion. Telework success was approached as a multidimensional concept and the research draws from previous telework-related research to define a model based on a set of organisational factors, which were potentially able to affect telework adoption and diffusion. The model was tested by means of a dual case study of Information Systems (IS) personnel in two organisations. The comparative case study examined telework adoption in the organisations which were chosen as opposite polar types in order to examine the effect of the organisational factors in extreme opposites of telework maturity. An analysis of the case studies revealed that organisational factors are affected by the adoption process and values will change as telework practices mature. Additionally the relative contribution of each organisational factor was not equal and this changes over time so that the contribution of different factors will vary depending upon the maturity of telework practices in the organisation. Organisational factors that were not included in the original model but that should form part of future studies include national culture and the effect of industry type of the organization.
- Andreev, P., Salomon, I. and Pliskin, N. 2010. Review: State of teleactivities. Transportation Research: Part C Emerging Technologies 18(1), 3--20.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Beauregard, T. A., and Henry, L. C. 2009. Making the link between work-life balance practices and organizational performance. Human Resource Management Review, 19(1), 9--22.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Bunker,D., Kautz, K.H. and Nguyen, A.L.T. 2007. Role of value compatibility in IT adoption. Journal of Information Technology, 22(1), 68--78.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Calvo, A. J. 2013. Where's the remote? Face time, remote work, and implications for performance management. Cornell HR Review. Retrieved May 20, 2014 from Cornell University, ILR School: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/chrr/45/Google Scholar
- Campbell, J. and Heales, J. 2008. Factor analysis of individual outcomes for teleworkers. In Cragg, P. and Mills, A., 19th Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS)--Creating the Future: Transforming Research into Practice. 19th Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS), (Christchurch, New Zealand), 176--185.Google Scholar
- Campbell, J. & McDonald, C. 2007. Defining a conceptual framework for telework research. Paper presented at the ACIS 2007 Proceedings, (Paper 120).Google Scholar
- Cha, K. J., & Cha, J. S. (2014). The Common Challenges to the Successful Implementation of SmartWork Program. International Journal of Multimedia & Ubiquitous Engineering, 9(2), 127--132Google ScholarCross Ref
- Chen, L. (2008). Job satisfaction among information system (IS) personnel. Computers in Human Behaviour, 24, 105--118. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Chung, K. and Hossain, L. 2008. Network structure, position, ties and ICT use in distributed knowledge-intensive work. CSCW '08: Proceedings of the 2008 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (San Diego, CA, USA, 2008). 545--554. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Dimitrova, D. 2003. Controlling teleworkers: supervision and flexibility revisited. New Technology, work and Employment, 18(3), 181--195.Google Scholar
- Duxbury, L., & Neufeld, D. (1999). An empirical evaluation of the impacts of telecommuting on intra-organizational communication. The Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 16, 1--28.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Eisenhardt, K.M. (1989). Building Theories from Case Study Research. The Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 532--550.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Erickson, T. 2001. Here and there, now and then: Four views of a long-distance teleworker's 'workplace'. ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin, 22(3), 10--15. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Felstead, A. 2009. Detaching work from place: Charting the progress of change and its implications for learning. Cardiff School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University. Retrieved April 29, 2010: http://www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk/detaching-work-from-place-charting-the-progress-of-change-and-its-implications-for-learning/Google Scholar
- Fichman, R. G. 2004. Going beyond the dominant paradigm for information technology innovation research: Emerging concepts and methods. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 5(8), 314--355.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Golden, T. D. 2006. Avoiding depletion in virtual work: Telework and the intervening impact of work exhaustion on commitment and turnover intentions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 69, (1) 176--187.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Golden, T. D. and Veiga, J. F. 2008. The impact of superiorlework and the intervening impact of witment, job satisfaction, and performance of virtual workers. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(1), 77--88.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Haddad, H., Lyons, G. and Chatterjee, K. 2009. An examination of determinants influencing the desire for and frequency of part-day and whole-day homeworking. Journal of Transport Geography, 17(2), 124--133.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Harrington, S. J., & Ruppel, C. P. (1999). Practical and value compatibility: Their roles in the adoption, diffusion, and success of telecommuting. ICIS '99: Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Information Systems, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. 103--112. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Hertel, G., Geister, S. and Konradt, U. 2005. Managing virtual teams: A review of current empirical research. Human Resource Management Review, 15(1), 69--95.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Hilbrecht M., Shaw S.M., Johnson L.C. and Andrey J. 2013. Remixing work, family and leisure: teleworkers' experiences of everyday life. New Technology, Work and Employment, 28(2), 130--144.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Hill, E. J., Ferris, M. and Märtinson, V. 2003. Does it matter where you work? A comparison of how three work venues (traditional office, virtual office, and home office) influence aspects of work and personal/family life. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63(2), 220--241.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Hunton, J. E. and Harmon, K. W. 2004. A model for investigating telework in accounting. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 5(4), 417--427.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Jeyaraj, A., Rottman, J. W. and Lacity, M. C. 2006. A review of the predictors, linkages, and biases in IT innovation adoption research. Journal of Information Technology, 21(1), 1--23.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Kossek, E. E., Lautsch, B. A. and Eaton, S. C. 2006. Telecommuting, control, and boundary management: Correlates of policy use and practice, job control, and work-family effectiveness. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68(2), 347--367.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Kurland, N. B., and Cooper, C. D. 2002. Manager control and employee isolation in telecommuting environments. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 13(1), 107--126.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Lautsch, A., Kossek, E. E. and Eaton, S. C. 2009 Supervisory approaches and paradoxes in managing telecommuting implementation. Human Relations, 62, 795--827.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Lee, H., Shin, B. and Higa, K. 2007. Telework vs. central work: A comparative view of knowledge accessibility. Decision Support Systems, 43(3), 687--700. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Marciano, C. 2013. Do you Fear Telework? Understanding the "petrify effect". Proceedings of the ICT4S 2013 Conference (Zurich Switzerland, 2013) DOI 10.3929/ethz-a-007337628Google Scholar
- Maruyama, T. and Tietze S. 2012. From anxiety to assurance: concerns and outcomes of telework. Personnel Review, 41(4), 450--469.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Mayo, M., Pastor, J., Gomez-Mejia, L. and Cruz, C. 2009. Why some firms adopt telecommuting while others do not: A contingency perspective. Human Resource Management, 48(6), 917--939.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Mihhailova, G. 2009. Management challenges arising from the use of virtual work. Baltic Journal of Management, 4(1), 80--93.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Nicholas, A. J. and Guzman, I. R. 2009. Is teleworking for the millennials? In Proceedings of the Special Interest Group on Management Information System's 47th Annual Conference on Computer Personnel Research (Limerick, Ireland), 197--208. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Leech, N. L. (2007). Validity and qualitative research: An oxymoron? Quality & Quantity, 41(2), 233--249.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Pérez, M. P., Sánchez, A. M. and de Luis Carnicer, M. P. 2002. Benefits and barriers of telework: Perception differences of human resources managers according to company's operations strategy. Technovation, 22(12), 775--783.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Peters, P. and Heusinkveld, S. 2010. Institutional explanations for managers' attitudes towards telehomeworking. Human Relations, 63(1), 107--135.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Pierce, E. and Hansen, S.W. 2013. Technology, Trust and Effectiveness in Virtual Teams. The International Journal of Management and Business, 4(1), 33--56.Google Scholar
- Pyoria, P. 2009. Virtual collaboration in knowledge work: From vision to reality. Team Performance Management, 15(7/8), 366--381.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Sharit, J., Czaja, S. J., Hernandez, M. A. and Nair, S. N. 2009. The employability of older workers as teleworkers: An appraisal of issues and an empirical study. Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industires, 19(5), 457--477. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Siha, S. M. and Monroe, R. W. 2006. Telecommuting's past and future: A literature review and research agenda. Business Process Management Journal, 12(4), 455--482.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Six, F. and Sorge, A. 2008. Creating a High-Trust Organization: An Exploration into Organizational Policies that Stimulate Interpersonal Trust Building. Journal of Management Studies, 4(5), 857--884.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Staples, D. S. and Ratnasingham, P. 1998. Trust: The panacea of virtual management? In Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems, (Helsinki, Finland), 128--144. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Straub, E.T. 2009. Understanding Technology Adoption: Theory and Future Directions for Informal Learning. Review of Educational Research, 79(2), 625--649.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Tietze, S., Musson, G. and Scurry, T. 2009. Homebased work: A review of research into themes, directions and implications. Personnel Review, 38(6), 585--604.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Turetken, O., Jain, A., Quesenberry, B. and Ngwenyama, O. 2011. An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Individual and Work Characteristics on Telecommuting Success. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 54(1), 54--67.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Virick, M., DaSilva, N. and Arrington, K. 2010. Moderators of the curvilinear relation between extent of telecommuting and job and life satisfaction: The role of performance outcomes orientation and worker type. Human Relations, 63(1), 137--154.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Weinert, C., Maier, C., Laumer, S. and Weitzel, T. 2014. Does teleworking negatively influence IT professionals?: an empirical analysis of IT personnel's telework-enabled stress. In Proceedings of the 52nd ACM conference on Computers and people research (SIGSIM-CPR '14). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 139--147. DOI=10.1145/2599990.2600011 http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/2599990.2600011 Google ScholarDigital Library
- Westerfall, R. D. 2004. Does Telecommuting Really Increase Productivity? Communications of the ACM, 47(8), 93--96. Google ScholarDigital Library
Index Terms
- Telework: Enablers and Moderators when Assessing Organisational Fit
Recommendations
Why do People (not) Want to Work from Home? An Individual-focused Literature Review on Telework
SIGMIS-CPR'21: Proceedings of the 2021 on Computers and People Research ConferenceOne challenge of telework before the Covid-19 pandemic, but even during it, is that even if organizations offer telework programs employees are not willing to work from home. Instead, they prefer to stay in the office. We conducted a literature review ...
Explaining factors affecting telework adoption in South African organisations pre-COVID-19
SAICSIT '20: Conference of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists 2020The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 saw governments across the world mandating telework for entire populations thereby bringing the topic of telework into sharp focus. Telework is a well-researched topic which dates as far back as five decades ago. While ...
Telework: an innovation where nobody is getting on the bandwagon?
Special double issue: diffusion of technological innovationDespite predictions over the years that many employees would soon be teleworking from their homes, neither employees in general nor information systems (IS) professionals in particular, whose work is especially appropriate for telework, have begun ...
Comments