Final Research Paper Draft

Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 0

Annotated Bibliography: Telecommuting

Marshakie Applewhite

ENG122: English Composition II

Instructor: Dr. Paula Hayes

June 26, 2017

Telecommuting: Annotated Bibliography

Working thesis statement: Telecommuting is a significant workplace innovation that allows an increasing portion of the work force to work from home or work at a location remote from the central workplace.

Cross, T. B., & Raizman, M. B. (1986). Telecommuting: The future technology of work. Homewood, Ill: Dow Jones-Irwin.

Telecommuting builds an office without walls, permitting individual working at satellite offices or home to commute using computers, wireless and wired broadband connections, as well as telephone lines instead of cars. Telecommuting offers an outlook for long-range scenarios as well as simulations based on management trends and current business.

(Cross, & Raizman, 1986) present concepts for designing work environments via computer-assisted systems, and they present creative applications for assimilating telecommunications technology to increase productivity as well as develop new business opportunities. From finding out which jobs are suitable to remote locations, to identifying individuals who are likely to be successful, to selecting appropriate equipment, Telecommuting explores the specific issues managers as well as executives must address when creating such a program. Telecommuting refer to working from any location whenever work is needed. Telecommuting is an important resource for companies that want to improve programs that already exist or develop telecommuting programs.

Cox, W. (2009). Improving quality of life through telecommuting Winnipeg, Man: Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

The numerous number of jobs filled by telecommuters may grow nearly four-fold to 19 million as well as deliver substantial economic, quality of life and environmental benefits for the United States over the next 15 years. Thanks to its potential to expand the supply of potential employees, increase productivity, and cut costs, telecommuting is evolving as an ordinary business strategy for a numerous number of companies (Cox, 2009). Encouraged by advances in information technology, particularly the spread of broadband services, telecommuting is the fastest emerging mode of getting from home to work. Assisted by continued expansion in broadband, particularly higher speed broadband, telecommuting is assured to become more popular than non-household and transit car pools as a means of accessing work.

Having the range of potential benefits, including the chance that it could aid create new employment opportunities among middle-income Americans who don’t have the mobility to access many existing jobs, government should pursue policies to maximize as well as accelerate telecommuting. At a minimum, the possible benefits of telecommuting deliver one more reason for policies to spur the deployment as well as adoption of broadband, which is an important facilitator of telecommuting.

Hamilton, E. (2002). Bringing work home: Advantages and challenges of telecommuting. Chestnut Hill, MA: The Center for Work & Family.

Although it has yet to transform the American workforce to the level originally expected, the popularity of telecommuting arrangements in today’s companies is rapidly increasing. In this paper (Hamilton, 2002) tried to provide a complete explanation of the various issues that need to be considered when formulating as well as implementing telecommuting arrangements. For example assessing job-fit and person to a telecommuting arrangement is important, discussion and analysis of both disadvantages and advantages of telecommuting to companies and the employees is critical before implementing a telecommuting work arrangement, and training is important to the success of a telecommuting program.

Improvements in information technology, increase of a global workforce, and the increased need to balance work as well as family are only three of the many elements that will serve to increase the popularity of telecommuting work arrangements. Companies that distinguish that work is something you do, not someplace you go as well as who adequately prepare for the application of telecommuting arrangements should benefit from greater employee productivity, commitment, and job satisfaction.

Hansen, M. (2004). Implementing and managing telework: A guide for those who make it happen. Personnel Psychology, 57:4, 1091-1094.

Telecommuting, also called telework, is the utilization of telecommunication technologies to permit employees to execute their job duties at any place, away from their central workplace, in accordance with work agreements. A remote work locations might range from a park, the beach or even a coffee shop, although it is usually conducted from an employee’s home. Telecommuting as a business practice has grown significantly, since the 1990s due to the increasing pressure on companies to increase employee productivity as well as to cut costs. Companies are now tested to initiate more flexible thinking for the new corporate office. Furthermore, the expansion of broadband Internet services to employee’s homes as well as the convergence of voice, video and data over a common IP framework have made telecommuting a feasible option and sometimes a requirement for medium to large-sized businesses in today’s marketplace (Hansen, 2004).

The benefits of telecommuting, both perceived and actual, are well-documented: increased quality contact with customers, increased employee productivity, better work-life balance for employees, reductions in traffic congestion and air pollution and reductions in corporate real estate expenses. Furthermore, the ability to telecommute is also considered an attraction to job candidates. Meanwhile, companies employing telecommuting programs may also face several challenges. For example, collaboration inefficiencies due to a lack of proximity among workers, difficulties in supervising as well as managing remote workers, feelings of isolation on the part of the employees, and increased security risks.

Williams, J. C., Blair-Loy, M., & Berdahl, J. L. (2013). Cultural schemas, social class, and the flexibility stigma. Journal of Social Issues, 69(2), 209-234. doi:10.1111/josi.12012

The above source is an article published in the Journal of Social Issues, where it gives an account of the rise of flexibility programs in most workplaces in the United States. Based on a recent study, around 70 per cent of organizations allow their employees some flexibility times while another 37 per cent allow most of their employees a periodic amount of time to change or quit times. However, the most shocking thing is that despite the rise in the flexibility programs their usage has not changed a lot. As much as having these policies in an organization shows their commitment in the welfare of the employees, it does not always mean that the employees require and feel comfortable using the policies.

The reason for the low usage rates stem from fears among the workers that they bring in negative repercussions, with some of the fears being well founded. In most organizations, suing the flexibility programs leads to penalties in wages, low performance evaluations, and scarce opportunities for promotions. Thus, it has led to undocumented claim, that these flexibility programs are “shelf paper” and for public relations stunts only.