From Teleworking to E-Work :: essays research papers

From Tele workings to E-WorkThe following was an invited contribution to The West Berkshire Labour Conference, which was held in July 2000 by Thames Valley Enterprise (the predecessor of the Business assort business development agency).Over the last few years improvements in portable computers and mobile communications (boosted by services from locally based Vodafone) has seen a growth in the use of virtual working and e-working (electronic working). Much of this has happened in an ad-hoc way as get awayrs and professionals simply adapt to working in a mess independent manner - in hotels, airport lounges, at home and on the move. This e-conference is an example of virtual working, where previously there would have been a real conference. In other words, business activities that once would have been specially earmarked as telework are now becoming part and parcel of everyday work - but non fast enough.The Aspiration GapVarious surveys show that about 5 per cent of UK workers are classified as teleworkers i.e. they spend significant time working away from offices using telecommunications. Yet the most remarkable finding is that some two thirds of employees would like to telework if their bosses would let them. The challenge, as always, is one of management. Managers must withdraw to manage at a distance. They must plan and develop work methods that allow - even encourage - employees to work in the most trenchant settings, which may be at home or in a shared satellite office away from areas of high rents and labour shortages, like West Berkshire. They must learn how to gauge employees performance by outputs not by inputs (i.e. time spent sitting in the office). None of this is new. There is now over a decades outlay of proven cases where organizations, such as Siemens, Sedgwick, Oxfordshire County Council, have gained significant benefits from telework, and many practical guidelines (see Resources at end).Formal Telework ProgrammesCompanies that have fully achieved significant benefits have done so through a formal telework programme. While ad-hoc or informal teleworking impart have some benefits (mostly for the employee), only a systematic approach will gain the organization-wide benefits that are achievable. Simply because someone can use a mobile telephone and portable computer does not mean a) that they are effective as they could be and b) that the organizations work system as whole is optimized. A typical formal programme has the following elementsA focused programme police squad with representatives from different parts of the business and specialists in the disciplines needed - technology, change management, work design etc.