IT Solution : Telecommuting

 

This paper will serve as an analysis of the Telecommuting. This paper is to provide an answer with the growth of low-cost, broadband communication services and IT solutions that are internet based video conferencing, which has been the practice of many managers who are not reporting to the office personally. This report will critically discuss the current developments in the work environment. In addition, this paper will also discuss the challenges that an organization will face while managing modern flexible work arrangements.

The author will discuss the definition of Telecommuting. The advantage and the disadvantages of the said technology will also be included. The different perspective of the organization and the individual members of the organization in relation to the subject technology will also be cited. The author will also determine whether the orientation of the said technology is for process or of a result. A conclusion will end the paper taking into consideration the necessary key points that has been discussed.

 

INTRODUCTION/DEFINITION

            The world has been subject to a series of changes from the time that the Industrial Revolution started all the things that require the works of machine. The introduction and development of technology is massive. The much-appreciated product of technology is the Internet. The Internet introduced number of ways to make the lives of every human being easy as possible.

The series of innovation that have been undertaken by many companies is an answer to the changes of technology. Businesses nowadays are more inclined to answer the demand to make their business conduct technological or internet based. The innovation that has been implemented or to be implemented is on the basis that the organization must keep in touch to what is the demand of the consumers in relation to technology.

In the early history of work, it can be inferred that work on its early history include activities which are performed by slaves on battle in exchange for their lives. In the modern world, work differs from the past. Today work means doing your responsibilities in the office in exchange for a pecuniary income. The main difference is that successes are taken into consideration trough the unitization of industrialization, which has created a new set of challenges in people’s live.

One of the greatest product of technology and industrialization is Telecommuting. As human communicates, man must be acquire the knowledge that in communication there is perception, expectations, involvement and it differs from information.

Telecommuting is the modern way of communicating with people. It involves interaction with people through the use of technology and the internet. In the working industry, telecommuting is considered as the work performance of a person in a company. In this kind of work arrangement, individuals may be able to enjoy the flexibility in the aspect of working.

The word Telecommuting has been used interchangeably by many authorities of the subject, to the words work home, tele-work, e-commuting. There are no differences as to the use of those terms. One thing that all must be considered as one is that a person performs outside the premises of the company, relaying his work thru the use of internet, in exchange for a compensation, which could or could not be the same as those employees working inside the company.

 

ADVANTAGES

            The author would like to say that technology has brought so many benefits to the business industry hence citing advantages in this paper will exceed the required word count. Nevertheless, the author will present he advantages that have been receiving amount of preference by companies.

            The first advantage is that thru telecommuting there is an increase in productivity and decrease in stress. This reason alone can make the companies incur fewer expenses. Johnson and Johnson pharmaceutical research and development have experienced this advantage. Thru the used of telecommuting the company mentioned has enable to collaborate with its team better and a progressive collaboration has ensued, saving the company of $200 million of expenses over the past three years.

            Another reason is that telecommuting serves as accompaniment of the work in the work place, which gives better results for the company. One company who has experienced this advantage is the European Telework Online. The said company stated that information and communication technologies are applied to enable work to be done at a distance from the place the work results are needed or where the works conventionally have been done.

 

DISADVANTAGES

            There are number of advantages of Telecommuting that can be cited however would like to present it, as experienced by some of multinational companies. The first disadvantage, is that thru the use of telecommuting, industries tend to have an over reliance to electronic system. This disadvantage is correct in so far as the organization’s growth.

Although the present world revolves around the development of technology, the necessity to see the importance of human personal interaction is vital to the progress of the company.

            Another disadvantage is that thru telecommuting, organizations tend to create a virtual distance. Virtual distance means that there is a barrier as to the way employees and the organization interact with each other. An insurance company, Lojeski and Reilly, which has lost $3 million on one project because of issues surrounding virtual work, suffered this problem.

As inferred by the author, such problem occurred because the essence of shared context has been destroyed. Although telecommuting has been an answer to transfer speedily files of information, the essence of sharing of ideas and analysis has been downgraded because there are matters, which are too difficult to relay over the internet, telephones or virtual messaging.

In relation to the efficacy of employees, they may tend to lack the devotion and sincerity to with their work because the lack of immense supervision and guidance is present. Employees may tend to perform their responsibilities less to what their companies expect from them. An example is Hewlett-Packard, because of experiencing such problem, has asked information technology workers to go back in their corporate offices to work again. The operational distance and the poor supervisory matters have contributed to that occurrence hence prompting the company to give back to their employees a workspace in the company.

 

Point of Views

            From the point of view of organizations or business industries telecommuting is a process wherein there are part of the business system, which requires the need to interact with employees thru the use of technology, wherein employees perform their duties outside the workplace. As an organization, the managing of the whole conduct of the business if there are employees or members which are performing their duties outside the premises of the workplace which entails minor supervision but still conduct thru the way the company sets its vision and mission.

 Furthermore, thru this method the company will be able to have the opportunity to have a place in the international perspective. As there are employees, which are located regions aside from the workplace is located. As the numbers of employees are located in different part of the world, the ability of the company to interact with different kind of consumers and clients and most importantly business opportunities is a reason wherein the company will be and remain in the competition edge.

The companies of Intel and Cisco Systems offered to their employees as part of their employees benefits is the opportunity to telecommute. These companies have been offering this incentive in order to help employees afford a meaningful work life and life per se.

On the other hand, from the point of view of the employees or the members of the organization, telecommuting is an answer to curb expenses related to work travel expenses. Employees see this type of work as a way to enable them to have a supple work life.

The juggle between work and life of employees in the modern day is not healthy and beneficial to the performance of the employees, hence they view telecommuting as an answer to balance all the aspect of their lives. It was found out by the author that telecommuting has gained a wide acceptance in the public sector. This is due to the fact that through telecommuting the quality of work life and work/life has been improved.

Furthermore, employees or members of the organization view telecommuting as a way to better and discover other capabilities, which are not apparently, be known when they are confined within the context of the workplace. The employees may still act in accordance to what they can consider as important to better life. Because it is the perceived by the author, that life must not revolve around the fact that people must earn for their living but better life in order to live.

Ford Motor Company has been an example to have a good organizational learning through the use of telecommuting. The said company recognizes that there are different ways to get work done; hence, the focus of the company is more on the ends rather than the means, which has resulted to success to their institutional learning, which has been a contribution to the company’s openness to innovation and long-term effectiveness. Hence, the effectiveness of telecommuting is attributed on how the company and the members will be able to adapt and accept with it.

 

ORIENTATION

            The author perceived that the orientation of telecommuting is for the results. The process orientation systems focus on the manner on how the company will be able to conduct its business on the effectiveness of its process. With this type of orientation, the company gives importance on the company will be able to come up with a way that is good enough to meet the goal or objective of the company.

            On the other hand, a company that is result oriented focus on the results or the aftermath. The process may be not be efficient or good as it should be but the end must meet whatever the company has targeted. Telecommuting is result oriented because there are several matters in the process of telecommuting that are not efficient but the ends on which it will give to the company.

            The destruction of personal communication or orientation happens in telecommuting. Personal orientation is one of the ways in order for the company to relate with the people. Interaction with the members of the company will enable the company to evaluate the actions or programs of the company thru the ideas and perceptions of the individual member. However, this fact is not present in the telecommuting.

Although such vital part of the organization is absent in telecommuting, the way the employees will be able to perform outside the premises of their workplace will be based on how the employees are introduced in the objectives and goals of the company. Still the ends of the company will be met as far as the employees will conduct themselves for the benefit of the company. The ends will justify the means. The means thru the use of telecommuting may not be properly related to the success of the company but if the objectives of the company will ensued, hence telecommuting is an advantage.

           

CONCLUSION

Niccolo Machiavelli stated, “Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.”

From the abovementioned sentence, the use of telecommuting is already justified. Telecommuting presents an innovation to the business industries. There are number of advantages that a company will be able to reap through the use of this process. The disadvantages may have been presented in a way to stop this process to prosper but still it is presently use by many companies.

Companies will make it big with their company if it has been able to use all opportunities especially to the benefit of the company. The need to see the efficiency of an employee whether there is a personal interaction or none. Telecommuting hence will be efficient if all the employees and the organization will take it as a prospect to produce results, which are the best to the existence of the company.

 

REFERENCES

Vega, G. (2003). Managing Teleworkers and Telecommunicating Strategy. Westport CT: Praeger

Telecommuting. Viewed 15 August 2008, <www.businessweek.com>

Telecommuting. Viewed 15 August 2008. <www.newsweek.com.>