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Home, but not so alone
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Telework: Successful telework requires new approaches to managing individuals, teams, information, processes and technologies, write John Campbell and Jan Barned. |
One of the effects of the internet's arrival has been the advent of telework. This is defined as working from home or outside the traditional office or workplace using a computer and telephone connection.
Also known as telecommuting, the practice has until now evolved with little regulation or guidance for those who earn their living in this manner.
In 2005 the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) set up a committee (the Australian telework advisory committee).
Its aim was to review telework as part of the government's initial election commitment to establish a telework and home-based business task force to advise the government on options and impediments to the development of telework for employees and businesses.
CPA Australia provided a submission to this committee, and this was included in the final report.
Following on from this participation, in 2006 the CPA Australia information technology and management centre of excellence (CoE) identified telework as an important area of interest for CPA Australia members over the next five years.
The CoE then commissioned a scoping study to outline the key issues of telework as it affects the accounting profession, and to identify the research resources that CPA Australia can develop to assist members review and adopt telework when applicable.
Accounting professionals are often responsible for performing telework tasks, monitoring others involved in telework, or in the allocation of resources for telework activities.
Workplace and organisational issues surrounding telework span areas of strategic importance to CPA Australia. These include enterprise and small business development strategies.
The introduction of telework practices also has implications for corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, and could provide incentives for staff recruitment and retention in competitive employment markets, particularly in two of the key areas that CPA remains committed: skills shortage and population ageing.
The scoping study was undertaken by the University of Canberra. It assessed trends in telework practices and related issues by examining recent literature, including research studies and industry case studies.
The scope of the research was to define the key issues concerned with telework and its effect on the accounting profession by reviewing the impact of telework on accounting and related businesses and services, and the impact on job distribution, skill levels and the type of employment available.
The research also reviewed critical issues in the adoption of telework, including governance, business case, performance management and evaluation methods. The types of work best suited to telework and the organisational culture necessary to support it were also reviewed.
The results of the scoping study identified that the incidence of telework in the accounting and financial services sectors is significant and continues to increase. This trend reflects the high level of compatibility between existing work practices in the accounting profession and the technological infrastructure and enabling technologies necessary for telework.
However, the study also found the effective use of telework requires much more than just technology.Organisations must also consider the work design options and the governance structures necessary for managing individuals and work groups in distributed work environments.
In order to provide the CoE with detailed work programs that will result in resources to assist CPA Australia members in the review and possible adoption of telework practices, the researchers undertook a three-stage approach.
First, the study provided a general outline of the drivers that influence the adoption of telework. These were:
1. Organisational factors
Economic factors are generally the most important organisational driver for the adoption of telework. However, organisations must also consider the legal, ethical, and human issues.
Other factors include the availability of skilled staff, regulatory obligations, strategic direction, corporate social responsibility objectives, intensity of competition within the industry, and the need for organisational restructuring.
Together these factors determine the level of formal organisational support for telework.
2. Industry work practices
Industry work practices are largely shaped by traditional ways of working. These practices may change over time due to new technologies, competitive forces or regulatory intervention.
3. Employee preferences
Employee preferences for telework vary from person to person and can reflect employee life-stage needs. For example, employees with young families or who are considering a transition to retirement may prefer to work from home more frequently.
Gen Y and X graduates may also have expectations about workplace flexibility that could influence their preference for one employer over another. Conversely, other employees may prefer the social interaction found in the traditional office-based work environment.
The study noted that the drivers for telework adoption are relatively stable over time, but can on occasion be subject to sudden change due to a market shock or some other abnormal event.
For example, change in legislation, civil disorder, a sharp rise in fuel prices, or a greater awareness of environmental issues can provide the impetus for considering telework options.
The second stage was to identify the impacts of telework. The study found that the impacts from telework can have both positive and negative consequences for organisations, employees and wider society.
1. Organisational impact
The most important organisational impacts relate to productivity, cost and quality factors. The workplace flexibility provided by telework can greatly improve service delivery and workflow processes.
However, there may be customer-related effects and other value-chain impacts that require close monitoring. Also, regulatory compliance may become an issue, particularly concerning privacy and employee safety.
2. Societal impact
Telework can have positive consequences for wider society by providing a means for organisations to place greater emphasis on corporate social responsibility.
Organisations can use telework to achieve reductions in travel-related emissions, space and other savings of benefit to the community.
3. Employee impact
The flexibility provided by telework can improve employee job satisfaction by facilitating greater balance between work and home life.
However, telework will not suit all employees and there are issues concerning regulatory compliance, career advancement, and issues of equity and access that will require careful management.
By identifying the drivers in the adoption of telework and noting the impacts, the study clearly recognised that in order to bring these two key elements of teleworking together, effective teleworking processes need to be established.
Telework processes relate to the actual telework activities that are performed within or on behalf of an organisation.
Successful telework requires the full support of both management and employees. However, the overall effectiveness of telework is dependent on the availability of appropriate support technologies and organisational governance mechanisms.
Management support is required to foster a supportive culture for telework and for the redesign of business processes so as to allow the realisation of benefits while managing risk and quality.
Employee support is dependent on the capability and attitude of the employee and the scope for teleworking processes to perform the task at hand and address issues of alienation and reduced physicality within the organisation.
One of the results of this three-staged approach was the development of a framework, in the form of a model, which assists in understanding both the adoption and use of telework. This model is detailed below. It is in the pro-cess area of the model that the COE will develop resources to assist members.
Telework has recently gained traction because of the benefits that accrue from workplace flexibility and because it provides business continuity alternatives.
Although the study undertaken by the University of Canberra notes many issues to be addressed in the area of teleworking, it is evident that it presents new possibilities for organising work that affects human resource management, technology management, organisational structure and the environment.
Telework may improve employees' quality of life by reducing travel time and costs, leaving more time for family and social activities. For others, limited physical presence at work may lead to feelings of alienation.
In extreme cases the demarcation between home and work can become blurred, with work costs being transferred to employees and their households.
Telework can bring organisations significant cost savings and other benefits, including lower overheads, lower rates of absenteeism and alternative strategies for business continuity and disaster recovery.
But telework will not be suitable for all projects and all employees. Implementing telework can be expensive. There are risks that require diligent management, not least being the health and safety of employees, and other legislative obligations about privacy and data ownership.
Although the advantages and disadvantages for organisations and employees are of central importance in the success of telework, other factors also influence outcomes.
In particular, successful telework requires new approaches to managing individuals, teams, information, processes and technologies. The establishment of a sound working relationship between teleworkers, non-teleworking employees and managers is essential.
It is with these thoughts in mind and with the direction of the teleworking research undertaken by the University of Canberra that the information technology and management COE will develop work programs to assist CPA Australia members to consider teleworking as an alternative work environment.
A copy of the teleworking scoping study can be found on the CPA website under Technical Resources – eBusiness.
Download an image of the three-staged approach used in the telework scoping study.
All available from the CPA Library:
Jan Barned is CPA Australia’s policy adviser for information technology and management. John Campbell is associate professor of information systems at the University of Canberra and a member of CPA Australia's information technology and management centre of excellence.
Reference: July 2007, volume 77:06, p. 54-55
This page is available online at:
http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/cpa/hs.xsl/724_23185_ENA_HTML.htm
