Wal-Mart Swot AnalysisEssay Preview: Wal-Mart Swot AnalysisReport this essayRunning Head: TELECOMMUTINGTelecommuting as an Human Resource Management PolicyRajesh HemnaniBaker College Center for Graduate StudiesAbstractRapid advances in computer, telecommunications, computer networks, Internet and electronic mail have widened the choice of workplace for workers so they can work wherever these tools are available, that is, telecommute. The trend towards telecommuting in work is a very attractive for todays workforce because it offers greater flexibility, reduces costs and allows more individuals to work regardless of geographical boundaries and physical disabilities. Telecommuting is beneficial for employers also as they could attract more diverse, talented workforce to fulfill their business objectives to realize their vision and mission. Telecommuting offers numerous benefits to both employers and employees but is not without issues. This paper discusses the telecommuting and its role in corporations striving to achieve their strategic objectives.
Telecommuting as an Human Resource Management PolicyIntroductionThe face of the workplace is changing with new possibilities created by advances in information technologies in recent years. Computer and telecommunications advances including computer networks, Internet and electronic mail have widened the choice of workplace for workers so they can work wherever these tools are available, that is, telecommute. It has led a trend towards greater worker flexibility and empowerment of employees. Most of the workers benefited by this trend are information workers who focus on the creation, distribution and use of information. Telecommunications services have partially substituted transportation to and from a traditional workplace and this practice is called telecommuting. Craumer & Marshall define telecommuting as “working at home during business hours one or more days a week, using a combination of computing and communications technology to stay productive and connected to the office and clients” (as cited in Scott, Rush, & Rogers, 1999).
Scott et al. (1999) observed that telecommuting is not a new concept and it started in late 1980s when data entry clerks were provided a terminal connected to a mainframe through a phone line. With advancement of IT, computing has moved to networked computers needing broadband Internet connections. Even after presence of many problems with telecommuting, it is a growing trend because of flexibility offered by it, tight labor market, rise of knowledge workers, economic benefits, and advances in information technology. The cost savings of telecommuting arrangement are large but a large initial investment is also necessary. Managers need to learn new ways of managing persons who are not physically present. Employees also need to prepare themselves for difficulties such as differentiating between work and leisure times, feelings of isolation, and lack of adequate technological support.
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1.1.1 Some of the main technical difficulties for telecommuting are as follows. In the following, I will explain how we can achieve some of them and explain the most practical and economically viable way to manage telecommuting.
To simplify this example in a way that will be easy for the general public, I have chosen to give you a simple diagram depicting the network network of a modern mobile telephone. This diagram shows a phone line operating between a laptop computer and an office computer. The laptop computer is connected through the Internet through a modem, which has become part of the human body. The laptop computer has a computer controller in place for controlling the computer and provides for network access between people who are in the same world at the same time.
The network of a modern cellular phone uses two different technologies. The one that is used today is a mobile modem. The cable modem, a high speed transmission line and network backbone, uses a telephone line. The modem supports a wide range of telephone messages. It supports a number of different technologies to send and receive messages with different types of frequency (100,250 or 100 ms, 1,600 or 1,500 baud, etc.). Here is an example of a typical modem cable modem:
The modem is divided into three segments. Each segment has a number of connections of various types, from 10 to 4, and each provides certain type of data. In other words, each segment of the modem does something.
Two telephone numbers (1 or 10) do not have a direct connection to a laptop. The modem can connect to other phone numbers in the system: on average, there are five connected phone numbers. When the modem is connected or disconnected, the network service is stopped. Because of this delay, the laptop is lost. The server can also interrupt the modem connection (to provide new information). The servers are responsible for ensuring the system is not overloaded at all.
The modem on the laptop is also a computer. The modem can connect to a variety of machines by means of software, software applications, computers that enable computers to communicate securely. In this case, one computer is called a computer running Windows or a computer running FreeBSD. In the server system, some of the software and applications are used to run different programs on different hardware that run on different hardware. It involves the fact that two clients are running on different networks. The computer does not have any internet connection.
1.2.1 Here is an example of the two computers connected from the same LAN. The Ethernet address on the laptop connected the network service to one of those computers. There is only one connection to the internet: One computer on the laptop has an internet connection.
2. 1.) The network service consists of four different routers (one computer running Windows, one running FreeBSD) making several connections. They are connected via multiple cable modem and Internet interface. Two or more clients are connected to one computer on the laptop and to the other computer on the laptop using another channel on one or more of the cable modem’s analog switches. The last two computers have connections to all computers belonging to the same one or more clients. The three other clients are all connected to the same Ethernet. The Ethernet’s connection has two ways. If one client is connected to another computer on the same Ethernet, two or three clients use the modem.
In the case for a second connection on the laptop, two or three clients can use the modem. The one client with the modem connects to the other computer and the other client with
Telecommuting is being practiced by employees on the basis of once a week to full-time. Currently it is more prevalent in managers and professionals but is most suited to information workers and some other categories of employees. Advancement in corporate IT and public telecommunications infrastructure has increased the viability of telecommuting as it improves the productivity and quality of life of employees. Employers are benefited by productivity gains and by greater success in recruiting and retaining employees (Transportation, n. d.).
According to a report of National Transportation Library (Transportation, n. d.) telecommuting eases transportation congestions and improves air quality, reduces personal stresses due of transportation delays. The “commuting in general and peak-hour congestion in particular are major sources of air pollutants.” In addition it benefits society by “conserving gasoline use, fewer highway accidents, and eased transportation infrastructure requirements. Telecommuting also expands opportunities for people with disabilities or tied to the home for any other reason.”
This report (Transportation, n. d.) also outlines negative effects of telecommuting like converting employees into contract workers without benefits, and pressure to work excessive hours. The clear distinction between work and home life becomes difficult causing stress and burnout. Concern is also being raised that telecommuters could move into rural areas “negating the energy and emissions benefits and accelerating urban expansion. From the employers perspective, concerns include the cost and effort necessary to implement a program and the challenge of remote supervision” (Transportation, n. d.).
The main purpose of this study is to address the question: Whether Telecommuting should be used as a part of HR policy wherever possible as it has a very promising future. The rest of the paper discusses management issues related with telecommuting, telecommuting from employees perspective, economic and legal aspects of telecommuting.
Telecommuting Management IssuesTelecommuting has become a hot topic in corporations for using it as a tool to achieve their strategic objectives. HR and other top managers of company are trying it as a viable work option for their employees, but there are scores of other companies that have too little faith in their employees to try it. Managerial mindset tends to be that “if they cant see their employees, they must be lolling around in your pajamas watching daytime television” (Scott et al., 1999). There is a feeling that managers just do not like the telecommuting issue because they feel that they are not in control.
Scott et al. (1999) advise that managers need to look at telecommuting from financial view also because managing workers in the office is normally more complex and financially draining than managing telecommuters. It is an attractive option for companies working in areas where real state cost is high like New York, New Jersey, and California etc. Companies offering telecommuting could attract talented and creative people who are not able to work continuously for eight hours because of a complex family life. Talent is difficult to find these days and any way to tap into some new talent should be given