Lecture 13: Telecommuting and new ways of working

Question 1

Telecommuting

Answer 1

A work practice that involves members of an organization substituting a portion of their typical work hours to work away from a central workplace, using technology to interact with others as needed to conduct work tasks

Question 2

Teleworkability

Answer 2

Possibility to work from home (The technical possibiity of providing labor input remotely into a given economic process), depends on:
- Task contents of work
- Methods of work
- Tools of work

Question 3

Outcomes of telework

Answer 3

• Heterogenity in effect sizes across studies
• Curcilinear relationship between telecommuting and job satisfaction (more hours working home, less increase in JS)

Question 4

New Ways of Working (NWW)

Answer 4

1) Flexible work schedule (autonomy in deciding when to work)
2) Flexible work location (autonomy in deciding where to work)
3) Use of information technology (e.g. mail, smartphones, zoom-meetings)

Question 5

Difference between telecommuting and NWW

Answer 5

Choice/autonomy and flexibility, telecommuting is fixed days and limited choice, NWW is choosing when and where to work

Question 6

Study Demerouti et al. (2014)

Answer 6

Pros of NWW
- Availability at any time and place
- Autonomy and flexibility in work schedule –> better work-family balance
- Less commuting costs
- Less interruptions from colleagues

Cons of NWW
- Information overload
- Workplace telepressure
- Blurred work-home boundaries
- Less face-to-face contact and social support
- Less career possibilities

Question 7

Reasons for heterogenity across studies about NWW

Answer 7

• Different conceptualizations of NWW
• Effect depends on work and family conditions and personal characteristics

Question 8

Policy

Answer 8

Set of ideas or plan of what to do in particular situations that has been agreed to officially by a group of people, bussiness organization, government or political party