Trường Đại Học Tài Chính - Marketing Khoa Quản Trị Kinh Doanh
Trường Đại Học Tài Chính - Marketing Khoa Quản Trị Kinh Doanh
Chủ đề:
TELEWORKING
Hoàng Nhi
Hà Kiều Oanh
1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................2
1.1. Introduction.........................................................................................................2
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Introduction
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020, working life -among other
aspects of life-has undergone major changes worldwide. Flexible work arrangements,
such as teleworking, are not newly introduced. Their adoption was gradually driven by
a working life in transition characterized by multiple factors such as demographic
changes in the workforce, employees’ preferences, ICTs development coupled with the
reduction of related costs and increased availability, a tendency towards outsourcing
activities, changes in employment types, less commuting time and pollution, work-life
balance issues, economic pressures in the business environment and unpredictable
changes resulting from global competition (Lim and Teo, 2000; Kerrin and Hone,
2001; Taskin and Bridoux, 2010).
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Different types of telework have also been discussed and scholars usually agree on
three main categories: home-based work or homeworking, group-based teleworking
including satellite-office and neighborhood office centers and mobile telework or
otherwise called nomadic (Nunes, 2005; Pérez et al., 2002; Taskin and Devos,
2005; Wilson and Greenhil, 2004; Morganson et al., 2010). Some argue that there are
more types of telework such as independent telework and networking or flexible
teleworking systems (Nunes, 2005; Taskin and Devos, 2005). Based on this telework
typology, scholars distinguish certain categories of teleworkers, generally accepted in
research (Peters et al., 2004). Nevertheless, more focused groups of teleworkers are
also delineated. Such an example is mentioned by Wilson and Greenhil (2004) who
utilize Ovortup’s (1992) classification of teleworkers in substitutors, self-employed
and supplementers.
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2. MAIN RESEARCH THEMES
The third research question concerning the main research themes led to a table with
three different kinds of themes based on whether they are employee-, organization- or
manager-related. According to table, during the 2000–2020 period, research on
telework focused on employees by investigating potential career impacts, work-life
balance issues, opportunities and preference of telework, job satisfaction as a result of
telework and the importance of self-control. Further, studies measured the
productivity, competitive advantage and general performance of organizations which
had adopted telework.
Individual vs
Work-life balance Productivity
collective
Approaches to
Gender Performance
telework
Telework
Attitudes/Preferences/Opportunities Competitive advantage allowance
decisions
Benefits and
Self-control Organisation commitment
pitfalls
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Loneliness HRM practices
Equipment Infrastructure/Equipment
In this study, the main research themes found in the reviewed articles were divided
into two categories, telework challenges and outcomes. The main reason behind this
approach is because addressing both challenges and outcomes related to telework in
the extant literature will be conducive to overcoming the former and improving the
latter. As a result, a review of telework outcomes, such as the inclusion in the
workforce of certain groups, job satisfaction, work-life balance, career impacts,
productivity and performance as well as interpersonal interaction and social isolation,
will be conducted followed by a discussion on challenges which rise in a telework
work environment, such as the autonomy versus control paradox and the relationships
between teleworkers and non-teleworkers.
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2.1. Telework outcomes
Telework has been portrayed as “a new job organisation paradigm for companies
working in the new Economy” (Pérez et al., 2002, p. 775). On the other hand, it has
been claimed that telework does not constitute a major shift in organizational practices
as it reflects traditional occupational practices (Haddon and Brynin, 2005). It lies,
therefore, in a more thorough analysis to establish how telework impacts different
aspects of the business world.
It has been reported that another group of people who could benefit from telework is
the people recovering from an accident or the disabled (Baruch, 2000; Nunes,
2005). Nunes (2005) notes that telework offers an opportunity for people with
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disabilities in Portugal to be integrated in the labor market. Several temporal and
spatial characteristics of the traditional workplace act like a constraint to the
participation of those groups in employment, either temporarily or permanently
(Nunes, 2005). Nevertheless, Peters et al. (2004) observed that partly disabled
employees were not offered the opportunity to telework more often than other
employees. Moreover, they did not prefer to do so and they practically did not
telework more often than others (Peters et al., 2004).
On the other side, telework has been ‘accused’ of excluding certain worker groups
such as those with no technical skills, the low level educated and those residing in
rural areas (Nunes, 2005; Peters et al., 2004; Vilhelmson and Thulin, 2016).
However, Sullivan (2003) contends that for people living in rural areas telework
is not just an option but rather the only option for employment.
Job satisfaction reflects the quality of the relationship between the employee and the
organisation and is inextricably linked to one of the most important telework effects,
namely the benefits of attracting, motivating and retaining the human capital resource-
base of the organisation (Illegems and Verbeke, 2004). Job satisfaction needs to be
understood on two levels. First, it is derived from the job itself (intrinsic satisfaction)
but also from the conditional effects which result from differences in the activities
embedded in the job (extrinsic satisfaction) (Golden and Veiga, 2005; Illegems and
Verbeke, 2004).
Morganson et al. (2010) report equally high levels of job satisfaction between main
office and home-based workers while most researchers agree on increased job
satisfaction for teleworkers especially under specific circumstances (Baruch,
2000; Golden and Veiga, 2005; Illegems and Verbeke, 2004; Martinez-Sanchez
et al., 2007; Mü ller and Niessen, 2019; Simpson et al., 2003; Virick et al., 2010). A
curvilinear relationship has been detected by both Virick et al. (2010) and Golden and
Veiga (2005) between the extent of telework and job satisfaction moderated by
performance outcome orientation as well as task interdependence and job discretion,
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respectively. Both studies imply the existence of a critical threshold in the time
devoted to telework beyond which benefits to job satisfaction cease to accrue.
Telework is generally associated with high levels of work-life balance (Chung and
van der Horst, 2018; Collins, 2005; Hibrecht et al., 2008; Kossek et al.,
2006; Lautsch et al., 2009; Mann and Holdsworth, 2003; Sullivan and Lewis,
2001). In contrast, Whittle and Mueller (2009, p. 140) disagree with what they call a
“one-sided view of the realities of telework” by questioning the idea that purchasing
an internet connection or a laptop can automatically result in benefits such as work-life
balance.
The results of this literature review show that telework can indeed be linked to
increased work-life balance under certain conditions. Chung and van der Horst
(2018) cite Piszczek and Berg's (2014) view according to which it is the institutional
setting of each country -which influences who has access to flexible work
arrangements-that shapes how telework will affect work-life balance. Strong
boundaries between the family and the work domain are also associated with better
work-life balance and increased well-being facilitated by flexibility (Chung and van
der Horst, 2018; Kossek et al., 2006; Lautsch et al., 2009). Additionally, greater
psychological job control and a sharing-information supervision approach lead to
lower family-work conflict (Kossek et al., 2006; Lautsch et al., 2009).
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while Mann and Holdsworth (2003) report that women who telework are not even
perceived as working by others.
Improved productivity and firm performance are two of the important advantages of
telework (Baruch, 2000; Illegems et al., 2001; Mann and Holdsworth,
2003; Nunes, 2005). Lautsch et al. (2009) claim that it is how telework is
implemented that determines whether it will have a positive impact on
performance. Martínez-Sá nchez et al. (2007) and Illegems and Verbeke
(2004) highlight the importance of human resources (HR) development practices as a
moderator in the relationship between telework and firm performance. Both studies
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assess such practices as necessary in order to enhance what otherwise would be a
marginal contribution of teleworking to the organization.
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On the other hand, Wilks and Billsberry (2007) argue that it depends on the
characteristics of each individual whether isolation will be viewed as a
drawback. Illegems and Verbeke (2004) also suggest that the appropriate HR
management practices can provide a benevolent work environment so that
interpersonal interaction is not negatively affected. After all, social interaction is
not unanimously judged as positive or negative. Windeler et al.
(2017) and Wilson and Greenhil (2004) maintain that social interaction places
more emotional demands which are unwelcomed by employees. The former
discovers a growing recognition of the costs linked to social interaction, such as
increased work exhaustion, while highlighting the important role of the quality
and quantity of interaction. Part-time telework - but not full-time telework-is
found to alleviate the negative effects of interaction quantity as it acts like a mini-
break. Simpson et al. (2003), also refer to isolation as a highly subjective
experience depending on the nature of the role, the personal experiences of the
teleworker and their attitude towards technology. For example, isolation of rural
workers was reduced rather than caused by telework.
One of the major challenges that researchers and practitioners of telework have to deal
with is the ‘autonomy vs control’ paradox or otherwise referred to as the ‘flexibility
paradox’ which implies some flexibility and autonomy in spatial and temporal terms
but the organization must simultaneously establish procedures in order to ensure that it
continues to work efficiently and develop employees (Martínez-Sá nchez et al.,
2007; Sewell and Taskin, 2015; Taskin and Devos, 2005).
The teleworking environment and, most importantly, the relative autonomy over where
and when one works has been praised by employees who need to combine their work
with the timetables of their children (Sullivan and Lewis, 2001). In addition,
according to Daniels et al. (2001) international employees who telework tend to enjoy
higher levels of autonomy owing to the emotional and physical distance from the
home-office (Mayo et al., 2009).
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Anderson et al. (2014) argue that working in a teleworking environment leads to
positive emotions due to the perceived autonomy, control and flexibility. Such higher
levels of autonomy and the entailed transfer of responsibility, however, present the risk
of an intensification of the mental burden for teleworkers (Taskin and Devos, 2005).
Within this context, self-leading strategies, meaning those strategies which enable
individuals to successfully accomplish tasks even when they are unpleasant, are
deemed a necessary resource but are also demanding themselves (Mü ller and Niessen,
2019; Taskin and Devos, 2005).
On one side, teleworking allowance might be viewed as proof of trust from the
supervisor towards the employee thereby leading the latter to an attempt to reciprocate
by disciplining themselves or by showing appreciation and loyalty (Morganson et al.,
2010; Wilson and Greenhil, 2004). Coordination based on mutual trust is considered
the solution to the lack of face-to-face contact and direct supervision yet managers are
often reluctant to abandon full control over the working process and adopt new control
habits (Golden and Veiga, 2005; Perez et al., 2002; Illegems et al., 2001).
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this supervision is not recognized by teleworkers as control but as a by-product of the
new mode of working (Sewell and Taskin, 2015). Lautsch et al. (2009) and Illegems
et al. (2001) propose a change in the models of supervision which will possibly pave
the way for more positive outcomes for both the teleworkers and the organization.
Instead of an increase in manager's controls -since presence and visibility cannot be
checked in situ and de visu-supervisors are advised to apply an approach placing
emphasis on sharing information rather than closely monitoring teleworkers' work
schedules (Lautsch et al., 2009; Taskin and Bridoux, 2010). Once again, the role of
HR development practices in the improvement of the trust relationship between the
supervisor and the teleworker is underlined (Illegems and Verbeke, 2004; Martinez-
Sanchez et al., 2007).
Telework has resulted in the creation of tension between those employees who
telework and those who do not. Teleworkers express worries regarding workplace
exclusion (Morganson et al., 2010; Sewell and Taskin, 2015). An ‘us and them’
feeling has emerged between teleworkers and non-teleworkers (Collins, 2005).
Teleworkers fear that non-adopters of telework would doubt about teleworkers'
commitment, trustworthiness and the extent of their contribution (Sewell and Taskin,
2015). In this context, the availability principle replaced the responsiveness principle.
While the latter is seen as an important contributor to autonomy, Sewell and Taskin
(2015) maintain that the former leads to a new norm of conduct which enhances
technocratic managerial control by means of forming a peer-based social control
system.
Following the impact of telework on the trust relationship between adopters and non-
adopters of teleworking mediated by the lack of face-to-face contact, the transfer of
knowledge between the two groups was also negatively affected (Taskin and Bridoux,
2010). In fact, the nature of the relationship between them was altered leading to more
superficial connections and fears of inability to cooperate with each other while
teleworkers simultaneously tried to place themselves into the workplace on the days
they did not telework (Sewell and Taskin, 2015; Wilson and Greenhil, 2004). Taskin
and Bridoux (2010) suggest that new routines need to be developed to ensure better
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contact between the two groups as colleague support is considered beneficial to
attitudes towards teleworking (Iscan and Naktiyok, 2005; Taskin and Bridoux,
2010).
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