an article by Eleftherios Giovanis (University of Verona, Italy) published in International Journal of Manpower Volume 39 Issue 1 (2018)
Abstract
Purpose
There is an increasing concern on the quality of jobs and productivity witnessed in the flexible employment arrangements. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between various flexible employment arrangements and the workplace performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Home-based working, teleworking, flexible timing and compressed hours are the main employment types examined using the Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS) over the years 2004 and 2011 in Great Britain. The workplace performance is measured by two outcomes – the financial performance and labour productivity. First, the determinants of these flexible employment types are explored. Second, the ordinary least squares (OLS) method is followed. Third, an instrumental variable (IV) approach is applied to account for plausible endogeneity and to estimate the causal effects of flexible employment types on firm performance.
Findings
The findings show a significant and positive relationship between the flexible employment arrangements and the workplace performance. Education, age, wage, quality of relations between managers-employees, years of experience, the area of the market the workplace is operated and the competition are significant factors and are positively associated with the propensity of the implementation of flexible employment arrangements.
Social implications
The insights derived from the study can have various profound policy implications for employees, employers and the society overall, including family-work balance, coping with family demands, improving the firm performance, reducing traffic congestion and stress among others.
Originality/value
It is the first study that explores the relationship between flexible employment types and workplace performance using an IV approach. This allows us to estimate the causal effects of flexible employment types and the possible associated social implications.
Showing posts with label teleworking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teleworking. Show all posts
Monday, 25 June 2018
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Remote Worker Blogs
Those of you who work remotely will find the list that Marieke Guy has prepared of blogs that have helped her very useful.
To be honest, if you work at home alone you will probably find a lot of the information and advice helpful.
Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen is a technology blog by a guy who works from home. There are a lot of great technology reviews, podcasts, lists of services and programming tips but Scott also writes about the challenges of remote working in his remote work category.
Lea Woodward's Location Independent blog has always been a real inspiration. Lea left the rat race in 2005 and has been travelling round the work and working ever since (though they are now back in the UK). Her blog gives lots of good technical tips but is also one of the best for motivational support. I keep meaning to ask if Lea would consider writing a blog post!
Wide teams is a blog and podcast about geographically dispersed teams, with an emphasis on software development teams. It was created by Avdi Grimm, who has written a guest blog post for us before. The weekly podcast is excellent and offers a real hands-on perspective on newer ways of working.
How to Work from Home is a blog by Judy Heminsley. Judy organizes local Jellys (remote worker meet-ups) and is an active tweeter
Remote Worker Daily is the work of Doug Campbell, another guest blog post writer. It has lots of really useful advice, links to remote jobs and resources. Doug's site A mobile app a day is really good too.
The Work at Home Woman is a blog by Holly Reisem Hanna for mums who want to set up a business and work for themselves. There are quite a lot of interviews with home workers and lots of productivity tips.
In her Freelance Lifestyle blog Emma Cossey often writes about working from home. She also podcasts and offers online tutorials.
Andy Abramson’s blog is another technical perspective on home working. He often posts on VOIP and working anywhere.
The author of Head In The Clouds: The Location Independent Office – How to take your business or job online and work remotely from wherever you please!, Phil Byrne, also writes a blog about Living and working abroad. More useful tips and reviews.
Also a quick mention for Mashable and the readwriteblog – both great for ideas.
If you know of any great remote worker blogs please do go to Marieke’s post and add your recommendation into the comments.
Hazel’s comment:
Just what has this got to do with careers information? Not much.
What has this got to do with supporting guidance practitioners? A great deal – as more and more are forced into becoming consultants with the consequent loss of an employer’s central support system and administration.
To be honest, if you work at home alone you will probably find a lot of the information and advice helpful.
Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen is a technology blog by a guy who works from home. There are a lot of great technology reviews, podcasts, lists of services and programming tips but Scott also writes about the challenges of remote working in his remote work category.
Lea Woodward's Location Independent blog has always been a real inspiration. Lea left the rat race in 2005 and has been travelling round the work and working ever since (though they are now back in the UK). Her blog gives lots of good technical tips but is also one of the best for motivational support. I keep meaning to ask if Lea would consider writing a blog post!
Wide teams is a blog and podcast about geographically dispersed teams, with an emphasis on software development teams. It was created by Avdi Grimm, who has written a guest blog post for us before. The weekly podcast is excellent and offers a real hands-on perspective on newer ways of working.
How to Work from Home is a blog by Judy Heminsley. Judy organizes local Jellys (remote worker meet-ups) and is an active tweeter
Remote Worker Daily is the work of Doug Campbell, another guest blog post writer. It has lots of really useful advice, links to remote jobs and resources. Doug's site A mobile app a day is really good too.
The Work at Home Woman is a blog by Holly Reisem Hanna for mums who want to set up a business and work for themselves. There are quite a lot of interviews with home workers and lots of productivity tips.
In her Freelance Lifestyle blog Emma Cossey often writes about working from home. She also podcasts and offers online tutorials.
Andy Abramson’s blog is another technical perspective on home working. He often posts on VOIP and working anywhere.
The author of Head In The Clouds: The Location Independent Office – How to take your business or job online and work remotely from wherever you please!, Phil Byrne, also writes a blog about Living and working abroad. More useful tips and reviews.
Also a quick mention for Mashable and the readwriteblog – both great for ideas.
If you know of any great remote worker blogs please do go to Marieke’s post and add your recommendation into the comments.
Hazel’s comment:
Just what has this got to do with careers information? Not much.
What has this got to do with supporting guidance practitioners? A great deal – as more and more are forced into becoming consultants with the consequent loss of an employer’s central support system and administration.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Changing the way we work: The role teleworking can play in how, when and where we work
a report published by the London Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Harvey Nash in July 2012
Executive summary
Flexible working has become part of how we understand work. More and more employees request non-traditional working arrangements so that they can balance the demands of their working lives whilst maintaining a rewarding social and family life.
Most employers see flexible working as a way of helping their workers to achieve that balance. This informal approach to flexible working not only increases the probabilities of conflict amongst a company’s staff but, more importantly, it means that many businesses are not achieving its full benefits.
Flexible working can provide access to a wider talent pool, contribute to operational savings or improve a company’s output, staff retention levels and motivation. The problem is that there is not a unique implementation formula that guarantees its success.
Using the example of teleworking, also often referred to as ‘remote working’ or ‘virtual working’, this report aims to provide businesses, especially small and medium firms, with information on its potential benefits as well as negative effects, and to offer some guidance on the elements required to achieve it.
Our findings are the result of 11 interviews with London businesses that offer different forms of teleworking to their staff; some of those interviewed were teleworkers themselves, providing a unique perspective into the challenges and benefits of teleworking from the point of view of both the manager and the teleworker. The information so gathered complemented the results of a survey of 178 businesses of different sizes and sectors in the capital undertaken in February 2012.
Teleworking is widespread
Our research shows that the majority of companies offer teleworking as and when needed, although they do not usually have a formal policy on it. Workers in smaller (1 to 19 employees) and bigger companies (500+ employees) are those that generally telework the most, whilst the more senior a position one holds, the more likely one is to work remotely. Yet, this seems to be because those in higher positions tend to be more experienced and, therefore, the more comfortable companies are with their ability to work on their own.
The benefits of teleworking
Companies that offer remote work do so because technology allows them to do it (70 per cent). Better work-life balance (54 per cent) and reduced stress levels (43 per cent) seemed to be the main practical benefits of implementing teleworking, as well as increased employee satisfaction (51 per cent) and work being completed more quickly (46 per cent). On the other side of the spectrum, feelings of isolation and loneliness amongst those working from home and lack of social interaction (29 per cent), increase in the actual number of working hours (25 per cent), technological glitches (25 per cent) and deterioration in communication (24 per cent) were the most common issues reported by those offering teleworking or working remotely themselves.
Success factors
The success or failure of teleworking depends on the culture of the company. Those interviewed for this report believed that without mutual trust between the employer and the employee, and constant and open communication, teleworking cannot succeed. Firms, therefore, need to have a very clear definition of what teleworking means, what is expected from each party, and how often and what kind of positions can telework. Moreover, businesses must put in place clear and regular mechanisms of communication to avoid isolation issues, lack of information and communication failure.
Culture, management and communication
Companies also need to train their staff in essential managerial skills such as delegation and communication. If teleworking is about giving employees more responsibility, managers need to know how to manage from a distance. They also need to know how to recognise the work of those who are not always physically present and to establish continuous, open communication between their reportee(s) and themselves, and between the members of the team, regardless of their physical location.
Promoting Higher Apprenticeships in management and leadership will contribute to good practice amongst the workforce, whilst sending a strong message to employers about the importance of good management for the future of the business itself, as it helps to ensure the generational takeover of the company, and provides it with the skills required to take the firm to the next level of growth.
The effort and time spent in implementing teleworking must be seen as an investment, rather than a cost. Teleworking adds to the resilience of the business, as companies can continue to function beyond eventualities such as transport delays or extreme weather, adding to the overall competitiveness of the wider economy.
Moreover, teleworking can enhance the opportunities for expansion, as it enables growing firms to do so incrementally and without having to take on too many expenses, such as rent or employment costs, at one time. It also makes easier and more cost-effective international collaborations, as firms do not need to have offices in different countries and are more flexible to adapt to different time zones.
The importance of technology
For all this to happen, however, investment in technological infrastructure across the country is needed. If businesses are expected to work from anywhere, at any time, they need to have access to quality, high-speed broadband connection so the demand for remote working can be met without any technological limitations.
Full text: (PDF 20pp)
Executive summary
Flexible working has become part of how we understand work. More and more employees request non-traditional working arrangements so that they can balance the demands of their working lives whilst maintaining a rewarding social and family life.
Most employers see flexible working as a way of helping their workers to achieve that balance. This informal approach to flexible working not only increases the probabilities of conflict amongst a company’s staff but, more importantly, it means that many businesses are not achieving its full benefits.
Flexible working can provide access to a wider talent pool, contribute to operational savings or improve a company’s output, staff retention levels and motivation. The problem is that there is not a unique implementation formula that guarantees its success.
Using the example of teleworking, also often referred to as ‘remote working’ or ‘virtual working’, this report aims to provide businesses, especially small and medium firms, with information on its potential benefits as well as negative effects, and to offer some guidance on the elements required to achieve it.
Our findings are the result of 11 interviews with London businesses that offer different forms of teleworking to their staff; some of those interviewed were teleworkers themselves, providing a unique perspective into the challenges and benefits of teleworking from the point of view of both the manager and the teleworker. The information so gathered complemented the results of a survey of 178 businesses of different sizes and sectors in the capital undertaken in February 2012.
Teleworking is widespread
Our research shows that the majority of companies offer teleworking as and when needed, although they do not usually have a formal policy on it. Workers in smaller (1 to 19 employees) and bigger companies (500+ employees) are those that generally telework the most, whilst the more senior a position one holds, the more likely one is to work remotely. Yet, this seems to be because those in higher positions tend to be more experienced and, therefore, the more comfortable companies are with their ability to work on their own.
The benefits of teleworking
Companies that offer remote work do so because technology allows them to do it (70 per cent). Better work-life balance (54 per cent) and reduced stress levels (43 per cent) seemed to be the main practical benefits of implementing teleworking, as well as increased employee satisfaction (51 per cent) and work being completed more quickly (46 per cent). On the other side of the spectrum, feelings of isolation and loneliness amongst those working from home and lack of social interaction (29 per cent), increase in the actual number of working hours (25 per cent), technological glitches (25 per cent) and deterioration in communication (24 per cent) were the most common issues reported by those offering teleworking or working remotely themselves.
Success factors
The success or failure of teleworking depends on the culture of the company. Those interviewed for this report believed that without mutual trust between the employer and the employee, and constant and open communication, teleworking cannot succeed. Firms, therefore, need to have a very clear definition of what teleworking means, what is expected from each party, and how often and what kind of positions can telework. Moreover, businesses must put in place clear and regular mechanisms of communication to avoid isolation issues, lack of information and communication failure.
Culture, management and communication
Companies also need to train their staff in essential managerial skills such as delegation and communication. If teleworking is about giving employees more responsibility, managers need to know how to manage from a distance. They also need to know how to recognise the work of those who are not always physically present and to establish continuous, open communication between their reportee(s) and themselves, and between the members of the team, regardless of their physical location.
Promoting Higher Apprenticeships in management and leadership will contribute to good practice amongst the workforce, whilst sending a strong message to employers about the importance of good management for the future of the business itself, as it helps to ensure the generational takeover of the company, and provides it with the skills required to take the firm to the next level of growth.
The effort and time spent in implementing teleworking must be seen as an investment, rather than a cost. Teleworking adds to the resilience of the business, as companies can continue to function beyond eventualities such as transport delays or extreme weather, adding to the overall competitiveness of the wider economy.
Moreover, teleworking can enhance the opportunities for expansion, as it enables growing firms to do so incrementally and without having to take on too many expenses, such as rent or employment costs, at one time. It also makes easier and more cost-effective international collaborations, as firms do not need to have offices in different countries and are more flexible to adapt to different time zones.
The importance of technology
For all this to happen, however, investment in technological infrastructure across the country is needed. If businesses are expected to work from anywhere, at any time, they need to have access to quality, high-speed broadband connection so the demand for remote working can be met without any technological limitations.
Full text: (PDF 20pp)
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