Telecommuting and Networked Workplaces: Strategies for Successful Business Management

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Introduction
Since 1995 the field of business and business management has changed tremendously
with the growth and sophistication of technology. For the managers, information technology has
come at a time when the world is turning to technology for almost everything. For the business to
be successful, it requires proper management (Ramey, 2012). Good management involves
planning, evaluating and executing certain business functions in a manner that portrays authority
and accountability. Therefore, in modern business, technology is used in carrying out most
managerial duties. Some of the business strategies that have been mainly embraced include
telecommuting and networked and separated workplaces.
Telecommuting is a modern way of working that allows the employees to work from
home. This is one business sector that has mostly benefited from the improvement of technology.
In this form of business, employees do not travel from home to their places of work but instead
get the work done from home and probably submit it to their place of work in the form of e-
messages or emails. In the modern world, facilities such as WI-FI, video conferencing, group
work platforms, computers, laptops, smartphones and other devices allow one to work from any
point outside the workplace as long as they are connected to the workplace mainly through the
internet (Ellison, 2004). Some companies like Avaaz and JetBlue have embraced this strategy,
but others like Yahoo have banned it.
Business managers are slowly embracing telecommuting in their business. However, the
following vital dimensions need to be considered before moving forward with this strategy. One
has to consider the work location in relation to the type of work that needs to be done. The
second is the usage of ICT facilities. The manager needs to make sure that the employee is well

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equipped and facilitated to ensure that they get the job done. Without these facilities, it is
virtually impossible for an employee to telework.
The third is the time distribution. One of the most significant challenges faced by many
organizations that have embraced telecommuting is time allocation and distribution which refers
to the time replaced in the conventional workplace system. Working from home and the
workplace are entirely different regarding work-time distribution. Many businesses fail to
employ the strategy because they would like to monitor the employees closely when it comes to
time usage. For that reason, some businesses have business strategies that allow their employees
to maintain their traditional central work-offices but can work from home 1 to 3 days a week
(Hill et al., 1998).
The final dynamic is an employment relationship between the employee and his or her
employer. This is very important because it helps in the monitoring of employees. To improve
the relationship, employers have encouraged the use of contracts that help direct the employee on
what is expected of him/her (Garret & Danziger, 2007). A good relationship at the workplace
ensures that the employees have very minimal supervision. This is the same when it comes to
telecommuting. Therefore, business managers need to ensure that they keep the following
aspects constant; good professional relationship, communications and expectations. In doing so,
the managers can build multiple teams that are geographically diverse as well as maintaining
good relationships that help overcome the distance.
Telecommuting can pay off for both the employees and their employers (Purtill, 2017).
One of the main advantages that surround telecommuting is the fact that a business can employ
the best talent regardless of the geographical restrictions. According to research, employees that

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work from home or their places of choice are happier, more loyal and dedicated to their
organizations, and consequently, much more productive (Werber, 2015). This is because many
employees would feel better if they got the job done from the comfort of their own homes. This
flexibility benefits the employers (Reynold, 2013)
In 2016, close to 43% of all workers in the United States were reported to have worked
remotely at least for some time. The percentage of people doing a minimum of 80% of their jobs
outside the central office in the same year was at 31% as compared to 24% in the year 2012.
Managers have also embraced telecommuting in carrying out their functions. It was estimated
that in the year 2013 close to 48% of all global business managers worked at least half s week
remotely. Many of these managers agreed that managing employees remotely was achievable
and workable.
For telecommuting to be successful, every entrepreneur or manager needs to ensure that
the following strategies are employed. The first is setting clear expectations. For this strategy to
work there needs to be trust and transparency between the employers and the employee. There
needs to be a discussion on what is expected from both sides regarding working hours,
communications and deliverables which should be included at the beginning of the work
arrangement. The two parties need to come up with a schedule that will favour the two. They
also need to come up with a program that accounts for frequent communication. Defining such
things is essential at the start because they both have a clear understanding of what is expected
from each side as well as measuring performance. A good manager should always set and
communicate clear expectations (Lipman, 2016).