Home‐based teleworking and the employment relationship

Abstract

As home‐based teleworking grows in the UK, more evidence is needed of how working from home shapes the employment relationship and the implications this may have for those line managers responsible for a home‐based workforce. The reported experiences of a sales team and their line managers at one large international drinks manufacturing company of teleworking during its first year of operation revealed the importance of developing understanding of the complex interface between the domains of work and home life. The findings suggest individual circumstances require close attention before implementing home‐based working with line managers recalibrating perceptions of the boundaries between home and work for positive employee relationships to develop within a new paradigm of “home‐work” relations.

Managing flexworkers: holding on and letting go

“…Harris (2003) noted a similar theme in her study of a sales team and their line managers during the initial stages of teleworking. She described "a continuing uncertainty about the socially acceptable boundaries of demonstrating concern for individuals which impeded timely responses and the search for solutions to the identified problems" (Harris, 2003, p. 433).…”

“…Moreover, the "social bonds" that emerge from the physical presence of employees and their managers become increasingly tenuous. Indeed, research on teleworkers (as a broader category within which flexwork can be located) has suggested that they may feel isolated from their colleagues and are concerned that it may have a negative impact on their career advancement/visibility (Crandall and Gao, 2005;Harris, 2003).…”

Comment gérer des télétravailleurs?

“…Certaines études dans le domaine du comportement orga nisationnel ont relevé des effets négatifs du télétravail sur des composantes de la socialisation dans l'organisation comme l'identité sociale, le soutien organisationnel perçu ou l'enga gement dans l'organisation (Bélanger, 1999;Harris, 2003). L'intensité de la relation entre télétravail et socialisation est de nouveau essentiellement fonction de la fréquence de l'arran gement de télétravail (Kurland et Cooper, 2002).…”

Télétravail et leadership : déterminants des pratiques efficaces de direction*

“…Lorsque les pratiques de télétravail sont adéquates, les employés, de leur côté, perçoivent généralement le télétra-vail comme un moyen de créer un meilleur équilibre entre leur vie privée et leur vie professionnelle (Harris, 2003), de vivre moins de stress (Konradt et al, 2003) et d'avoir une plus grande flexibilité dans leur horaire et d'autonomie dans leur travail . Finalement, la satisfaction des télétravailleurs vis-à-vis de leur emploi est nettement plus grande .…”