Research Recommendations to Facilitate Distributed Work (1994) / Chapter Skim
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1 TECHNOLOGY AND THE CHANGING WORKPLACE
1 TECHNOLOGY AND THE CHANGING WORKPLACE
Pages 5-15
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From page 5... ...
There are many potential benefits of the flexibility that locational independence provides. For an employer, those benefits may include the ability to recruit the best workers anywhere without requiring them to move to a central location, the ability to assemble and disassemble teams on an as-needed basis, the ability to offer improved customer service through coverage over longer hours and a greater geographical area, and savings in overhead costs through more efficient use of space.
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From page 6... ...
for detailed discussion of many of the societal impacts of telecommuting.) Until recently, the information technology that was commonly available, the communications infrastructure, and prevailing work practices have inhibited individuals and organizations from taking full advantage of the potential benefits of flexibility in the place and time of work.
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From page 7... ...
Thus, in addition to outlining goals for technological research that could facilitate wider adoption of distributed work among individuals and organizations, this report also emphasizes the need to understand the broader social, economic, and public policy impacts of wider use of computing and communications technology, including possible negative impacts and how to ameliorate them. Although detailed treatment of such issues is outside the direct charge to the committee, social and economic considerations e.g., the capability for ubiquity of connection, or the willingness and ability of people to work independently and often in relative isolation provide the larger framework within which specific technical decisions are made and directions taken.
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From page 8... ...
To encompass the diversity of current approaches to location-independent work and to develop a correspondingly broad research agenda, this report examines distributed work of various kinds in an effort to delineate the strengths and limitations of current computing and communications technologies for enabling effective work. TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY It is important to view technology in its proper role as an enabler of, or constraint on, change, rather than as the direct motivator of social or individual change.
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From page 9... ...
Often, there is a cyclical interrelationship between technological and social issues related to the work environment: the social context gives rise to the need for a given technology, and over time, that technology may have social impacts that are significant enough to alter the social context, giving rise to the need for another round of technological innovation. For example, Yates (1989)
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From page 10... ...
As telecommuting moves into the mainstream, the per capita travel savings of telecommuting is likely to decline but will probably remain positive on balance. A broader critical issue concerns the transportation-related impacts of enhanced computing and telecommunications capabilities generally, not just those of telecommuting.
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From page 11... ...
Thus the possibility of distributed work leading to more employment-related travel remains a fertile area for research. Another important social impact of using computing and telecommunications technology for distributed work involves changes in land use patterns.
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From page 12... ...
Arguably, these technologies, much like television, have contributed to social isolation, although just as arguably, they have also given rise to new forms and norms of socialization. Technology is a tool that can be used to break down social barriers by enabling egalitarian access through such mechanisms as electronic mail communications, as much as it can be used to facilitate separation through mechanisms such as the increased opportunity to choose isolated residential locations.
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From page 13... ...
Thus, in the short term, the perceived loss of control of remote workers is a concern that could inhibit more widespread implementation of distributed work practices. Other Impacts and Public Policy Considerations Beyond concerns about effectiveness, efficiency, social consequences, management, and personnel issues that will be resolved largely on a case-by-case basis are a number of broad public policy issues associated with the expansion of distributed work.
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From page 14... ...
Although since World War II the federal government has played a crucial role in financing both basic and applied research in numerous fields, that role is now in transition, and there is great uncertainty regarding the philosophy for support and levels of federal funding for various fields. The increased practice of distributed work also raises concerns about intellectual property rights, privacy, and the security of information as it is stored, accessed, and processed electronically.
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From page 15... ...
TECHNOLOGY ~ ME C~NG~G WORSE Me pracdce of diluted Work. Technology and society have ~ complex relationship that is constantly changing (see/ egg CSTE/ 1994~.
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