Organisational Behaviour For Dummies

Chapter 16

Working Virtually

In This Chapter

Introducing virtual work

Coping with telework

Managing people from afar

Being aware of the limitations

The rapid growth of more affordable communication technologies is changing the structure of organisations. Easy access to the Internet and computers is transforming the communication of information and the development of organisational systems and processes. As a result, the traditional workplace is evolving and is no longer restricted by geographic locations. You can live in the UK, but effectively work in the United States. Your fellow team members may live in Mumbai, Paris, and Hong Kong, instead of all working from the same building. And on a less dramatic note, more employees are working from home instead of commuting to an office on a daily basis.

But what impact does remote working have on the employees involved? Do these employees work as effectively? How does a manager manage an employee who’s 10,000 miles away on another continent or 10 miles away working from a spare bedroom?

In this chapter, we introduce the issues for the ...