1. CSpA. Centre for Spatial Analysis. Center for Spatial Analysis / School of
Geography & Earth Sciences. McMaster University. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Why Do You Care What Other People Think? A Qualitative Investigation of Social Contact and Telecommuting
Robert D. Wilton, Antonio Páez, Darren M. Scott
CSpA Centre for Spatial
Center for Spatial Analysis / School of Geography & Earth Sciences McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
Analysis
E-mail:
[email protected]
What did we do?
Investigated the “social” dimension of telecommuting
How do individuals acquire information? How do individuals make decisions?
Frontiers in Transportation: Social Interactions, Oct. 14-16, Amsterdam NL
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Why did we do it?
Past research suggests that the decision to telecommute can be influenced by social considerations
Our simulation research suggests that such considerations cannot be ignored
Inform econometric model development at a later stage of our research program
Frontiers in Transportation: Social Interactions, Oct. 14-16, Amsterdam NL
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Where did we do it?
Large, post-secondary educational institution in Southern Ontario, Canada
6,500 people employed (1,400 full-time faculty members) Does not have a formal telecommuting program Telecommuting arrangements are negotiated informally within specific departments
Frontiers in Transportation: Social Interactions, Oct. 14-16, Amsterdam NL
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How did we do it?
Semi-structured interviews with nonfaculty employees who had an opportunity to telecommute
Interview guide was prepared for this task focusing on specific themes
Email postings and flyers were used for recruitment 25 women, 7 men interviewed
25 to 64 years (mean = 43 years) 20 departments and various job titles
THEME Why telecommute? Negotiating the arrangement Asking for advice Knowledge of other’s experiences Pros and cons of telecommuting
Frontiers in Transportation: Social Interactions, Oct. 14-16, Amsterdam NL
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How did we do it?
Interviews were transcribed in full for analysis
Transcripts were entered into NU_DIST for coding and management
Themes developed for interview guide were used as the basis for data coding
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What did we find?
Why telecommute?
Concerns about productivity at the office due to unwanted interruptions was the most frequently cited reason for telecommuting
Negotiating the arrangement
Attitudes toward telecommuting vary among managers Changes in management can create or remove opportunities for telecommuting Presence of other telecommuters does not necessarily foster its acceptance
Frontiers in Transportation: Social Interactions, Oct. 14-16, Amsterdam NL
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What did we find?
Asking for advice
Half of respondents stated that they had not sought advice from others prior to making a decision about telecommuting
Knowledge of Other’s Experiences
Conversations with friends and colleagues often took place after a decision was made to telecommute
May encourage normalization of the practice
Few conversations
Possibly related to absence of a formal telecommuting program
Frontiers in Transportation: Social Interactions, Oct. 14-16, Amsterdam NL
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What did we find?
Pros and cons of telecommuting
Increased productivity due to fewer interruptions Loss of face-to-face contact with others, both for work purposes and social interaction Negative reactions from others
Frontiers in Transportation: Social Interactions, Oct. 14-16, Amsterdam NL
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Where do we go from here?
Extend the project to other organizations with wellestablished telecommuting programs to investigate how organizational situations impact social influences on the decision to telecommute
Use the results to improve data collection efforts, especially those aimed at obtaining data useful for econometric model development
Frontiers in Transportation: Social Interactions, Oct. 14-16, Amsterdam NL
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