How PR Professionals Are Poised

7/28/2019 How PR Professionals Are Poised

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StudiesJournal of Leadership & Organizational

DOI: 10.1177/1071791999005003101999; 5; 114Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies

Joseph Bassopoised to lead the telecommuting charge in the new millennium

Stepping up to assume greater organizational leadership: How public relations professionals are

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Stepping up to assume greaterorganizational leadership: How

public relations professionals are

poised to lead the telecommuting

charge in the new millennium

Joseph BassoMonmouth University

About theAuthor: Joseph Basso, Ph.D., a specialist in public relations and advertising, servesas an assistant professor of communication at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New

Jersey. He is an accredited public relations professional (APR) with the Public Relations SocietyofAmerica.

-

Executive Summary

The authorexplored

the

impactthat

telecommuting, or cybercommuting,has on

the current corporate climate and details the need for a greater organizationalleadership position for public relations professionals in managing the virtualoffice work force.

The author used information gathered from a qualitative study that detailed the

job tasks and responsibilities associated with the telecommuter and analyzedthe impact of technology in redefining the work environment.

Finally, the author, using a systems theory approach to detail how trained publicrelations professionals are ideally suited to take on greater organizational

leadership roles in managing the telecommuting environment thus enablingorganizations to reap greater benefits from the virtual office setting.

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Introduction

&dquo;As communication and computer technology continue to advance, the facilitywith which people can engage in paid work at home, rather than traveling to anoffice or factory, has become part of the folklore of the contemporaryAmerican

economy&dquo; (Edwards&

Field-Hardley, 1996).The boom in

technology-drivenenterprises continues to redefine the work place. In fact, this draws a strikingcomparison between the impact of technology duringAmericas IndustrialRevolution to todays Information Revolution.

Joseph Straubahaar and Robert LaRose characterize the development of our

country into three distinct economic time frames. The authors, writing inCommunication Media in the Information Society, parallel the changes thatoccurred in technology and society with the changing economic climate of the

country. According to the authors,America has gone through three distincteconomic cycles: AnAgricultural Economy; an Industrial Economy; and an

Information Economy (p. 48-60).

The dependence on agriculture provided the foundation for the development oftheAmerican Economy. In this type of economy, the majority of workers reliedon farming or the extraction of other resources from the environment to sustaintheir existence. Straubahaar and LaRose add, &dquo;As these kinds of societiesbecome more settled, they also begin to develop more specialized roles:

craftspeople, warriors, priests, judges, and political leaders, and they pay moreattention to communication&dquo; (p. 48).

The relianceon

communication and communication technology therefore drivesthe development of an economy and serves as a catalyst for growth.Astudyof history clearly details how communication tools and techniques aided in theadvancement of civilizations. In fact, reliance on communication as an aid toeconomic stimulus can be found as early back as 1800 B.C. where

archaeologists found a farm bulletin in Iraq that told farmers how to sow their

crops, how to irrigate, how to deal with field mice, and how to harvest their crops(Cutlip, 1994, p. 89). Consequently, it comes as little surprise that growth in anycivilization parallels with the growth and advancement in communication toolsand techniques.

The explosion in communication technology, however, creates a gap in

organizational leadership. While it takes vision and innovation to start up andgrow a business, it takes leadership to make it succeed. Therefore,telecommuters--workers who perform the majority of their tasks outside thetraditional office setting--must be dealt with in a unique way in order to satisfytheir needs and provide a fertile area for professional and personal growth. Itis within this new organizational paradigm that public relations professionalsexhibit the greatest skill base and organizational savvy to foster the new workenvironment.



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116

One of the most widely accepted definitions of public relations from thenewsletter Public Relations News reads:

Public relations is the management function whichevaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and

procedures of an individual or an organization withthe public interest, and plans and executes a

program of action to earn public understanding and

acceptance. (Grunig & Hunt, p. 8)

Public relations professionals support organizational development by serving as

boundary spanners. In this role, they support organizational subsystems byfacilitating communication and provide leadership through the role of counselorand interpreter. It therefore becomes paramount for an organization, attemptingto achieve greater organizational development through the implementation ofthe virtual office setting, to foster greater organizational communication. Public

relations professionals, with their varied skill base and emphasis onmanagement and counseling, sit poised to take on greater organizationalleadership roles.

Before continuing on the path of defining organizational future with regards to

telecommuting, it seems only logical to first define the development of theeconomic systems and provide a rational for how public relations professionalshave evolved into the new leadership role. AlargelyAgricultural Era lasted

up to the eighteenth century in most of the currently industrialized nations.Driven by the expanding role of communication and the increasing number ofpeople with specialized reading and communication skills, the United Statesmoved into its next phase, the Industrial Era. This era saw the migration ofworkers from rural farms to the industrialized cities. Here the need for literacyand the reliance on communication tools and techniques fostered an explosionin the social and economic development of the country.

The birth of the Industrial Era

AsAmericas Industrial Era began to pick up speed, people began to rely, with

increasing regularity, on media for information. The migration from farm to

factory was underscored by the importance of the dissemination of information

and the social value placed on those people who were adept at formulating anddistributing information.

The technology advances of the Industrial Era, such as the steam engine andthe invention of the linotype, reshaped the economic cultural of our country andfurther pushed it toward a truly democratic society. Technology advancements

brought with it a demand for greater communication tools and understanding.However, this demand for information also brought with it an expansion of socialstratification. The gap between the social classes widened because of the

&dquo;

limitations found among various groups for encoding and decoding informationvia the mass media.

Althoughindustrialization enabled

peopleto

developwhat



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117

Bourdieu (1984) referred to as economic capital--essentially a persons personalwealth--it also produced a greater disproportion in cultural capital--theintellectual capital that people use in learning things.

The era of the Robber Baron, led by railroad tycoon William Vanderbilt, bankerJ. P. Morgan, oil magnet J. D. Rockefeller and steel impresario Henry Clay Frick,ushered in a time of sweatshop labor and low pay. Workers trolled the factoriesand work sites with limited flexibility. The industrialization of the countrymanaged to set the standard for the work environment. Consequently, thisstandard remains the norm in the minds of many despite the changes reportedin the structure of the labor market.

As the Industrial Era moved forward, technology advancements contributed toa drastic change in narrowing the intellectual gap in society. Widespreadacceptance of the mass media as a source for information bridged theinformation gap. People quickly adopted the new medium, radio, as their

primary information source. Its pervasive messages reached a broader scopeof people and further narrowed the communication gap found between the

culturally elite and the intellectually challenged.

While advancements in mass media certainly played an enormous role in thesocial and economic advancements of the country, the emergence of the

interactive media of telegraphy and telephony proved essential ingredients in theinformation age. &dquo;The telegraph, which first began to function in 1836, had adramatic effect on trade, commerce, politics and even the print media,&dquo;

(Straubhaar & LaRose, p. 57). Straubhaar and LaRose add that &dquo;The role of thebasic communication infrastructure-of things like the telegraph, telephone, telex,and now the computer-is to allow both media and other kinds of business andinstitutions to function more effectively&dquo; (p. 57).

Therefore, the basic means of electronic communication, developed during theIndustrial Era, provided the tools for catapulting the United States to theInformation Era. It is here that management sees the shift from goods as the

primary commodity to information as the primary commodity.

Although growing communication networks began to sprout, the labor forceremained largely centralized. Inflexible work environments and the notion of

work for hire took root and established the cultural norm. However, beginningin the 1960s, the business landscape once again started to transform.

What then happened to theAmerican Industrial Era? The answer lies perchedon the office desks of millions of workers whose primary commodity is the

production, analysis and distribution of information. The most recent dataindicates that today approximately 47 percent of the United States labor forcework directly with information (Straubhaar & LaRose, p. 58). Similar figures,while not as pronounced in other countries, reflect the direction of many of the

larger industrialized nations.



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The rise of the Information Era

The shift from a largely industrialized economy to an information based economyparalleled with the advancement of sophisticated information tools. The rise ininformation related jobs continues to increase in comparison to the net decreasein the number of people working in agriculture and industry. In fact, recent

surveys conducted by the Link Resources Corporation reported that the numberof people who do some of the work for their primary jobs at home grew, on

average, 8.9 percent annually between 1989 and 1993 (Edwards and

Field-Handley, p. 1).

According to Sandra OConnell, writing in HR Magazine (1996), &dquo;Employmentin the information age is undergoing a transformation that may cause as muchdislocation as the move from farm to factories did in the 19th century. Studies

predict that the ranks of those with alternative office arrangements will grow by10 percent or more every year during the remainder of the decade,&dquo; (p.50).

Advancements in technology that provide greater flexibility for workers also havethe potential to greatly increase productivity. Researcher Peter Cochrane,interviewed as part of a series on Information Technology and the Future (1995),states, &dquo;His fathers generation had a working life of approximately 100,000hours. With technology, he can now complete the same amount of work in10,000 hours. Consequently, with projected advances in technology, his childrenwill complete the same tasks in less than 1,000 hours.&dquo;

The speed at which business processes and disseminates information continuesto increase and revolutionize how corporations conduct business. The computer

chip, that wafer like object that enables storage and retrieval of information,continues to become more sophisticated. In fact, Bill Gates, chairman ofMicrosoft Inc., stated that every two years the computer industry doubles the

speed of the chip. This, he contends, will continue throughout the remainder ofthe decade&dquo; (Information Technology and the Future, 1995).

The personal computer, while the main technological advancement in theInformation Era, has a supporting cast of other communication equipment thatenables remote workers to accomplish their tasks. Sophisticated fiber optics,the size of human hairs, provide the means for information to travel at rapid

speedsacross

continents. Also, advances in digital technology and wirelesstelephones make up the infrastructure that creates a virtual community withlimitless boundaries.

Changing communication patterns

&dquo;As theAmerican work force moves away from the traditional office setting,employers need to redouble their efforts, to define and communicate core

corporate values. The companies that clearly define themselves, live up tothose definitions and communicate well with their workers will lay claim to the



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21 sat centurys most important asset: a motivated and qualified work force&dquo;

(VanS!ckle, p. 6).

According to Dr. Michael Maccoby, author ofWhy Work? Motivating the NewWorkforce (1997) workers values have changed. Money and power, once the

overarching goal, have been replaced by a new set of values that place greateremphasis on quality of life values. Dr. Maccoby contends about the new workforce:

1. The new generation isnt defined by age; its defined by socialcharacter. This new generation is very driven to &dquo;make thingswork,&dquo; according to Maccoby, sometimes more so than the

managers they work for.

2. Being raised in dual-income families has defined their work

place skills. Todays worker has typically been raised in an

environment where work and childrearing were shared. Put inday-care centers at an early age, these self-developers haveleamed interpersonal skills, self-reliance, and teamwork. Sharingideas and networking with others comes naturally to them. Take

advantage of these natural strengths.

3. They respect authority but only if that authority helps them

develop. The &dquo;Im running the show and youre not&dquo; style of

management is &dquo;fossilized,&dquo; according to Maccoby. Todaysworkers want to develop their skills and talents--and will onlyrespect authority figures that help them do so.

4. Work is one thing--but its not the only thing. Many of todaysworkers regard their jobs not as their reason for living, but ratheras a way to support what they really want to do. They dont wantthe work place to dominate their lives; they want to developthemselves intellectually and emotionally. (p. 3)

With organizational change comes a need for redefining patterns ofcommunication. Technological innovations provide us the ability to change; but,dealing with the effects of change is still dependent on communication.

Regardless of the field, all workers are affected by information processing--bymore machines, better network systems and more trained personnel. The

coping mechanism therefore is improved organizational communication.

Research findings documenting the value of organizational communication showthe correlation between an effective communication system and high overall

organizational performance (Goldhaber, p. 5). But traditional methods of

organizational communication, which relied heavily on interpersonal contact,must be reconsidered in our era of technological isolation. In fact, even contactvia the human voice has diminished because of the increased use of electronic

mail.



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Analyzing the shift in work place communication from a systems theoryperspective may provide insight into the effects of the diminished traditionalcommunication mode. Justin Longenecker (as it appears in Goldhaber, 1993),in supporting the notion that the organization must be considered from a largepoint of view that acknowledges that both functional and human issues influencean organization, states:

The systems concept is useful because of its strong emphasisupon these interrelationships. These interrelationships arestressed as being of primary importance. The role of

management is seen as the management of interrelationships.This emphasis avoids some of the pitfalls of a &dquo;components&dquo;mentality in which departments work out their own relationships ina haphazard manner. (Goldhaber, p. 47)

The virtual office divorces an essential system from the organization and inessence creates a

gapin

organizationalcommunication. This

gapcreates the

potential for organizational failure. The process of developing a corporateculture and forging a positive attitude among workers takes finesse and

patience. Therefore the harvesting of a rich organizational system, wherecommunication provides the means for expansion and growth, must be carefullycultivated.

In traditional patterns of communication, workers become part of the macroenvironment of the organization. Interpersonal relationships, developed throughpersonal contact in the work place, provide a support mechanism forworkers.Patterns of communication are generally strictly defined and feedback

mechanism are clearly identified. However technology, along with the potentialfor increased output through reduction in cost, threatens to alter this system.

The underlying objective of the virtual office setting is to lower a companysoperating expenses by reducing the amount of office space that a companyrents or owns. It also is believed to have potential for increased employeeproductivity by satisfying a need for autonomy, greater self governance and

improved quality of life experiences. ;

Yet another important factor pushing corporations toward the virtual office

settingis the

globalizationof the business

community.&dquo;Professionals who

conduct business overseas during non-business hours can produce the workwithin the comfort of their own home rather than trekking to the office at odd and

potentially unsafe hours,&dquo; (Packard, p. 27).

Consequently, this seemingly utopian work environment has two primarydrawbacks according to Packard (1996, p. 28). First, humans are territorialcreatures. Productivity and job performance may suffer when employees feelalienated from the confines of the corporate boundaries. Workers may feel a .

sense of diminished involvement in the management structure and may long fora chance to lay claim to a piece of real estate within the traditional office setting.



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The second drawback is that workers may feel isolated. Packard warns that

employees are losing a sense of camaraderie, interaction, coordinated workefforts and supervision. The virtual office drastically alters the concept ofsocialization. For many workers, the potential for lost socialization creates a gapin the process of work.

In addition to these factors, other potential barriers offered by Packard include:

1. The significant cost in implementing the off-site strategies by theincreased investment in technology.

. 2. The &dquo;on-call syndrome&dquo; where employees working in the virtual officelose the separation from their home and their work environments.

3. The potential for the abuse of freedom since employees working inthe virtual office now have external distractions that may potentiallycause a demise in productivity. (p. 28)

Despite these potential drawbacks, the notion of the virtual office continues togain a foot hold in the modem corporate cultural. However, redefined modes ofcommunication and greater emphasis on alternate channels for disseminatinginformation to employees are the primary barriers facing organizations today.

Another important factor of the virtual office setting is the impact that it couldhave on the family. The potential for some employees to slip into the workaholicmind set increases when the barriers between work and home become blurred.

Ronaleen Roha, writing in Kiplingers Personal Finance Magazine, citesinformation obtained from a study conducted by Paul and Sarah Edwards in theirbook, Working From Home, a Guide to Home-Based Employment , that the

people who work appreciably more than the average worker are less successfuland less satisfied with their jobs (p. 85).

Human resource professionals and internal communication professionals todayface greater challenges in developing effective communication networks in the

changing work environment. Consequently, the policies and practicesdeveloped from the industrial model of work are outmoded for the fast-movingmobile employee and remote worker.

Supporting the virtual office with communication

In order to address the potential pitfalls associated with the movement towarda virtual office setting, managers must recognize first that information technologyhas redefined the scope and structure of work. The Information Era relies on

fast paced modes of communication performed by workers with vastly differentvalues and backgrounds than were found during the Industrial Era. If managerscan recognize the significant changes in workers in the Information Era than

they will be better suited to harness employee potential in the work arena.

OConnell (1996) lists 12 suggestions to support the virtual work place.



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1. Develop guidelines for determining which jobs and types of

employees are best suited to the virtual work place.2. Review orientation programs for new employees for suitability to the

virtual office environment.

3. Use surveys and focus groups to find out what individual employeesneed to be productive.

4. Develop policies on who pays for what: computers, phone lines,equipment, furniture.

5. Establish electronic means for handling time-off reporting, expensereports and routine administrative matters.

6. Make human resource policies and information available on-line and

provide employees self-service for as many HR transactions as

possible.7. Review benefits eligibility as more people shift back and forth

between part-time and full-time work.8. Provide skill training for managers who will be overseeing remote

employees.9. Strengthen performance planning, performance measurement and

performance review.10. Offer training programs for employees to help them become

comfortable with on-line tools for the job.11. Support ongoing feedback from employees, customers and

managers.12. Develop new programs for employees to retain career mobility. (p.

54)

The twelve steps detailed above clearly call for a leader with a varied skill base.

This skill base includes the ability to conduct and evaluate a systematic andongoing research plan; the training and expertise to work in a technology driven

arena; the management expertise to develop and implement substantive

policies; and the interpersonal and training skills necessary to communicate witha diverse group of people. Trained public relations professionals, with their toolbox filled with strong writing skills, interpersonal skills, research skills andplanning expertise, are perched in the ideal seat to take on this leadership role.

Consequently, organizations must also foster a greater sense of community forvirtual workers in the Information Era. According to Mark Weiser, director of

Computer Science Limited,a sense

of community is essential for the virtualoffice setting. This sense of community requires organizations to anticipatetrends and carefully detail action plans for making the telecommuter feel part ofthe organizational environment. While challenging, it calls for a specializedcommunication plan that defines patterns of communication and plans for

specialized modes of communicating with this diverse public. Again, publicrelations professionals bring to the leadership role the skill base to foster this

specialized relationship.

One of the most significant contributions of the virtual office setting is theincreased sense that the electronic cottage ideally suits todays dual-earner



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couples with their need to balance the demands of work and the demands ofhome. Jeffrey Hill andAlan Hawkins (1996) report that &dquo;teleworking typicallyincreases the amount of interaction between the teleworker and his/her familymembers. Teleworkers find that water cooler break times that used to be spentwith co-workers are now frequently spent with family members. While researchcontinues in order to develop empirical data to gain a better understanding ofthe gain or loss in productivity associated with teleworking and family issues, thedata does, however, support the emotional upheaval that the dual-earner

couples face when placed in a rigorous work schedule in a traditional workenvironment.

While many workers welcome the increased family interaction and diminishedtime spent with co-workers, organizational communication may suffer as a resultof limited or lost interaction with co-workers. By and large, grapevinecommunication satisfies the need for employees to gather information about the

organization and its changes. The virtual office setting subsequently reduces,

or cuts off, telecommuters from this important information channel. Publicrelations professionals must recognize this diminished mode of communicationand devise alternate, and equally effective, means for sharing and disseminatinginformation to displaced workers.

Yet another factor that organizations must consider is that the idea of the lifetime

employee has become largely obsolete. Consequently, industry spends largesums of money each year to hire and retrain workers for jobs in businessenvironments that continue to become more and more transient. Of course, a

variety of factors contribute to job change including the eternal quest for workersin dual income families to find a better balance between work and home.

In a virtual office setting, employees can have the option of working wheneverand from whatevervenue might best meet business, personal and family needs.Dubrin (1991) reports that research findings support that telecommuters weremore satisfied than nontelecommuters with their ability to schedule child-care

arrangements. By reducing some of the hardships associated with balancingwork and family responsibilities, employers may foster a more productive andbalanced environment that nurtures greater productivity and prolonged jobsatisfaction.

In fact, Hill and Hawkins (1996) describe the benefits of the process in asummary of research findings. The authors write,

&dquo;telework provides much greater flexibility in the location and

timing of work (Hill and Weiner, 1994; Weijers, Meijer, andSpoelman, 1992), and there is evidence that this flexibility is whatemployees need to balance work and family responsibilitiesconstructively (Jenson, 1994). With telework, Instead of being like .

ships passing in the night, you can enjoy something that moreclosely resembles normal family life (Gordon and Kelly, 1986, p.

28). (p. 295)



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The upside to telecommuting offers employees the opportunity to obtain the

benefits of family life that occasionally get lost in the frantic pace of thetraditional work place. However, the downside indicates that the potential existsfor either abuse of the flexible time and the possibility of diminished productivityor the potential for increased levels of conflict in the family resulting from a lackof spatial separation between family and work.

Modern managers now face the daunting challenge of harnessing the

technology and balancing between human relations elements with a need tomaximize productivity. Therefore, the answer to the modern dilemma of theInformation Era rests comfortably in the lap of communication professionals.

In traditional management approaches found in the Industrial Era style of

management, employees gave of themselves fully during the work day. This

approach, best described as work-for-hire, runs opposite to the socialization

patterns that describe modem employees. With greater demands economically

and socially anda more

definedsense

of independence, many in the modernlabor market find themselves ideally suited for positions in the virtual office

setting.

In addition, greater comfort with technology and a heightened sense of outcomebased productivity set the standard for todays telecommuter. Modern

managers, who systematically devised effective modes of communication, findthat productivity and employee retention increase and job satisfaction rates soar.The key, therefore, is devising an effective communication system that fostersa sense of community and focuses on a combination of varied channels for

sharing and disseminating information.

Methodology

The author conducted a qualitative study to obtain information about the levelof satisfaction and level of productivity of telecommuters. In addition, the author

sought to ascertain the types of communication technology used to performtasks,in a virtual office setting. Finally, the author sought information concerningthe advantages and limitations surrounding the social and professional aspectsof telecommuting.

The author conducteda

series of personal interviews with mid levelprofessionals who operate in a virtual office setting. The use of this qualitativeresearch method allowed the author to explore, in greater detail, the impact of

telecommuting on the worker and the industry.

Twelve professionals, representing three types of industries, were surveyed. Sixof the professionals listed sales as their primary function, four held the title offield based trainer, one listed his title as a management trainee and the final

person listed her title as field supervisor. The field supervisor was the only&dquo;

person surveyed who had direct supervision over other telecommuters in the

organization.



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The researcher sought to obtain information concerning six key business areaswhere telecommuting creates potential concerns. The six specific research

questions were: (1) What is the benefit of telecommuting to the employer?; (2)What is the benefit of telecommuting to the employee?; (3) What communication

technologies best provide the resources to perform your duties?; (4) Whatcommunication limitations do you

experiencein a virtual office

setting?; (5)Is

productivity enhanced or hindered as a result of telecommuting?; and (6) Whattypes ofjobs lend themselves best to a virtual office setting?

The researcher analyzed the data and developed a framework about the

positive and negative impact of telecommuting in industry. Finally, theresearcher offers suggestions for improving the two-way flow of communicationin the virtual office setting.

Data summary

Question number one, &dquo;What is the benefit of telecommuting to the employee?,drew almost a universal response. According to all twelve respondents, thevirtual office provides the employer the opportunity to reduce operational costs.In fact, Hill and Hawkins (1996) support the respondents belief that the cost of

technology to outfit a virtua! office is quickly recouped by the employer. Hill andHawkins write, &dquo;Less than a year is required to recover the expenditures of

completely outfitting a mobile teleworker. After the first year, the companyrealizes about $8,000 annual cost savings per mobile teleworkers (p. 294).Bjerklie (1995) adds, &dquo;the annual rent for one square foot of office space in

major U.S. cities can easily exceed $25 per square foot. Thus, if a companycould cut

its office space requirements by sending employeeshome to

work,it

could reap huge savings&dquo; (p. 22).

Responses appeared scattered to question number two, &dquo;What is the benefit of

telecommuting to the employee&dquo;? The respondents listed the following as the

major benefits to telecommuting:

The author was able to derive from this question that an overwhelming majorityof respondents believe that flexible work schedules increase productivity. It is

important to note that the one manager with supervisory authority over othertelecommuters believed that high performance of employees working in a virtualoffice setting was dependent on hiring employees with histories of highmotivation and the ability to function as a self-starter without direct supervision.

However, the tendency for self motivated employees to become workaholics



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also posed a great threat. Seven of the respondents indicated that the tendencyexists for some people to develop a workaholic personality because of the lackof boundaries between work and home.

All the respondents listed a personal computer as the primary communicationtool for accomplishing tasks in the virtual office setting. However, only three ofthe respondents reported using the World Wide Web extensively in gatheringsand disseminating information. The remaining members of the group use the

personal computer primarily for producing print documents.

All the respondents made extensive use of mobile telephones, particularly theuse of 1-800 numbers to check in with the office. In addition, the six field based

trainers ranked voice mail messaging as an essential communication tool in

completing their tasks.

The overriding response to question number four, &dquo;What communication

limitations do you experience in a virtual office setting&dquo;?, was isolation. All therespondents believed that the virtual office setting limited their participation in

organizational communication and that information they received was generallyuntimely.

Responses to question number five, &dquo;is productivity enhanced or hindered as aresult of telecommuting?, favored the notion of enhanced productivity. However,three of the respondents reported a higher percentage of opportunities toundertake non work related activities during the course of the normal work day.These respondents did report that during peek business times that a tendencyexisted to labor well past conventional business hours.

Finally, respondents listed the types ofjobs that they believe lend themselvesbest to a virtual office setting. The rank order of the type of jobs include:

Type of job Number of responses

Conclusions

The reality of the virtua! office setting is more fact than fantasy.As information

processing jobs become more prevalent in the Information Era and as

globilization of markets creates a greater need for flexibility of work schedules,the virtual office concept becomes more ingrained in the corporate culture. In

addition, rapid advancements in communication technologies open the door formore variety of traditional office jobs to be performed by a telecommuter.

&dquo;



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The potential advantages are numerous to both employer and employee. Forthe employer, the reduction in overhead cost as a result of the diminished needfor office space equates to enormous cost savings. In addition, employees whofind more flexibility in balancing work and personal life seek fewer opportunitiesto change jobs. This results in great savings for companies through reducedcosts in

hiringand

retraining employees. Berger(1996)adds that

managerslove

the idea that &dquo;their reps--armed with laptops, cell phones, and beepers--willspend more time on the road, in front of customers, instead of gossiping aroundthe water cooler&dquo; (p. 5).

Of course, the virtual office setting has potentially excellent benefits for

employees. First, telecommuters are void of the stress associated with

physically commuting each day to and from work. This traditional ritual adds

significant time to a workers day along with adding additional stress.

Second, telecommuting has the potential to enhance employees personal lives

by minimizing many of the heartaches experienced by dual income families.The home office enables workers to better balance professional and personalresponsibilities through increased flexibility in scheduling work.

However, there exists limitations and potential pitfalls with the virtual office

setting. The loss of spontaneity of communication must be replaced with some

greater communication structure. This includes electronic forms ofcommunication such as e-mail and voice mail messaging and face-to-facecommunication such as regularly scheduled meetings.

Periodicallyscheduled

get-togethersmaintain

relationshipsand

keeptelecommuters feeling part of the office community. This notion of feeling partc:

of the office community can be reinforced through electronic meetings either onaudio tape or through live video conferencing.

Finally, companies that see an opportunity to capitalize on the potential of

telecommuting as a vital component of their labor practice must be careful to

closely screen applicants. Some of the attributes for a successful remote

employee, as suggested by OConnell (1996), include:

1. Familiar and comfortable with the job.2. Self-motivated with a strong work ethic.3. Disciplined and skilled in self-management.4. An effective communicator.

5. Adaptable and able to compromise.6. Knowledgeable about organizational procedures.7. Technically self-sufficient.8. Results oriented. (p. 53)

The list of benefits appears plentiful. However, any organization that undertakesthe challenge of implementing such a concept must be cognizant of the

pervasive effects of communication (or the lack of). New and innovative



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organizational communication methods must be implemented in order to satisfytraditional interpersonal communication needs and to meet the demands of

technology driven communication.

Public relations professionals, skilled at varied communication channels andschooled in the art of business and counseling, must move to the forefront in

organizational leadership. This expanding and important role requires the artfulskills found in trained public relations professionals who can couple this withbusiness savvy and leadership attributes. Therefore, public relations

professionals must be ready to assume new leadership positions as businesscontinues to increase its dependency on telecommuters and redefines the work

place.

References

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Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: Asocialcritique of the judgment of taste. Cambridge,MA: Harvard University Press.

Cutlip, S., Center,A., and Broom, G. (1994).Effective public relations. (7th ed.). EnglewoodCliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Dubrin,A. J. (1991). Comparison of the jobsatisfaction and productivity of telecommutersversus in-house employees: a research note ofwork in progress. Psychological Reports, 68,1223-1234.

Edwards, L. and Field-Handley, E. (November1996). Home-based workers: data from the1990 census of population. Monthly Labor

Review, 119, (11), 26-34.

Goldhaber, G. M. (1993). Organizationalcommunication (6th ed.). Dubuque, Iowa:Brown & Benchmark.

Gordon, G. E. & Kelly, M. M. (1986).Telecommuting: How to make it work for youand your company. Englewood Cliffs, New

Jersey: PrenticeHall.

Grunig, J. & Hunt, T. (1984.). Managing publicrelations. Holt, Rinehart Winston, Inc. Orlando,Florida.

Hill, E. J. & Hawkins,A. J., et al. (July 1996).Work and family in the virtual office perceivedinfluences on mobile telework. Family Relations,45 (3), 293.

Hill, E. J. & Weinger, S. (1994). Effectiveleadership in a mobile environment. Mr.

Pleasant, NY: IBM.

Jenson, G. (1994). Balancing work and family:Challenges and solutions. Logan, UT: UtahState University.

Information technology and the future. (1995).Video tape series, Films for the Humanities and

Sciences, FFH 5803.

Maccoby, M. (November 1997). Managing and

motivating the new workforce: a new set ofrules. The Motivational Manager.

OConnell, S. E. (March 1996). The virtual workplace moves at warp speed. HR Magazine, 41

(3), p. 50.

Packard, S. (1996,April 12). Productivity couldbe lost in the virtual office. Boston Business

Journal, 16 (9), 26-28.

Roha, R. R. (1997, May). Home alone: perils ofhome offices. Kiplingers Personal Finance

Magazine, 51 (5), 85-89.

Straubhaar, J. and LaRose, R. (1996).Communications media in the information

society. Belmont, Califomia: Wadsworth

Publishing Company.

VanSickle, S. (1996, December). Building a

lasting corporate culture in the age of the virtualoffice. Public Relations Tactics, 3 (12), 6-7.

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