Socially Isolated in an Electronic Cottage

27/04/2010 taraeta 28 comments

Socially isolated in an electronic cottage

Taraeta Nicholls, Student, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth WA 6845. Taraeta.Nicholls@student.curtin.edu.au

Abstract:

Computer technology has evolved to allow employees to work from different locations. This paper specifically analyses teleworkers and the social implications of working remotely. Whilst technology has developed to make teleworking a viable option for many employers, social disadvantages such as isolation still remain. By understanding how teleworking has developed the social disadvantages can be brought to the forefront and strategies to overcome this geographically and social isolation developed.

Author Keywords:

Telecommuting, Work Force, Social Isolation, Technology.

Introduction

Telework, telecommuting, ‘electronic cottage’ or ‘flexi place’ are synonyms for explaining that an employee isn’t working from their employer’s place of business but from an alternative location. This does not mean that an individual is working from home per se but they aren’t attending the office on a daily basis for work either. Whilst many consider telecommuting a new development, it has actually been a viable alternative for over a quarter of a century. Understanding the technological developments that have facilitated teleworking to become more accessible, individuals and employers can ensure that no worker feels socially isolated in their electronic cottage.

Understanding the social implications, benefits and disadvantages of teleworking is important issue for current teleworkers, those considering being a teleworker and employers. Both parties in employment be it the employer or employee, must take an active role in the social aspect of employment thus ensuring that employees do not become isolated, particularly socially, in their individual electronic cottages. Whilst people are employed to perform specific roles within an organization, there will always be a social aspect to any workplace. Those people who are diligently performing their duties remotely often miss out on the social aspect of a workplace and may find themselves geographically and socially isolated from their peers.

‘Telecommuting’ was first coined by Nilles (1975) describing research conducted at the University of Southern California, which specifically enabled employees of large organizations to work from an alternative location but not necessarily from within that employee’s home. In these formative years of telecommuting, part of the appeal of this new technology was that it allowed for businesses to decentralize their operations.

Although technology has developed to make teleworking a viable alternative for employers on a variety of levels, the accompanying social isolation aspect has not changed. Developing technology such as webcams, video conferencing facilities and document editing software within a cloud environment, (such as Google documents), allow teleworkers to interact in real time with their co-workers. Unfortunately in spite of this new technology teleworkers still find, at times, to be socially excluded from their workplace. They miss out on social cues and non-verbal communication which allow co-workers to develop an affinity with each other (Robbins et al, 1998, p. 204).

If one was to consider McClelland’s Theory of Needs or Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Buhler, 2002), both theories note that a need for affiliation with both co-workers and the wider organization will allow for increased employee satisfaction and hence increased productivity. McClelland argues that a productive worker has three basic needs – the need for Achievement, the need for Power and the need for Affiliation whereas Maslow’s Hierarchy posits that the five ‘needs’ of a worker are physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization (ibid, p.189).

Of course whilst this theory cannot possibly apply to every individual employee, neither does the practice of teleworking itself. It needs to be remembered that whilst many employees will be suited for telework, others, perhaps those in need of more intense managerial supervision, do not.

Employers must understand and take the social isolation aspect into consideration when implementing and managing teleworkers to reduce any feelings of social isolation. Employees should never feel that they are all alone in their workplace regardless of their suitability and thus practices and use of modern technology can assist an employer in allowing McClelland and Maslow’s theories (ibid) to be held true.

To properly understand the implications of teleworking on an individual’s psyche, one must also /consider the historical developments that allowed teleworking to become more prevalent in modern society. Prior to the term ‘telecommuting’ becoming more commonplace we must consider Licklider (1968) who demonstrated the potential of computer networking in a work environment by describing how a group of people participated in a meeting that had networked computers at the forefront. Licklider (ibid) claims that there was an increase in productivity at a time when it was necessary to define for the reader what a computer mouse was: information that today is taken for granted.

Licklider (ibid) clearly shows that successful networking of computers and the adaptation of this technology can be successfully applied to the workplace environment. Discussions by Rhinegold (1998) and Turner (2005) demonstrate how a simple text based medium can produce a productive and viable, albeit marginal, product in a business sense.

Whilst working as a freelance journalist, Rhinegold (2005) was dialling into the ‘WHOLE Earth ‘Lectronic Link’ (WELL). Based in the San Francisco Bay area WELL was a text only bulletin board system and within this environment Rhinegold conversed with friends, colleagues and connected with new people. Turner (ibid) discusses how relationships were formed and that they were developed prior to ubiquitous computer networking, a cornerstone of teleworking.

However this online text based medium of the WELL did allow for the Whole Earth Catalogue to be published. Whilst this publication was primarily for reviewing items for sale, it did go on the win a National Book Award in 1971. What is significant for teleworkers is that it demonstrates that it is possible to connect with other individuals in a text-based environment, and create a successful and a viable geographically-dispersed network. Specifically Turner (ibid) notes that there is a relationship between technology and sociability in a networked environment.

Whilst Nilles (1975) did not specifically consider social isolation, he does mention care for the human factor in teleworking. This demonstrates Nilles’ understanding that teleworking was not just about using the technology available the wider and more complex human element must be explored. Pratt (1984) did explore this social isolation in a survey with surprising results. Twenty five percent of survey respondents described their personality as “…loners, antisocial, or introverts” (p.6) with the remaining seventy five percent describing themselves as, “…people orientated, gregarious … self sufficient.”

Whilst Pratt (ibid) discovered that handicapped workers found that teleworking increased their social circle he notes this is a special case. This ‘anomaly’ was due to teleworkers with a disability overcoming obstacles to attend the office in person, thus increasing their social connectivity with other workers. By being able to gain employment that does not require daily attendance to an office a person’s disability does not preclude their employability status and thereby increases their opportunity to connect with other people. Therefore, although at times teleworking can be socially isolating, there can always be exceptions to the rule.

Anecdotal evidence collected by Pratt (ibid) noted that one reason workers had returned to the workplace was for the for the “water cooler” social experience of the workplace. This, coupled with attitudes from co-workers that ranged from awe to resentment towards teleworkers, demonstrates that at this time there were mixed emotions towards teleworking. Even managers who telework can experience social isolation as in the case of Barbara Recchia who is a Communications Program Manager for Hewlett Packard as discussed by Geber (1995). When attending an ‘in-person’ meeting a sly comment can entice giggles from all but her, because the offending remark was an insider “water-cooler” comment of which she had not been aware.

One must consider that Pratt’s (1984) analysis was not random but rather, participants were sourced and contacted directly for participation and many participants were not solely teleworkers and they regularly attended the office simply because they were not able to complete all tasks remotely. Despite not having a random sample this research was conducted in 1981 and due to lower numbers of teleworkers, a random sample would not have been a viable research project.

Whilst empirically social networking was in a simple environment like the WELL as described by Rhinegold (1998) and Turner (2005) modern social networking has facilitated better networking opportunities for teleworkers.

Empirical research into teleworking, specifically regarding isolation and co-workers perceptions of teleworking, has existed since early teleworking days. Whilst social networking applications such as Facebook have allowed co-workers to connect on a personal level, this still cannot fully alleviate experiences of social isolation by teleworkers. Many employers block access to Facebook through their computers as but this does not necessarily mean a decrease in productivity, it at times can be a productive activity for an employer as supported by Skeels & Grudin (2009).

Considering that not all employees who telework have access to social networking sites, research continues to suggest a trend that social isolation isn’t being fully addressed. Ideal personality traits for a teleworker according to Bailey & Kurland (2002) include control of work pace and little face-to-face interaction required. While employers can restrict the frequency of teleworking, it would be inaccurate to portray all teleworkers as being full time away from the office. Bailey & Kurland (ibid) looked as various empirical data and concluded that part time telework was more the norm for the majority of research respondents. If this is indeed the case, employers can better determine the ‘ideal’ personality.

Reduction in the frequency of telework is a key way for employers to reduce the social isolation of teleworkers. Employees who attend the office more regularly can experience the “water cooler”, face-to-face aspect of employment. This conclusion is supported by Geber (1995) where Recchia discovered that attending more frequently to the office along with a becoming more social and having a “neighbour” experience with team mates: a vital social aspect that links teleworkers with full time site based employees. One negative aspect of social isolation can lead to a teleworker becoming dissatisfied and leaving their employer (Bailey & Kurland, 2002). Citing Belanger (1999a) the conclusion reached by Bailey & Kurland (2002) is that part time teleworkers are not socially isolated. Part time teleworkers are still included in office gossip which, they argue, is a key indicator workers are not socially isolated.

How co-workers choose to communicate with each-other and the importance placed on different communication mediums and methods each have their own obstacles which /must be overcome. The telephone is commonly used within an office environment however teleworkers may not receive as many if any social calls at home as office based workers may not feel comfortable calling a teleworker “at home”. (Bailey & Kurland, 2002).

Technology can help to overcome the “at home” stigma bringing teleworkers into the office by utilizing video conferencing and document editing software. In his paper, Nguyen (2008) presents the ‘Accenture Virtual Corridor’, which is used to connect office locations. In busy halls a life sized and always-on video conferencing system connects two geographically dispersed offices. An interview conducted by Nguyen (ibid) also explains how one member of a team who is not located within the same office keeps an always-on video connection with her team, increasing the employee’s comfort level with her team.

Video conferencing, especially an always-on system would be useful in reducing social isolation between workers, however care must be exercised that the privacy of an at-home teleworker is not breached. According to Boyle & Greenberg (2003) privacy could be breached in one of three fundamental ways – loss of confidentiality, loss of autonomy and solitude.

A case study of teleworkers and privacy conducted by Neustaedter, Greenberg, & Boyle (2005) and based on the theory of privacy as outlined by Boyle & Greenberg (2003) concluded that privacy must be maintained if a telecommuter is in a home environment. This included not constantly video streaming but rather a system controlled by people entering and leaving the room or sitting in a chair as triggers when the system activates. It must be noted that in an order to address privacy Neustaedter, Greenberg & Boyle (ibid) looked at blurring images, but the outcome remained the same providing that the privacy issues have been addressed.

These examples demonstrate that technology can be adapted to fulfil a specific purpose. Whilst technological advances have been made, the adaptation of technology is the most important issue when dealing with social isolation. An understanding of technology and historical adaptations allows an individual to clearly see that it is the human factor in computer-mediated communication that will have the largest influence on the feeling of social isolation of teleworkers.

Netiquette is a tool that when adopted can help to alleviate the lack of non-visual cues. Netiquette is defined by Wordnet (2006) as a portmanteau that combines the words ‘internet’ and ‘etiquette’. Netiquette can be summed by the saying such as, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” (Using English, 2009). Online communication will benefit from well worded, flattering and polite emails to co-workers. These business interactions can allow a teleworker to build a rapport with their fellow co-worker in a text based environment, similar to the WELL.

As teleworkers rely heavily on written communication, the adopted medium must be one through which a teleworker can effectively communicate through. With no visual cues, teleworkers must ensure the ‘right tone’ is being applied to their emails and a collaborative relationship with co-workers is fostered. This conclusion is supported by Daniels, Lamond & Standen (2000) who assert that new teleworkers should receive training or be “socialized” in behaviour in a virtual environment. Along with correlating that a badly worded communication such as an email can cause misunderstandings (ibid).

Conclusion

This paper has highlighted that a teleworker who wishes to avoid being socially isolated must first take positive steps to alleviate this situation. This can be by learning to interact effectively with co-workers and using of modern technology such as video conferencing. Some employees who work in a primarily autonomous role who prefer to not interact with others can be left to complete tasks. Notwithstanding the teleworkers role colleagues must also embrace modern technology to ensure all workers remain socially “in the loop”.

Integrating modern social networking into a workplace can be a successful solution to teleworker social isolation. The teleworker should not be making all the effort but a joint collaboration between employer and all employees regardless of location will provide the best outcome for both parties. With clear guidance, the social isolation aspect of teleworking can be overcome and successful social interactions achieved. Teleworking has developed since its inception, especially due to technological advances. Coupled with better understanding of the social aspects afforded by social networking, teleworking can be better integrated into a business. Adopting new technology and integration of social networking will allow for the social isolation associated with teleworking to be reduced and finally the social isolation in the myriad of electronic cottages can be overcome.

References

Boyle, M. & Greenberg, S. (2003). The Language of Privacy: Learning from Video Media Space Analysis and Design. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction. Retrieved March 21, 2010 from www.carmster.com

Buhler, P. (2002). Human Resources Management: All the Information You Need to Manage Your Staff and Meet your Business Objectives. Avon: F+W Publications.

Geber, B. (1995). Virtual Teams. Training, 32:4. Retrieved April 22, 2010 from ABI/INFORM Global Database.

Korte, W., & Wynne, R. (1996). Telework: penetration, potential and practice in Europe. Amsterdam: IOS Press.

Licklider, J. (1968). The Computer as a Communication Device. Science & Technology, April. Retrieved March 12 from http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=articales/art0353.html?

Neustaedter, C., Greenberg,S. & Boyle, M. (2005). Blur Filtration Fails to Preserve Privacy or Home-Based Video Conferencing. ACM Transactions on Computer Human Interactions (TOCHI).

Nilles, J.M. (1975). Telecommunications and organizational decentralization. IEEE, Transactions on Communications. 23, 1142 – 1147. Retrieved March 21, 2010, from IEEE Xplore.

Nguyen, D. (2008). Supporting Meetings for Highly Dispersed Workforces. Retrieved March 23, 2010 from http://www.fxpal.com/cscw2008/position_papers/Nguyen_RemixRooms.pdf

Pratt, J. (1984). Home Teleworking: A Study of Its Pioneers. Technology Forecasting and Social Change, 25(1), 1-14. Retrieved March 23, 2010 from Science Direct.

Rhiengold, H. (1988). A Slice of Life in My Virtual Community. Whole Earth Review. Retrieved March 12, 2010 from http://www.cs.indiana.edu/docprojet/bdgtti/bdgtti_18.html

Robbins, S., Millett, B., Cacioppe, R. & Waters-Marsh, T. (1998) Organisational Behaviour – Leading and Managing in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney: Prentice Hall Publishers

Skeels, M. & Grudin, J. (2009). When social networks cross boundaries: a case study of workplace use of Facebook and Linkedin. Retrieved March 24, 2010 from http://portal.acm.org/beta/citation.cfm?id=1531674.153168

Turner, F. (2005). Where the Counterculture Met the New Economy: The WELL And the Origins of Virtual Community. Technology & Culture, 46(3) Retrieved March 12, 2010 from http://www.standford.edu/`fturner/Turner%20Tech%20&20Culture%2046 %2 03.pdf

Socially Isolated in an Electronic Cottage by Taraeta Nicholls is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

Social Networks Social Isolation, social networks, Technology, Telecommuting, Work Force

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Comments

Written by 14379286 about 2 years ago. Reply

Importantly you mentioned how teleworkers have developed countless social disadvantages and isolation is among them. I totally agree with you claim that organisations/companies are entitled to make it certain that their employees are not socially isolated as they spent most of their time face to face with monitors, things like Facebook or video conferencing can to a lesser extent mitigate social isolation. These people who spent most of their time in front of monitors are bound to find themselves geographically and socially alienated from their peers. Social network sites like Facebook allows users to connect on a personal levels , but it is pivotal to not that it can never be the same as communicating face to face in real societies, hence the sense of alienation is still prevails. In your conclusion you mentioned that teleworkers who wishes to avoid being socially isolated must interact effectively using modern technologies. I tend to differ because I personally believe all these modern technologies can fully replace face to face interaction offered with real societies which is extinct on the virtual world.

(14379286) Tafadzwa
- Written by taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  Thank you for your comment Tafadzwa. My conclusion was specifically looking at the social isolation in a workplace scenario and agree that modern technology cannot fully replace face to face interactions. But whilst there was isolation being experienced this paper did not explore a person who remained completely isolation without any interaction in all aspects of their social life. People in a main office also spend most of their time located in front of their computer screens, and geographically dispersed from their colleagues and thus socially may be isolated from their colleagues.
  
  Taraeta
Written by KayeE about 2 years ago. Reply

Hi Taraeta,

I really enjoyed your paper – especially the way you looked at the history of teleworking. I can certainly see the benefits of this for some people, especially parents who want to work but don’t want to leave their children. Working from home would allow them to combine the two – although it would be a challenge in terms of discipline and time! The example of someone with a disability was also very interesting. Your paper was well researched and provided excellent references to support your argument. I also liked that in your conclusion you outlined ways that people could make this work if it is what they wanted to do. I know in my work – sometimes I would like to spend a day at home – because I believe that I could get more done! However, the thought of working exclusively at home would not appeal to me at all – probably due to McClelland and Maslows explained needs of a worker!

Thanks,
Kaye
- Written by taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  Hi Kaye
  
  Thank you for your kind comments. Casual telecommuting for workers is an area that I would have liked to explore, but maybe I will save that for another paper. Infrequent telecommuting can have all the productivity benefits of telecommuting whilst allowing the basic needs of a worker as per McClelland and Maslows theories. (Buhler, 2002).
  
  Distractions are another area that I haven’t explored in this paper. The ability to be in a routine and minimize distractions is key to successful and productive telecommuting. (Dinnocenzo, 1999).
  
  Taraeta
  
  Dinnocenzo, D. (1999) One hundred and one tips for telecommuters: Successfully Manage Your Work, Team, Technology and Family. San Fransisco: Berrett-Kaehler Publishers, Inc.
Written by matthewh about 2 years ago. Reply

Taraeta, I really liked your paper and found it very true. one important aspect of telecommuting that I believe cannot be helped with technology is as you say the ‘water cooler’ interaction with others in the workplace, especially for those who are physically distant from the workplace. I have a friend who is an account manager for a company which resides in another state which he very rarely visits and as such no matter the electronic interactions he tends to feel socially isolated from the company and his workmates though because he visits his customers he tends for feel socially connected to them.

Matthew
- Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  Hi Matthew
  
  Sometimes the isolation, as in the example you have outlined can can selective. Such as being isolated from colleagues but not from customers. Whilst the will be some teleworkers who are completely isolated from all of society the social isolation can only apply to a segment of a teleworkers life.
  
  The worst case scenario of teleworking is that a person becomes completely removed from society, whilst a best case scenario is that a person feels no isolation in any aspect of their life. There is a balance to be found somewhere in there but my research lead me to conclude that employers must ensure that social isolation is not experienced by any teleworker in a work environment.
  
  Taraeta
Written by JasonK about 2 years ago. Reply

Telecommuting is definitely a great invention for those people who have disabilities preventing them from attending a normal working environment.

Your article made me think that for those of us who study online, we are in essence, telecommuting don’t you think? Our “work” is our studies and we telecommute daily to the “office” Curtin Balckboard. We are tele-studying. Not only does your article relate to telecommuting, but it can also be applied to online education as there are the same potential effects.

I can relate to the part dealing with feeling of isolation. I’m not sure what your own environment is like, but I feel it would be nice for the entire class to get together and socialize sometimes.Tele-studying as we do, there is no opportunity for this. Also, some students like myself aren’t even in Australia, so getting together is impossible.

As you point out, there are SNS tools that we can utilize to overcome the isolation but no matter how good the technology at this point, it will never replace face to face contact. Perhaps in the future when they invent 3D tactile immersive video chat, things will be different but until then, telecommuters and tele-students miss out on some aspects of socializing.

Ideally, based upon your paper, telecommuting would at best be a temporary situation and should not be a permanent setup for the employee.

Good paper, well researched and very interesting topic.
- Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  Hi Jason
  Thank you for your comments on my paper. Yes I do agree that as students we are part of the teleworking environment, and I like the term that you use, “Tele-studying” which correlates much better than e-learning to teleworking. I live in a small rural town with a population of 122 (ABS, 2008) and being further isolated by living outside of the main townsite. On some days I often only converse face to face with one other person being my partner who isn’t academically inclined. The ability to even meet over coffee with fellow students would be so wonderful, even if to just touch base and build new networks that aren’t virtually based.
  
  Telecommuting can work for some people in a permanent setup depending on many factors. These would include the type of personality and the type of work performed and frequency of contact with colleagues and support from the main office. Whilst I did not specifically explore the area of workers with disabilities this teleworking could be a permanent way of employment.
  
  Taraeta
  ABS Statistics (2008) 2006 Census QuickStats : 6488 (Postal Area). Retrieved May 15, 2010 from http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/
Written by Mandy Burke about 2 years ago. Reply

Hi Taraeta,

This is a great paper and opened my eyes up to the difficulties that people face when working from home! My comments are slightly off topic but your paper reminded me of a hard decision I had to make over the last few weeks….

I recently had to make a decision where I had a job where I was dealing with social media and marketing (my two main interests) but I was offered a job that was in Sales, dealing with numbers (I hate numbers and sales!). When I made my decision I chose the job in sales. The reason for this is because the job that I had in the marketing department, noone spoke to me I felt socially isolated. I would come into work and ask people how they were and they would reply ‘good’ and not ask me how I was and then say good bye at the end of the day. I hated it! The job I took in sales is with a company that I use to work for in Sydney (now in Perth), I had met the team previously and knew they were always up for a laugh, friendly and social. It was a really hard decision to make but I think I have made the right one.

I think socialising at work is very important, it helps build a culture where people have respect for one another and respect for the company that they work for. At the end of the day work is work you can do it anywhere or for any company. It is the relationships that you build that help make your day better. We do spend more time at work than anywhere else so it is worth being in an environment that you enjoy!

Thanks
Mandy
- Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  Hi Mandy your example clearly shows that the social aspect to a position is an important factor in employee retention. Whilst a pursing ones passion in a field is important so is the social interactions with colleagues.
  
  Your comments about spending a large amount of time relates to Emelia’s comments about teleworkers working longer hours, as the 8 hour day for many people is, “a figment of their imagination”.
  
  Taraeta
Written by ESutton about 2 years ago. Reply

A really interesting discussion of teleworkers and the issues surrounding social isolation. For some telecommuting to work each day would be a great way to keep their skills up and yet be able to have the flexibility to do things such as manage a family, be a carer for a sick parent, study etc. Yet I agree that the success of such an endeavour is dependant on the personality and work ethic of the person involved. While I don’t doubt that many of us would love to work from the comforts of home, the truth would be that without that social interaction we would not enjoy such freedoms.

Though from what I have been told of the working environments of some teleworkers I think ‘freedom’ would be a stretch. Constant monitoring – video, computer logs, phone calls to check up on you. Teleworkers in my personal experience work much harder and longer hours than normal workers because they feel like they owe it to the company, to their boss and they feel like they have to prove they’ve earned the right to work away from the office.

Given the nature of the times ahead of us, and the many workers who will need to get a 2nd or 3rd job in the near future this topic is an insightful discussion, of a not so new work option, that might be starting to make a revival.

Thanks,
Emelia
- Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  Emelia thank you for your comments on my paper. Unfortunately I didn’t find much research on the monitoring that you mentioned, but this could also be implemented in an office environment as well. Working from home can certainly have pitfalls and working longer hours is certainly one of the many options. It would be useful if in the future when employees need to be at home to care for a sick child / parent, telecommuting would allow them to continue with their work whilst at home. This is particularly helpful for those people who understand the feeling of having their work “pile up” whilst they are away, especially in specialized areas of a business.
  
  I do find your insights on workers needing 2nd or 3rd jobs in the near future will make telecommuting more attractive. Removing the requirement to travel to different positions will make obtaining another income stream easier on a worker.
  
  Taraeta
Written by Michael N about 2 years ago. Reply

I wonder how much it has to do with the type of work performed? I think most of the teleworking research would suggest isolation is the major factor in the failure of this, but there are many success stories too. I also wonder about the personality of the person. Someone would be isolated by work duties but might be happy sending hours on WOW or SNS. So in view of that, I find your conclusion to be relevent. Set up some form of social daily contact with the physical office.

The other thing I do like about teleworking is that although I agree with the theories for contact, being needed wanting power etc, you can minimise office politics. In some ways that is a major advantage for those that cannot play the social and professional power games that are needed to advance, though of course some of it will exist.

I also found it amusing that some would be in awe of teleworking, jealousy I can understand, but it is just a physical location not some science fiction thing.
- Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  Hi Michael
  
  I didn’t find much teleworking research that also crossed over into the gaming aspect of isolation. It was demonstrated through Daniels, Lamond & Standen (2000) that there is an importnance on written communication in the workplace which would form the majority of daily contact. The findings of Pratt (1984) about the personality types suitiable for such work could contribute to the awe factor as many personality types may not be able to fathom the ability to telecommute. Jealously within a workplace takes on many forms and a teleworker could find themselves jealous of those who are able to participate in water cooler conversations as indicated by Geber (1995) when considering the experiences of Recchia.
  
  Office politics is an interesting aspect of any workplace and telecommuting doesn’t completely alleviate this aspect, but could at times enhance it. The isolation aspect can allow for politics to evolve about a teleworker, through water cooler chat, without the teleworker being aware of its existance.
  
  I do like your sci-fi perspective on teleworking, to many people teleworking would be a sci-fi experience. This would especially be true for those with lower or limited technological skills. Eventhough as you say it is just a different physical location not a worker from somewhere in an alternative realm.
  
  Taraeta
  - Written by Michael N about 2 years ago. Reply
    
    Hello Taraeta, thank you for the reply.
    
    I do agree with your point regarding water cooler gossip, I do not use the word gossip in a negative sense, but I would like to recount an incident where I used to work.
    
    A co-worker lived on the Sunshine Coast and due to staff shortages she was put on research duties because she had a large knowledge base of methods and the culture. They bent over backwards to support her and I thought that was great. Some of the people in the other team, not research team, resented it. I think what was interesting was the reason for the resentment; it was seen in this case to be, as one person said, a picnic of a job to do that. So I think that there needs to be much work to sell teleworking to the staff. The only reason in this case why my co-worker did not feel isolated was her 12 week old son but frankly, and this is not a reflection on any one in our team, she achieved so much work being done that without the teleworking it would not have been possible.
    
    Thanks again for a thought-provoking paper.
    - Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
      
      Hi Michael
      
      The term gossip has such negative connotations and I must say that your clarification of the context (yay netiquette) allowed your comment to be read in context. Some jobs particularly research type roles can benefit from being performed remotely. From the information provided it seems that the other team did not understand that the retention of this staff members knowledge base coupled with the ability to perform these duties remotely with a small child was beneficial to the company, retention of skilled knowledgeable workers is so important especially in the current economic climate.
      
      This example does lead on to consider if your co-worker worked only the standard 8 hour day or if she contributed longer hours as highlighted in a comment by Emila that teleworkers work longer hours.
      
      Taraeta
Written by janette about 2 years ago. Reply

Interesting topic which relates to my workplace in some ways.

I use instant messaging to relieve isolation and stay in touch with my geographically dispersed colleagues. We conduct meetings using Wimba which has video and audio as well as text and shared working space. We are looking at basic IM now too which offers the same facilities.

Wimba eliminates the lack of most non-verbal clues and probably accommodates the needs you quote from McClelland achievement, power and affiliation and, if I gave it some more thought, Maslow’s five worker needs too.

I agree that netiquette is really very important when using online communication systems. It is so important to avoid the problems associated with misunderstandings by conveying the intended message in its entirety. It takes a lot of thought and the correct wording to ensure no unintended misinterpretations.
- Written by kurt.henson about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  I find it so time consuming trying to word everything so as not to offend anyone when using a space such as the one we are using, I agree that netiquette is a very important part of communicating online and I could imagine within an online working environment the implications for incorrect netiquette could be quite serious.
  - Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
    
    Hi Kurt
    
    The ramifications for not using netiquette in a workplace situation is something I am unfortunately familiar with. One very unhappy collegue who really didn’t like the “tone” of my email reinforced the importance of netiquette. Ensuring that a communication doesn’t upset the recipent can be time consuming but from personal experience it certainly does get easier with time and practice.
    
    The online persona that we display as students in our own electronic cottages is also just as important in my opinion as our work online personas. Thus as we practice online communication with fellow students we can continue to build our skills, thus enhancing our skills for use within the workplace.
    
    Taraeta
    - Written by kurt.henson about 2 years ago. Reply
      
      I HEAR WHAT YOUR SAYING (lol)
      
      I guess the ramifications for not using netiquette could result in a further isolation of the teleworker who already may feel isolated creating an environment online that is uncomfortable and in turn unproductive. With this in mind do companies teach staff what is appropriate and what behavior is inappropriate within an online environment?
      - Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
        
        Kurt, unfortunately my research showed that the education of staff on appropriate online behaviour is very limited. Most papers showed that this is an area that will reduce social isolation. From a personal experience communication skills generally and particularly netiquette skills are not a priority for employers. The extent that most companies have for online communication is what websites they can or cannot access often decided by someone in the IT department.
        Taraeta
- Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  Hi Janette
  
  Thank you for your comments about how you utlitized instant messaging. With the internet filtering in a lot of workplaces sometimes they remove the ability to instant message which can be very frustrating. I haven’t had any experience with Wimba but it certainly would alleviate the lack of non visual cues in online communication.
  
  In modern working environments it is becoming more common to find the workforce geographically dispersed. Something that historicially was associated with executives and large business. I do strongly believe that the introduction of a professional learning with netiquette and online communication in a business setting will help alleviate communication problems.
  
  Taraeta
Written by craigj about 2 years ago. Reply

Hey Taraeta,

I liked this paper and I totally agree with you. While my paper mentions social networks does not cause isolation, I think in your argument it does. The one thing I have found is that our papers do no relate to everyone.

While reading it, it made me think of us students. Thinking how much we miss out from on campus meetings and events. I would say this would be the same as our tutors?

Good work and well researched!

Craig.
- Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  Hi Craig
  
  It refreshing to consider the different point of view and uses of the internet the outcomes related to social isolation can be vastly different. One main difference is that your paper considers the use of public and wifi access allowing the coming together of people. Whilst this paper looks at people that are working primarily from a home environment your paper is considering people getting incorporating other activities like eating with internet usage. It is so much easier to be more social and extend a network when sitting in a public rather than private space.
  
  I also believe that teleworking is a term that can be applied to students. To cite a real life example, I am currently replying to this post socially isolated in my electronic cottage, with the nearest person approximately 3km away. This is no different to when I was employed as a telecommuter when I worked from home. There would be a social aspect to on campus vs off campus / OUA students but through technology, this conference is an example, we can connect with other students just not through traditional meetings and events.
  
  Tutors may not have the same social isolation experienced by students as they may be required to attend on campus for certain circumstances. This would be similar to the experiences of Recchia (Geber, 1995) who found that at times there was a requirement to attend her offices for meetings, which alleviated the social isolation aspect of teleworking.
  
  Taraeta
Written by Melissa about 2 years ago. Reply

I really like your use of the term “electronic cottage”; telecommuting is the modern-day equivalent of cottage industries don’t you think? The cottage workers of the 17th and 18th centuries could feasibly have been more socially isolated than today’s telecommuters!

Netiquette is a fascinating thing – there are non-verbal cues in online behavior that are as critically important as those that occur in face-to-face communication. I actually cringe as if I’m being shouted at if I get an email or message WRITTEN ENTIRELY IN CAPITALS.
- Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply
  
  Hi Melissa. The term electronic cottage makes the act of teleworking seem more user friendly, which it certainly can be. When writing this paper I hadn’t considered the possible connections between 17th and 18th century cottage industries with modern day teleworking. Whilst I can see the similarities the only difference is that geographic limitations are alleviated in modern teleworking.
  
  It is amazing that in this modern day with the myriad of online communications that netiquette is not more widely known and understood. Messages entirely written in capitals or sometimes worse still badly spelled or acronym styled messages also make me cringe, IYKWIM. Online communications must be practiced and individuals must be careful in sending a quick reply to a message in case, without the verbal cues the real meaning is lost.
  
  Taraeta
  
  NB: IYKWIM = If you know what I mean.
Written by Taraeta about 2 years ago. Reply

Thank you for your comments Kurt.

During my research there was mention of “virtual hubs” in larger towns so employees would commute only as far as the virtual hub. The pitfall that was experienced with this setup was the protection of “trade secrets” as a hub was setup for all telecommuters regardless of employer. One of the main reasons cited for attempting a hub setup was environmental.

This topic was of interest to me as I was a telecommuter for over 2 years, being based in a small country town whilst my immediate colleagues city based telecommuters. During this time considerable time was spent building rapport and relationships. Within our team we would recognize each other in person, but the same could not be said for non-telecommuting colleagues who were based in the offices around Australia.

It certainly takes a certain type of person to continue working virtually but even as students we are telecommuting to university. The opportunities to be able to expand our workforce and study options through modern technology are nearly endless. Providing that social isolation can be addressed and then many more personality types will succeed in a telecommuting environment.

Taraeta
Written by kurt.henson about 2 years ago. Reply

Thank you for the insightful paper Taraeta,

Imagine the reduction in the number of commuters on the roads of most main business centers if this practice was common place!

The air would be cleaner, the workers would be happier (only the ones who describe themselves as “people orientated, gregarious … self sufficient” would truly be happy).

In a society where the majority of professional people are time starved even part time telecommuting would go a long way to solving a few pertinent issues that the 20th century invention known as a ‘career’ has bestowed on our lives.

Within a social sense the idea of creating a social environment where members of the workforce feel as though they are welcome I believe would be a vital ingredient for a successful work from home employee.

Kurt