Telecommuting at IBM - Case Study Example

This report analyzes the success and concerns of this initiative by identifying the process and the special features of this technological trend. A deeper insight is gained into the reasons for it being accepted or rejected for adoption by the employees at IBM Indiana and also proposes an action plan to address any immediate and long-term concerns to aid its implementation and sustenance. Prior to identifying the concerns in implementation, an understanding of the feedback from the employees and a quantitative analysis of the results would be useful for framing further initiatives for the success of telecommuting initiative for IBM, Indiana.

Telecommuting is a practice among the corporate world "where paid workers work away from their normal place of work, usually from home" (InnoVisions Canada, n.d.). The reasons for telecommuting are many and it includes reducing layoffs, costs of real estate, etc. It is beneficial for both the organization as well the employees and offers advantages on both professional and personal fronts. While for the organization it offers the advantage of "increased productivity from the employees, reducing costs on real-estate, lesser absenteeism, etc.

the benefits for the employees are in terms of flexibility in working hours, less commuting, more freedom of work, improved lifestyle, etc. (InnoVisions Canada, n.d.)2. Summary of problems faced However, there are a few concerns that have been identified from the feedback given by the employees and addressing them is of importance to the organization. At the Indiana office where it is initially implemented, it is observed that about 10% of the telecommuters still complain of the lack of efficient support system and that the PCs, the phone lines and the scheduling are inefficient to sustain this initiative.

They observed that the PCs provided to them are outdated IBM desktops with low configuration which makes them inefficient in complying with the latest technologies needed to implement this technique. The inefficiency of the support system to ensure the home phone to ring instead of directing the call to the voice mail is a major concern for all. Also, the lack of peer interaction, difficulty in exchanging information, reduced team work environment, lack of networking and socialization are other concerns expressed by these telecommuters.

Lack of interaction with peers is resulting in frustration and a feeling of isolation is creeping in many of these employees (wps.prenhall.com, pp164-169). Some also are yet to adapt to the new way of working at home and find that it is encroaching into their private life with less time for personal life due to reasons like workholism, lack of space at home, etc. There are some who find the exchange of data becoming difficult, but the major concern is the affect on print quality due to broken linkages in the support system.

Also, the inefficiency of the system to access important data crucial for immediate solutions which otherwise can be accessed through the office LANs