Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 EURESCOM P714 ACT Advanced CSCW Tools for Telecommuting Challenges and requirements for introducing telecommuting and telework. Erik Bergersen Telenor

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Why is telework important? Telework is hailed as part of the solution to European economic development Bangeman report: Europe and the Global Information Society; Clinton/Gore initiative; Several national European initiatives Telework may contribute to massive traffic and service income for PNOs Telework may improve business operation of PNOs

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Challenges for introducing Telework First challenge: to define telework. This is multifarious as work itself. Telework is performed if: A person works at a distance from the site of the organisation, (satellite office, neighbourhood office, home office), two+ work places. The work does not demand distance The telework comprises at least one day a week There is an employer/employee relation There is a formal agreement between employer and employee about telework ICT is involved

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Home work and mobile work in Norway Survey via Norwegian Central Bureau of Statistics; N 97 = 1612 ca persons work at more sites than the office and at home ca persons work at home, t mid =14t 1/3 of home workers also work in a mobile mode

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Benefits of Telework Benefits for employees: flexible hours - easier accommodation of work and family reduced travel time and cost more concentration on tasks, more fulfilling work more autonomy by organising own working day improved opportunities for employment

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Benefits of Telework Benefits for employers: increased productivity cost saving - office space, amenities reduced absenteeism (sick leave etc.) less personnel turnover; easier, broader recruiting organisational flexibility, new business opportunities

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Possible disadvantages of Telework For the teleworker: reduced professional contact reduced social contact, loss of informal information more difficult to work in teams insecurity and trouble of working through technology - alone For the employer perceived loss of control over work information security - loss, corruption, compromise new management challenges

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Challenges for introducing Telework Telework ”proper” has limited deployment - 2-8% of all employed, depending on country/region - and definition! What should be considered success criteria? Deployment of telework? Profitability of telework? General usefulness of telework? Strategic importance of telework?

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Challenges for introducing Telework Technical infrastructure –equipment, services, applications Training, support, service Organisational acceptance –line management –employees –employees’ organisations

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 P714: Objectives to recommend CSCW tools for telecommuters, mobile workers and their managers to carry out trials on telecommuting to demonstrate the suitability of selected tools to evaluate telecommuters external to the project to assess telework as a means to improve efficiency to evaluate on security aspects of telework

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 P714 Approach l Selection of Tasks Suitable for Telework and Identification of Work Scenarios l Selection of Suitable CSCW Tools for these Tasks l Carrying out and Evaluating Trials within the Scenarios l Evaluating External “real life” Telework Projects

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 CSCW Tools for Telework l Video Conferencing Systems: Audio and Video Facilities l Joint Editing (T.120) l with File Exchange l Document Management Systems (DMS)

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Examples of Scenarios l JDOC: Task: Jointly Producing a Document Tools: DMS, , Joint Editing, Redirection of Telephone Service l VIM: Task: Attending Meetings from Home Tools: , Videoconference System, Telephony.

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Method l Gathering Data on Technical Issues l Gathering User Data by Questionnaire focussing on practical and social Issues for: Teleworkers Teleworkers’ Managers l Carrying Out Interviews with Teleworkers, their Colleagues and Bosses

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Aims of JDOC Investigate collaboration with teleworking colleagues when producing a document cover synchronous and asynchronous collaboration compare scenario with face-to-face collaboration

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Results, JDOC With synchronous cooperation, the level of satisfaction increases with the bandwith (range: 9.6 to 64 kBit/s) available NetMeeting and ProShare provide a natural way and effective way of collaborating and is generally recommendable for collaborating teleworkers For asynchronous cooperation, level of satisfaction is generally high; collaboration should be accompanied by face-to-face “kick-off” and “finalisation” meetings BSCW is highly recommended to support asynchronous collaboration

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 External users Preliminary results: Teleworkers are generally satisfied with the chosen technology for today’s tasks Technical support and training is important Homework is mainly individual and sequential; there is little multipart collaboration Social control important; “workaholism” a risk

Aims Workshop Heidelberg, 9-11 March 98 Conclusion Technology is not THE challenge for introducing telework Organisational adaption to telework seems easy for the pioneers Massive deployment of telework may be dependent on substantial changes in organisational structure and culture