Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Industrial Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 PhD in Economics and Financial Management of Higher Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Purpose: Although more than four decades have passed since the issue of telecommuting became a new method for organizing work and workforce, not many scientific and academic studies have been done in this field in our country. However, in recent years, the telecommuting plan has been on the government's agenda, and many government agencies and institutions have been required to implement government directives on telecommuting. The presence of crises such as the outbreak of COVID-19 has also added to the importance of this issue in recent years.
Methodology: In this research, the data of teleworkers in the central headquarters of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade were collected through a survey method. Thus, by designing two questionnaires for employees and managers, different dimensions of the plan and the consequences of telecommuting in this ministry were examined from two perspectives of managers and employees.
Findings: The results showed that information and communication technology is the main component of telecommuting, so it is almost impossible to implement this plan without its infrastructure. It should be noted that communication infrastructure is not limited to communication tools such as computers and communication lines such as high-speed Internet, and the possibility of access to the organization's internal automation system and employee work card is also part of it.
Originality/Value: In this research, the implementation of a telecommuting project in the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade has been studied from the perspective of managers and employees, and the main challenges facing this project have been analyzed and based on this, suggestions for better implementation of this project in Government agencies provided.

Keywords

Apgar, M. (1998). The alternative workplace: changing where and how people work. Harvard business review, 121–36. URL: https://hbr.org/1998/05/the-alternative-workplace-changing-where-and-how-people-work
Bailey, D., & Kurland, N. (2002) .A review of telework research: findings, new directions, and lessons for the study of modern work. Journal of organizational behavior 23(4), 383– 400.
Bailey, N. B. K. D. E., & Kurland, N. B. (1999). The advantages and challenges of working here, there, anywhere, and anytime. Organizational dynamics, 28(2), 53-68.
Bajzikova, L., Sajgalikova, H., Wojcak, E., & Polakova, M. (2016). How far is contract and employee telework implemented in SMEs and large enterprises? (Case of Slovakia). Procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 235, 420-426.
Bernardino, A., Ben-Akiva, M., Salomon, I. (1992). Stated preference approach to modeling the adoption of telecommuting. Transportation research record, 1413, 22–30.
Bojovic, D., Benavides, J., & Soret, A. (2020). What we can learn from birdsong: mainstreaming teleworking in a postpandemic world. Earth system governance, 5, 100074. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2020.100074
Chapman, A. J., Sheehy, N. P., Heywood, S., Dooley, B., & Collins, S. C. (1995). The organizational implications of teleworking. International review of industrial and organizational psychology, 10, 229-248.
EIA, U. (2010). Energy Information Administration “International Energy Outlook”. http://www.ourenergypolicy.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/12/2010_07_EIA_InternationalEnergyOutlook.pdf
Elldér, E. (2020). Telework and daily travel: New evidence from Sweden. Journal of transport geography, 86, 102777. URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692319311305
Frolick, M. N., Wilkes, R. B., & Urwiler, R. (1993). Telecommuting as a workplace alternative: an identification of significant factors in American firms' determination of work-at-home policies. The journal of strategic information systems, 2(3), 206- 220.
Golden, T. D. (2006). Avoiding depletion in virtual work: telework and the intervening impact of work exhaustion on commitment and turnover intentions. Journal of vocational behavior, 69(1), 176-187.
Handy, S. L., & Mokhtarian, P. L. (1995). Planning for telecommuting measurement and policy issues. Journal of the American planning association, 61(1), 99-111.
Helminen, V., & Ristimäki, M. (2007). Relationships between commuting distance, frequency and telework in Finland. Journal of transport geography, 15(5), 331-342.
Hunton, J. E., & Harmon, W. K. (2004). A model for investigating telework in accounting. International journal of accounting information systems, 5(4), 417-427.
Huws, U., Robinson, W. B., & Robinson, S. (1990). Telework towards the elusive office. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Illegems, V., Verbeke, A., & S'Jegers, R. (2001). The organizational context of teleworking implementation. Technological forecasting and social change, 68(3), 275-291.
Jackson, P. J., & Van der Wielen, J. (Eds.). (1998). Teleworking: international perspectives: from telecommuting to the virtual organisation. Psychology Press.
Jalali, A. A. (2010). Do's and don'ts of telecommuting. Information age analysts, 40. (In Persian) magiran.com/p825547
Kazekami, S. (2020). Mechanisms to improve labor productivity by performing telework. Telecommunications policy, 44(2), 101868. URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308596119301120
Mannering, J. S., & Mokhtarian, P. L. (1995). Modeling the choice of telecommuting frequency in California: an exploratory analysis. Technological forecasting and social change, 49(1), 49-73.
Nilles, J., 1994. Making telecommuting happen: a guide for telemanagers and telecommuters. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.
Olson, M. H. (1981). Remote office work: implications for individuals and organizations. Center for Research on Information Systems. New York University: New York.
Pérez, M. P., Sánchez, A. M., & de Luis Carnicer, M. P. (2002). Benefits and barriers of telework: perception differences of human resources managers according to company's operations strategy. Technovation, 22(12), 775-783.
Pérez, M. P., Sánchez, A. M., de Luis Carnicer, P., & Jiménez, M. J. V. (2005). The differences of firm resources and the adoption of teleworking. Technovation, 25(12), 1476-1483.
Rietveld, P. (2011). Telework and the transition to lower energy use in transport: on the relevance of rebound effects. Environmental innovation and societal transitions, 1(1), 146-151.
Rothengatter, W. (2003). Environmental concepts–physical and economic. In Handbook of Transport and the Environment. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Shin, B., El Sawy, O. A., Sheng, O. R. L., & Higa, K. (2000). Telework: existing research and future directions. Journal of organizational computing and electronic commerce, 10(2), 85-101.
Silva-C, A. (2019). The attitude of managers toward telework, why is it so difficult to adopt it in organizations?. Technology in society, 59, 101-133.
Sohrabi, B., & Rezaeian, A. (2006). Investigation of telework in Kosar economic organization. Payam Modiriat, 19. (In Persian)
Stiles, J. (2020). Strategic niche management in transition pathways: telework advocacy as groundwork for an incremental transformation. Environmental innovation and societal transitions, 34, 139-150.
Van Sell, M., & Jacobs, S. M. (1994). Telecommuting and quality of life: a review of the literature and a model for research. Telematics and informatics, 11(2), 81-95.
Venkatesh, V., & Speier, C. (2000). Creating an effective training environment for enhancing telework. International journal of human-computer studies, 52(6), 991-1005.
Zhang, S., Moeckel, R., Moreno, A. T., Shuai, B., & Gao, J. (2020). A work-life conflict perspective on teleworks. Transportation research part a: policy and practice, 141, 51-68.