Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies

http://jlo.sagepub.com Stepping up to assume greater organizational leadership: How public relations professionals are poised to lead the telecommuting charge in the new millennium
Joseph Basso Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies 1999; 5; 114 DOI: 10.1177/107179199900500310 The online version of this article can be found at: http://jlo.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/5/3/114

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Stepping up to assume greater organizational leadership: How public relations professionals are poised to lead the telecommuting charge in the new millennium
Joseph Basso
Monmouth

University

Executive

Summary

The author explored the impact that telecommuting, or cybercommuting, has on the current corporate climate and details the need for a greater organizational leadership position for public relations professionals in managing the virtual office work force. The author used information gathered from a qualitative study that detailed the job tasks and responsibilities associated with the telecommuter and analyzed the impact of technology in redefining the work environment.

Finally, the author, using a systems theory approach to detail how trained public relations professionals are ideally suited to take on greater organizational leadership roles in managing the telecommuting environment thus enabling organizations to reap greater benefits from the virtual office setting.

About the Author: Joseph Basso, Ph.D., a specialist in public relations and advertising, serves as 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 Society of America.
-

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Introduction
&dquo;As communication and computer technology continue to advance, the facility with which people can engage in paid work at home, rather than traveling to an office or factory, has become part of the folklore of the contemporary American economy&dquo; (Edwards & Field-Hardley, 1996). The boom in technology-driven enterprises continues to redefine the work place. In fact, this draws a striking comparison between the impact of technology during Americas Industrial Revolution to todays Information Revolution.

Joseph Straubahaar and Robert LaRose characterize the development of our country into three distinct economic time frames. The authors, writing in Communication Media in the Information Society, parallel the changes that occurred in technology and society with the changing economic climate of the country. According to the authors, America has gone through three distinct economic cycles: An Agricultural Economy; an Industrial Economy; and an Information Economy (p. 48-60).
The dependence on agriculture provided the foundation for the development of the American Economy. In this type of economy, the majority of workers relied on farming or the extraction of other resources from the environment to sustain their existence. Straubahaar and LaRose add, &dquo;As these kinds of societies become more settled, they also begin to develop more specialized roles: craftspeople, warriors, priests, judges, and political leaders, and they pay more
attention to communication&dquo;

(p. 48).

The reliance on communication and communication technology therefore drives the development of an economy and serves as a catalyst for growth. A study of history clearly details how communication tools and techniques aided in the advancement of civilizations. In fact, reliance on communication as an aid to economic 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 any civilization parallels with the growth and advancement in communication tools and techniques.

explosion in communication technology, however, creates a gap in organizational leadership. While it takes vision and innovation to start up and Therefore, grow a business, it takes leadership to make it succeed. telecommuters--workers who perform the majority of their tasks outside the traditional office setting--must be dealt with in a unique way in order to satisfy their needs and provide a fertile area for professional and personal growth. It is within this new organizational paradigm that public relations professionals exhibit the greatest skill base and organizational savvy to foster the new work
environment.

The

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One of the most widely accepted definitions of newsletter Public Relations News reads:

public relations from the

management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the 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 by facilitating communication and provide leadership through the role of counselor and interpreter. It therefore becomes paramount for an organization, attempting to achieve greater organizational development through the implementation of the virtual office setting, to foster greater organizational communication. Public relations professionals, with their varied skill base and emphasis on management and counseling, sit poised to take on greater organizational leadership roles.

Public relations is the

continuing on the path of defining organizational future with regards to telecommuting, it seems only logical to first define the development of the economic systems and provide a rational for how public relations professionals have evolved into the new leadership role. A largely Agricultural Era lasted to the in of the most up eighteenth century currently industrialized nations. Driven by the expanding role of communication and the increasing number of people with specialized reading and communication skills, the United States moved into its next phase, the Industrial Era. This era saw the migration of workers from rural farms to the industrialized cities. Here the need for literacy and the reliance on communication tools and techniques fostered an explosion in the social and economic development of the country.
The birth of the Industrial Era As Americas Industrial Era
on

Before

began to pick up speed, people began to rely, with for information. The migration from farm to media increasing regularity, factory was underscored by the importance of the dissemination of information and the social value placed on those people who were adept at formulating and distributing information.
The technology advances of the Industrial Era, such as the steam engine and the invention of the linotype, reshaped the economic cultural of our country and further 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 social
&dquo;

stratification. The gap between the social classes widened because of the limitations found among various groups for encoding and decoding information via the mass media. Although industrialization enabled people to develop what

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Bourdieu (1984) referred to as economic capital--essentially a persons personal wealth--it also produced a greater disproportion in cultural capital--the intellectual capital that people use in learning things. The era of the Robber Baron, led by railroad tycoon William Vanderbilt, banker J. 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 factories and work sites with limited flexibility. The industrialization of the country managed to set the standard for the work environment. Consequently, this standard remains the norm in the minds of many despite the changes reported in the structure of the labor market.

As the Industrial Era moved forward, technology advancements contributed to a drastic change in narrowing the intellectual gap in society. Widespread acceptance of the mass media as a source for information bridged the information gap. People quickly adopted the new medium, radio, as their primary information source. Its pervasive messages reached a broader scope of 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 the social and economic advancements of the country, the emergence of the interactive media of telegraphy and telephony proved essential ingredients in the information age. &dquo;The telegraph, which first began to function in 1836, had a dramatic effect on trade, commerce, politics and even the print media,&dquo; (Straubhaar & LaRose, p. 57). Straubhaar and LaRose add that &dquo;The role of the basic communication infrastructure-of things like the telegraph, telephone, telex, and now the computer-is to allow both media and other kinds of business and institutions to function more effectively&dquo; (p. 57).

Therefore, the basic means of electronic communication, developed during the Industrial Era, provided the tools for catapulting the United States to the Information 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 force remained largely centralized. Inflexible work environments and the notion of work for hire took root and established the cultural norm. However, beginning in the 1960s, the business landscape once again started to transform.
What then happened to the American Industrial Era? The answer lies perched on the office desks of millions of workers whose primary commodity is the production, analysis and distribution of information. The most recent data indicates that today approximately 47 percent of the United States labor force work 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 economy paralleled with the advancement of sophisticated information tools. The rise in information related jobs continues to increase in comparison to the net decrease in the number of people working in agriculture and industry. In fact, recent surveys conducted by the Link Resources Corporation reported that the number of 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;Employment in the information age is undergoing a transformation that may cause as much
dislocation 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 by 10 percent or more every year during the remainder of the decade,&dquo; (p.50). Advancements in technology that provide greater flexibility for workers also have the 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 100,000
hours. With technology, he can now complete the same amount of work in 10,000 hours. Consequently, with projected advances in technology, his children will complete the same tasks in less than 1,000 hours.&dquo;

The speed at which business processes and disseminates information continues to 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 of Microsoft Inc., stated that every two years the computer industry doubles the speed of the chip. This, he contends, will continue throughout the remainder of the decade&dquo; (Information Technology and the Future, 1995).

personal computer, while the main technological advancement in the Information Era, has a supporting cast of other communication equipment that enables remote workers to accomplish their tasks. Sophisticated fiber optics, the size of human hairs, provide the means for information to travel at rapid speeds across continents. Also, advances in digital technology and wireless telephones make up the infrastructure that creates a virtual community with
limitless boundaries.

The

Changing communication patterns

&dquo;As the American 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 to those definitions and communicate well with their workers will lay claim to the

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centurys most important (VanS!ckle, p. 6).

21 sat

asset:

motivated and

qualified

work force&dquo;

Maccoby, author of Why Work? Motivating the New workers values have changed. Money and power, once the (1997) overarching goal, have been replaced by a new set of values that place greater emphasis on quality of life values. Dr. Maccoby contends about the new work force:

According
Workforce

to Dr. Michael

1.

The new generation isnt defined by age; its defined by social character. This new generation is very driven to &dquo;make things work,&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 in day-care centers at an early age, these self-developers have leamed interpersonal skills, self-reliance, and teamwork. Sharing ideas and networking with others comes naturally to them. Take advantage of these natural strengths. 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. Todays workers want to develop their skills and talents--and will only respect authority figures that help them do so.
Work is one thing--but its not the only thing. Many of todays workers regard their jobs not as their reason for living, but rather as a way to support what they really want to do. They dont want the work place to dominate their lives; they want to develop themselves intellectually and emotionally. (p. 3)

3.

4.

With organizational change comes a need for redefining patterns of communication. 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--by more machines, better network systems and more trained personnel. The coping mechanism therefore is improved organizational communication.

Research findings documenting the value of organizational communication show the 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 contact via 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 theory perspective may provide insight into the effects of the diminished traditional communication mode. Justin Longenecker (as it appears in Goldhaber, 1993), in supporting the notion that the organization must be considered from a large point of view that acknowledges that both functional and human issues influence an organization, states:
The systems concept is useful because of its strong emphasis These interrelationships are upon these interrelationships. stressed 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 in
a

haphazard

manner.

(Goldhaber,

p.

47)

The virtual office divorces an essential system from the organization and in essence creates a gap in organizational communication. This gap creates the potential for organizational failure. The process of developing a corporate culture and forging a positive attitude among workers takes finesse and patience. Therefore the harvesting of a rich organizational system, where communication provides the means for expansion and growth, must be carefully cultivated.
In traditional patterns of communication, workers become part of the macro environment of the organization. Interpersonal relationships, developed through personal contact in the work place, provide a support mechanism for workers. Patterns of communication are generally strictly defined and feedback mechanism are clearly identified. However technology, along with the potential for increased output through reduction in cost, threatens to alter this system.

underlying objective of the virtual office setting is to lower a companys operating expenses by reducing the amount of office space that a company rents or owns. It also is believed to have potential for increased employee productivity by satisfying a need for autonomy, greater self governance and ; improved quality of life experiences.
The
Yet another important factor pushing corporations toward the virtual office setting is the globalization of the business community. &dquo;Professionals who conduct business overseas during non-business hours can produce the work within 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 primary drawbacks according to Packard (1996, p. 28). First, humans are territorial creatures. Productivity and job performance may suffer when employees feel alienated from the confines of the corporate boundaries. Workers may feel a sense of diminished involvement in the management structure and may long for a 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 work efforts and supervision. The virtual office drastically alters the concept of socialization. For many workers, the potential for lost socialization creates a gap in the process of work.
In addition to these factors, other 1.
.

potential barriers offered by Packard include:

2.

3.

The significant cost in implementing the off-site strategies by the increased investment in technology. The &dquo;on-call syndrome&dquo; where employees working in the virtual office lose the separation from their home and their work environments. The potential for the abuse of freedom since employees working in the virtual office now have external distractions that may potentially cause a demise in productivity. (p. 28)

Despite these potential drawbacks, the notion of the virtual office continues to gain a foot hold in the modem corporate cultural. However, redefined modes of communication and greater emphasis on alternate channels for disseminating information to employees are the primary barriers facing organizations today.
Another important factor of the virtual office setting is the impact that it could have on the family. The potential for some employees to slip into the workaholic mind set increases when the barriers between work and home become blurred. Ronaleen Roha, writing in Kiplingers Personal Finance Magazine, cites information obtained from a study conducted by Paul and Sarah Edwards in their book, Working From Home, a Guide to Home-Based Employment , that the people who work appreciably more than the average worker are less successful and less satisfied with their jobs (p. 85).

Human resource professionals and internal communication professionals today face greater challenges in developing effective communication networks in the changing work environment. Consequently, the policies and practices developed from the industrial model of work are outmoded for the fast-moving mobile employee and remote worker.

Supporting the virtual office with communication

In order to address the potential pitfalls associated with the movement toward a virtual office setting, managers must recognize first that information technology has redefined the scope and structure of work. The Information Era relies on fast paced modes of communication performed by workers with vastly different values and backgrounds than were found during the Industrial Era. If managers can 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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122

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Develop guidelines for determining which jobs and types of employees are best suited to the virtual work place. Review orientation programs for new employees for suitability to the
virtual office environment. Use surveys and focus groups to find out what individual employees need to be productive. Develop policies on who pays for what: computers, phone lines, equipment, furniture. Establish electronic means for handling time-off reporting, expense reports and routine administrative matters. Make human resource policies and information available on-line and provide employees self-service for as many HR transactions as

possible.
7. 8.
9.

Review benefits eligibility as more people shift back and forth between part-time and full-time work. Provide skill training for managers who will be overseeing remote

employees. 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 54)

new

programs for employees to retain

career

mobility. (p.

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 and ongoing 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 with a diverse group of people. Trained public relations professionals, with their tool box filled with strong writing skills, interpersonal skills, research skills and planning expertise, are perched in the ideal seat to take on this leadership role.

Consequently, organizations must also foster a greater sense of community for virtual workers in the Information Era. According to Mark Weiser, director of Computer Science Limited, a sense of community is essential for the virtual office setting. This sense of community requires organizations to anticipate trends and carefully detail action plans for making the telecommuter feel part of the organizational environment. While challenging, it calls for a specialized communication plan that defines patterns of communication and plans for specialized modes of communicating with this diverse public. Again, public relations professionals bring to the leadership role the skill base to foster this
specialized relationship.
One of the most

increased

sense

significant contributions of the virtual office setting is the 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 of home. Jeffrey Hill and Alan Hawkins (1996) report that &dquo;teleworking typically increases the amount of interaction between the teleworker and his/her family members. Teleworkers find that water cooler break times that used to be spent with co-workers are now frequently spent with family members. While research continues in order to develop empirical data to gain a better understanding of the gain or loss in productivity associated with teleworking and family issues, the data does, however, support the emotional upheaval that the dual-earner couples face when placed in a rigorous work schedule in a traditional work
environment. While many workers welcome the increased family interaction and diminished time spent with co-workers, organizational communication may suffer as a result of limited or lost interaction with co-workers. By and large, grapevine communication 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. Public relations professionals must recognize this diminished mode of communication and devise alternate, and equally effective, means for sharing and disseminating information 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 large sums of money each year to hire and retrain workers for jobs in business environments that continue to become more and more transient. Of course, a variety of factors contribute to job change including the eternal quest for workers in dual income families to find a better balance between work and home. In a virtual office setting, employees can have the option of working whenever and from whatever venue might best meet business, personal and family needs. Dubrin (1991) reports that research findings support that telecommuters were more satisfied than nontelecommuters with their ability to schedule child-care arrangements. By reducing some of the hardships associated with balancing work and family responsibilities, employers may foster a more productive and balanced environment that nurtures greater productivity and prolonged job satisfaction.
In fact, Hill and Hawkins (1996) describe the benefits of the process in summary of research findings. The authors write,
a

&dquo;telework provides much greater flexibility in the location and timing of work (Hill and Weiner, 1994; Weijers, Meijer, and Spoelman, 1992), and there is evidence that this flexibility is what employees need to balance work and family responsibilities constructively (Jenson, 1994). With telework, Instead of being like ships passing in the night, you can enjoy something that more closely 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 the traditional work place. However, the downside indicates that the potential exists for either abuse of the flexible time and the possibility of diminished productivity or the potential for increased levels of conflict in the family resulting from a lack of spatial separation between family and work.
face the daunting challenge of harnessing the technology and balancing between human relations elements with a need to maximize productivity. Therefore, the answer to the modern dilemma of the Information Era rests comfortably in the lap of communication professionals.
now

Modern managers

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 and a more defined sense of independence, many in the modern labor market find themselves ideally suited for positions in the virtual office setting.
In addition, greater comfort with technology and a heightened sense of outcome based productivity set the standard for todays telecommuter. Modern managers, who systematically devised effective modes of communication, find that productivity and employee retention increase and job satisfaction rates soar. The key, therefore, is devising an effective communication system that fosters a sense of community and focuses on a combination of varied channels for

In traditional

sharing and disseminating information. Methodology

The author conducted a qualitative study to obtain information about the level of satisfaction and level of productivity of telecommuters. In addition, the author sought to ascertain the types of communication technology used to perform tasks,in a virtual office setting. Finally, the author sought information concerning the advantages and limitations surrounding the social and professional aspects

of telecommuting. The author conducted a series of personal interviews with mid level professionals who operate in a virtual office setting. The use of this qualitative research 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. Six of the professionals listed sales as their primary function, four held the title of field 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 person surveyed who had direct supervision over other telecommuters in the

&dquo;

organization.

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The researcher sought to obtain information concerning six key business areas where 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) What communication limitations do you experience in a virtual office setting?; (5) Is productivity enhanced or hindered as a result of telecommuting?; and (6) What types of jobs 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, the researcher offers suggestions for improving the two-way flow of communication in 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, the virtual 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 and Hawkins write, &dquo;Less than a year is required to recover the expenditures of completely outfitting a mobile teleworker. After the first year, the company realizes 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 company could cut its office space requirements by sending employees home 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 majority of respondents believe that flexible work schedules increase productivity. It is important to note that the one manager with supervisory authority over other telecommuters believed that high performance of employees working in a virtual office setting was dependent on hiring employees with histories of high motivation 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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126

also

exists for some

posed a great threat. Seven of the respondents indicated that the tendency people to develop a workaholic personality because of the lack

of boundaries between work and home.

All the respondents listed a personal computer as the primary communication tool for accomplishing tasks in the virtual office setting. However, only three of the respondents reported using the World Wide Web extensively in gatherings and 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 the use 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 the respondents believed that the virtual office setting limited their participation in organizational communication and that information they received was generally

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

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

Type

of job

Number of responses

Conclusions

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 for more variety of traditional office jobs to be performed by a telecommuter.
The

&dquo;

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127

The potential advantages are numerous to both employer and employee. For the employer, the reduction in overhead cost as a result of the diminished need for office space equates to enormous cost savings. In addition, employees who find more flexibility in balancing work and personal life seek fewer opportunities to change jobs. This results in great savings for companies through reduced costs in hiring and retraining employees. Berger(1996) adds that managers love the idea that &dquo;their reps--armed with laptops, cell phones, and beepers--will spend more time on the road, in front of customers, instead of gossiping around the water cooler&dquo; (p. 5).
Of course, the virtual office

employees. physically commuting each day to and from work. This traditional ritual significant time to a workers day along with adding additional stress.

setting has potentially excellent benefits for First, telecommuters are void of the stress associated with
adds

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 personal responsibilities 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 This includes electronic forms of greater communication structure. communication such as e-mail and voice mail messaging and face-to-face communication such as regularly scheduled meetings.
scheduled get-togethers maintain relationships and keep telecommuters feeling part of the office community. This notion of feeling part of the office community can be reinforced through electronic meetings either on audio tape or through live video conferencing.

Periodically

c:

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. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Familiar and comfortable with the job. Self-motivated with a strong work ethic. Disciplined and skilled in self-management. An effective communicator. Adaptable and able to compromise. Knowledgeable about organizational procedures. Technically self-sufficient. Results oriented. (p. 53)

The list of benefits appears plentiful. However, any organization that undertakes the 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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128

traditional

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

technology driven communication.

Public relations professionals, skilled at varied communication channels and schooled in the art of business and counseling, must move to the forefront in organizational leadership. This expanding and important role requires the artful skills found in trained public relations professionals who can couple this with business savvy and leadership attributes. Therefore, public relations professionals must be ready to assume new leadership positions as business continues to increase its dependency on telecommuters and redefines the work

place.
References
Berger, M. (June 1996). Making the virtual office a reality. Sales and Marketing Management, 148 (6), 18-21. Bjerklie, D. (July 1995). Telecommuting: preparing for round two. Technology Review, 98
Hill, E. J. & Hawkins, A. J., et al. (July 1996). Work and family in the virtual office perceived influences on mobile telework. Family Relations,

45 (3), 293.
Hill, E. J. & Weinger, S.

(5), 20.
Bourdieu, P.

leadership in

(1994). Effective Mr. mobile environment. Pleasant, NY: IBM.

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