What an amazing study by Margrethe H. Olson! Her research depicts the potential pros and cons of remote work and it was written almost 40 years ago! Particularly interesting are predictions and concerns related to remote work, which are current today when remote work is on the rise.
Here are some insights this study provides:
- It predicted the development of professional workstations-microcomputer based systems.
- Study shows that individuals can be as or more productive when working from home.
- Respondents who also had primary family care responsibilities indicated that coping with both work and family was highly stressful.
- Social isolation is a problem. The author elaborates that contact with professional peers is critical to professional development.
- The lack of visibility of the remote employee could affect his or her long term career path in the environment where visibility is key to promotability.
- Relationship of the individual to organizational identification may be altered as it fosters individual autonomy rather than organizational commitment.
- Remote work is a great opportunity for many people with primary child care responsibility. It also offers employment opportunities to the elderly and handicapped.
You can download the study here:
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