The virtual workplace

Virtual teams are becoming increasingly popular as technology allows organizations to reach a larger client base by employing workers who are scattered geographically. These workers communicate with each other and with the organization by phone, email, and video and teleconferencing.

Under the supervision of Dr. Gina Grandy, Commerce student Kelsey Rioux compared remote workers in two Maritime companies for her honours research. Her objectives were to understand how remote workers define themselves in the context of their organizations; to identify what methods remote workers use to communicate and how they construct meanings around these different forms of media; and to understand the organizations’ culture and how various forms of media support these cultures.

Kelsey found that workers had fairly consistent ideas of what it was to be a remote worker in both organizations, including being autonomous, disciplined, disconnected and misunderstood. She also showed that workers construct different meanings depending on the communication media they use. In order to have the most effective media organizations must understand this. For example, in one company email communication is a symbol of accountability that allows remote workers to keep written records. Supervisors thus need to make a conscious effort to use email when discussing issues that require record keeping and progress reports. In the other company online information sharing is essential, but it is sometimes difficult for remote workers to gain access to corporate information online.

Kelsey found that remote working is seen to be a rewarding, yet challenging experience. She suggests organizations must take into account structural considerations that enable remote workers to have similar organizational experiences as on-site workers (e.g., technology, face-to-face communication, on-site connections). She argues that understanding remote settings, and making remote workers feel valued will lead to increased morale, job satisfaction, and even productivity.

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