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Dissertation Information for Crystal Fulton

NAME:
- Crystal Fulton

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- University of Western Ontario (Canada) (1999)

ADVISORS:
- Roma Harris

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: Telework: Change in Information Professionals’ Work Through Alternate Work Design

Abstract: Telework, the method of working regularly from a location remote from the usual workplace by using telecommunications technology, is growing as an alternate work arrangement in both the public and private sectors. In the past, efforts to examine the impact of teleworking arrangements have often focussed solely on situational issues, such as the types of jobs suited for telework, as well as the effects of isolation from colleagues on employee productivity. Since alternate work experiments not only redesign the physical workplace, but also restructure work itself, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of telework on the work done by information professionals, both at home and at the central office.

Through combined methods of participant observation, interviews, diaries and photography, the work of twenty pairs of teleworkers and at-office workers, matched by work position, was investigated. All participants were library and information professionals who were employees working in traditional and non-traditional work settings and most often earning salaries between $40,000 and $59,000.

Although data collected revealed that teleworkers and at-office workers often did not perceive a change in their work as a result of teleworking arrangements, teleworkers experienced some routinization of their work tasks. Teleworkers tried to divide their work according to resources available at their home or office location. However, the proportions of professional and clerical work performed by teleworkers and at-office workers did not change as a result of telework. The critical problem with working at home was that teleworkers were missing the information and collegial interaction necessary to complete their work tasks at home. In addition, teleworkers had less control over their home working environments than their at-office counterparts. Teleworkers often had less ergonomic furnishings and older equipment than at-office workers because teleworkers frequently paid for these items or used surplus equipment from the central office. Home workspaces varied in overall quality, with teleworkers often sharing their workspaces with other family members or working in common home areas, such as the kitchen table.

At-office workers were also affected by telework arrangements. They often compensated for absent teleworking colleagues by performing additional work tasks or by helping teleworkers locate work-related information.

The conclusion drawn in this study is that the teleworking arrangement often has a negative impact on the work of information professionals. In particular, information needs which are not resolved leave the teleworker unable to complete job tasks, unlike an at-office co-worker who can usually access information immediately. This problem, combined with difficulties of less than ideal working environments and domestic responsibilities, reveals that the teleworker is not a person working alone who controls all aspects of her/his work environment. Rather the telework arrangement often means an added burden of work for both teleworkers and at-office workers.

Keywords: Deskilling, Librarians, Home-based work, Information Professionals, Telework, Telecommuting, Upskilling, Work

MPACT Scores for Crystal Fulton

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:26:53

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