"Tele"working in Higher Education: What Managers Should Know "before" Developing Teleworking Policies.

Over the last several decades, changes in the workplace within higher education has led to the notion of teleworking: the opportunity for employees to complete work in a remote location. This article will review the various concepts of teleworking, as well as the pros, cons, and implications for the work environment within higher education.Managing how people come to work, do their work, and leave work was defined by 1870, perfected by 1930, and has changed little since (Kugelmass 1995). However, during the last several decades, enhancements to technology, changes in the economy, and shifting views of societal roles has led to the notion of teleworking. Teleworking refers to work that is conducted away from the usual place of business but mostly at home and that is often supported by telecommunications, Internet access, or a computer (Nilles 1998). It emerged, or evolved, as employees started placing an emphasis on "quality of life" issues, and employers faced with hiring and retaining the best talent were forced to offer alternative work solutions-or risk losing their best workers (Zbar 2002). With the increase in popularity of teleworking within the workplace, it is important to fully understand this change over time, with noting the implications of these policies in the workforce. For the right people, telecommuting works (Markarian 2007); but who are the right people? What do both employees and employers need to know regarding the concept of teleworking, the pros and cons, as well as implications for the work environment? These, and other questions, will be addressed as teleworking is explored in greater detail.HISTORICAL REVIEW OF TELEWORKINGThe concept of teleworking first emerged in the 1970s, but quickly gained popularity in the 1980s in response to energy crises, transportation issues, and environmental concerns (Markarian 2007). In fact, 1974 is considered a defining moment for teleworking when Jack Nilles, who has studied and promoted teleworking since the 1970s, was stuck on the highway, attempting to get to work, and glanced at the traffic advisory sign that stated, "maintain your speed. " Jack's speed at the time was zero (Hequet 1994). As stated by Jack, "the clock was ticking for me to get to work on time. I was convinced that teleworking had a future" (Nilles 1998). In 1990, teleworking became popular as a response to the federal government's launch of the Clean Air Act. Un- der the law, employers with more than 100 workers at a site were required to reduce employee trips to work in the most polluted cities (Hequet 1994). As a response, major cities provided opportunities to employees to telework in an effort to reduce pollution. In 2001, another spike in teleworking occurred, in response to the terrorist attacks to New York City, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. After September 11, millions of square feet of Lower Manhattan office space was destroyed or rendered unusable, leaving companies and their workers to find an alternative workplace. Home, for many, became-and remains-the answer (Zbar 2002). Now, in the new millennium, the workforce is facing another spike in the popularity of teleworking. With the advancements of technology, a shift has taken place from the established work week to that of flexibility of time, duration, and location of work. Koehler, Philippe, and Pereira (2013) articulate that largely due to the advancement of technology, new organizational structures have emerged and have brought about a transformation in the workplace. Technological advances have created the opportunity to expand our ability to work together without being confined and new infrastructures have made it possible to transcend distance, time zones, and traditional work environments (Bailyn 1998; Harrington and Ruppel 1999 as cited in Koehler et al. 2013). Technology is not the only cause leading to the shift of teleworking in the workplace. In fact, societal and economic changes have also impacted the workplace. …