It is possible that some or all of these gains represent artifacts of the research process or of the specific implementations of telecommuting. Alternative explanations for the reported gains are summarized below under five propositions, which subsume 15 testable rival hypotheses. Telecommuting productivity gains may be overstated. This proposition embodies the concept that reported gains may, in whole or part, reflect inaccurate subjective perceptions or other artifacts of the evaluation process.
Placebo effects are a possibility in any research involving human behavior.
Regardless of the nomenclature, the effects usually do not persist. Perceptions of productivity gains from telecommuting may be another expression of employees' inability to objectively evaluate their own performance. Inflated self-evaluations create perceptions of telecommuting productivity gains. Telecommuters often do work that requires the most concentration, and which may represent the most creative aspects of their jobs, when away from the office. Employees would probably consider such activities the most productive part of their work, regardless of the location.