UNIT 6

Chapter 11 (Ferreira)
The Virtual Workplace
 Learning outcomes
1. Give an exposition of a true virtual workplace

2. Differentiate between the features of electronic

and those of a virtual workplace

3. Evaluate the viability of a virtual workplace in

the developing administrative arena and
recommend or not recommend a virtual
workplace
 The development of the electronic office

• Electronic office developed from the traditional

office

• Traditional office – set routine/ geographically

centred and admin staff would have their own
space and equipment allocated to them

• Traditional office functions were limited to basic

clerical services and the necessary personnel to
perform these services
 The development of the electronic office
cont.
• The biggest factor contributing to the transformation
of the traditional office into the electronic office is
information technology

• Office work performed in an electronic office is more

interactive as opposed to in a traditional office where
work was more routine

As a result people have more control over their time,

content of their jobs, and tools at their disposal to
perform their work
 Features of the electronic office

1. Automation

2. Networking

3. User-friendly, multifunctional technology

and equipment
 Automation
• Automation is “a system of production that
used self-acting or automatic machines”

• Electronic offices (automated equipment)

makes work faster and more accurate
 Networking
• Networking – is the electronic
interconnecting of various equipment
components (discussed in Chapter 7)

• Networking has enhanced the ability of

electronic hardware components and allowed
for different devices in an office to
communicate with each other
 User-friendly, multifunctional technology
and equipment
• Equipment has changed from being single stand-
alone machines to electronically linked components
that perform a variety of tasks

• Designers of equipment are taking the needs of

consumers into consideration to a much larger
extent

• Computer and electronic devices have also been

designed to be multifunctional
 Advantages of the electronic office
• Documents can easily be stored electronically
• The electronic process is also much quicker
• Many documents can be stored electronically which does not
take up physical space in an office
• Business is simplified by using a digital document management
system
• Passwords can be used to protect information
• Documents do not get lost as easily
• It can provide increased control over certain operations –
enhancing degree to which actual results match expected results
• Saves overhead costs related to e.g. paper and filing cabinets
• Creates the opportunity for employees to do their work in any
location and for the business to consider the virtual office option
 The virtual scenario
• “New administration scenario” - The virtual office is equipped
with a combination of technology that enables workers to recreate
support services of the traditional office, outside of the physical
boundaries and location of the actual workplace

• Technology replaces the traditional physical office space

• Not only has change occurred in the equipment/technology used

to perform work and the space in which work is performed – but
employees are also changing

• Employees want to have more say in how and when they work and
are more interested in balancing the need to earn income with the
needs of meeting their families and lifestyles
 Factors that led to the nature of the
workplace becoming more flexible
• Together with and due to technological
development, globalisation is a factor that led to
the nature of the workplace becoming more
flexible

• The virtual office also came into existence

because of the demands of employees – to look
after families/to have a certain lifestyle
 Descriptions of the virtual workplace
• Virtual implies the use of technology – it is mainly
due to the developments in IT that the virtual office
emerged

• Virtual workplace arrangements refer to “any work

arrangement in which the worker performs a
significant portion of his/her work at a location
other than his/her employer’s workplace”

• Technology therefore replaces the traditional

physical office space
 Historical concerns of technological
development
• The fast development of communication
technology such as multimedia, the internet and
information highways led to a new way of work
being done

• The explosion of information together with the

possibilities created by IT were two of the main
reasons for the development of the virtual office
 Features of the virtual workplace
1. The independence of the virtual 7. A work site outside the
workplace traditional office

2. Fewer boundaries 8. Distributed intelligence

3. Changed office work 9. A different conception of space,

time and distance
4. Specialised support services
10. Teleworkers and Telecommuting
5. A fundamental shift in work
patterns 11. Alternative work arrangements

6. A paperless environment
 1. The independence of the virtual
workplace
1. Independence of space – work can be done from any location
outside the actual workplace

2. Independence of time – less emphasis on when work is done and

more on results

3. Independence of particular employees – employees form

informal relationships and attain assistance from groups outside
organisationally assigned roles

4. Independence of particular equipment and procedures – less

concern regarding which equipment is used, as long as work is
completed
 2. Fewer boundaries
Hardly any boundaries - more attention paid to:
• The best use of space and time
• More internal and external communication
• The ability to solve more complex problems
• Little tolerance with hierarchy
• No love for status

This has happened because contemporary organisations

are realising the negative impact that confining
employees to dedicated space and time, etc. has on
economic performance
 3. Changed office work
• Office work has also changed in nature

• Tendency towards smaller organisational units

that have the ability to adjust quickly to change
 4. Specialised support services
• Higher occurrence of specialised support
services that are often provided in a number
of different kind of groups

• Normally these groups are arranged around

projects and therefore the lifespan of the
group depends on the length of the project
5. A fundamental shift in work patterns
• New ways of owning and sharing space have
emerged

• Led to an explosion in the variety of office

designs and layout

• It is important to recognise that people do not

all use space in the same way
 6. A paperless environment
• The electronically integrated office means a
paperless office

• Instead of using paper to transmit

information, it is now transmitted by means
of electronic technologies
7. A work site outside the traditional office

• The virtual office is “where you are”

• Information technology is the principal agent

of change in office work and design
 8. Distributed intelligence
• It means that, instead of all the skills and expertise
being concentrated in one physical space, they are
now distributed over a variety of geographical
areas

• Distributed intelligence is a key aspect that is

enabled by the use of information technology
which enables the distribution of communication
and the integration of data necessary for the virtual
organisation to perform its functions successfully
 9. A new conception of space, time and
distance
• Employees of the virtual workplace can communicate and do
their jobs at any time and at any place, irrespective of
distance from the main or head office

• Instead of making use of transport to get to work, employees

can do their work anywhere – this is possible through IT

• Employees can be linked to one another and to the same

databases and systems to accomplish their tasks – and these
tasks are in no way delayed, unless there is a problem with
the equipment or internet connection
 10. Telecommuting
• Teleworkers are employees who can work at
any alternative worksite other than a
corporate office whilst maintaining their
current employment status with an employer

• The terms telework, telecommuting, flexible

workplace, remote work, virtual work, and
mobile work are all used to refer to work done
outside of the traditional on-site work
environment
 11. Alternative work arrangements
Arrangement away from head office:
• The home office- office space is in employee’s privately
owned/rented – performs all work related duties at this
location
• The mobile office – also called non-territorial or unassigned
office – work can be done in car, coffee shop, aeroplane etc.
• Telecentres – also called telecottages/televillages – provide
workstations with a number of facilities and services that
employees can use for their jobs
• The totally mobile worker – this person may not even have a
home office – they are mostly on the road or at customer
sites to do their job
 11. Alternative work arrangements cont.
Arrangements at head office:
• Hot-desking – non-dedicated, non-permanent workspaces usually
found at the offices of the organisation where employees take turns
to do their jobs – are used for a limited timespan as needed
• Hoteling – mostly used by professionals (consultants) – a number
of offices are dedicated to a larger number of employees – they
share this pool of offices by reserving a space when needed – these
are also non-dedicated and non-permanent
• Desk sharing – here two or more employees share the same work
station on a pre-arranged schedule – those sharing need to agree
on allocated times and days
• Flexitime – employees choose when, how, and where they do their
job – e.g. employee has to do an 8 hour shift anytime between 6am
and 6pm
 The feasibility of the virtual workplace
• Not every organisation is equipped to introduce the
features of the virtual office

• Virtual office has benefits and disadvantages

• Sometimes benefits to employees may not be beneficial

to the organisation

• The following benefits and disadvantages need to be

weighed up to determine the feasibility of the virtual
office
 The benefits of the virtual workplace: for
the employee
1. Improved work experiences 6. Decreased absenteeism

2. Individual control over work 7. Fewer interruptions from

and work schedule colleagues

3. Enhances quality of life as 8. An increase in the ability to

people can spend more time handle equipment during
with family downtimes

9. A general increase in the

4. Personal freedom can have a
ability to integrate work and
positive effect on morale and
private lives
stress of an individual

10. People with disabilities might

5. Employees save on fuel, prefer working at home, as
transport costs, time, environment is set up for their
frustration from traffic specific needs
 The benefits of the virtual workplace: for
the organisation
1. Reduced office space costs for employers

2. Gaining a competitive advantage –

employees are not restricted to the office
(distributed intelligence)

3. Positive impact on overall productivity of

the organisation
 Possible disadvantages of the virtual
workplace
1. Less communication, thus managers need to ensure
continuous contact with the virtual workforce

2. Organisations can lose out on valuable face-to-face

conversation and unplanned communication

3. Resentment from employees having to remain working in the

traditional office towards the virtual employees

4. Challenge which relates to the systems which management

have put in place to ensure that their virtual workers do not
suffer from feeling excluded from their organisation and that
their full potential is always maximised
 Managing virtual employees
• Virtual employees still work for the same organisation and all of them need to work
towards the same goals – therefore employees working in the virtual environment
also need to be managed

• The employee needs to be trained in all the equipment related to doing the job
from another location

• All communication and work is done electronically, the link between the virtual
location and head office needs to be established and the employee needs to be able
to access the information needed to do the job from head office

• The job of the manager of such employees remains mostly the same as in the
traditional office – most communication is by email, phone or Skype, but managers
need to make sure that these employees have the necessary support to be
productive

• Remember that communication is important, set clear objectives and expectations,

 Homework

• Complete Self-assessment Questions