This article aims to expose a new way of working (virtual work), as well as its advantages and disadvantages of using it. It shows why companies and employees are increasingly adopting this work structure which years ago was unthinkable.
And it also establishes how virtual work is not for all employees or employers, it is necessary to analyze what type of work fits these conditions and what type of administrators are capable of adopting this new way of working.
Finally, it will show the benefits that its adoption brings in people's daily lives and how it has helped to create a “work / life balance”.
Introduction
Currently issues such as: better quality of life, labor flexibility, productivity, and cost minimization have become extremely important decision variables both in the personal and business fields.
A series of theories have been woven around these themes that little by little have reached the hands of great entrepreneurs, as well as families seeking a balance between work and family life.
Some years ago the balance between family life and work were not taken into account, they were not even considered as high impact variables in the organization, today the reality is very different.
However, this change in mentality and the new interests that have emerged worldwide have been accompanied by an unprecedented technological revolution. (McCarty, Martha, 2005)
Thus, terms such as virtual workers, virtual groups, agile work, “teleworkers”, virtual offices, among others, came to light.
All of these began to become more visible in organizations and to gain great importance in the strategy and business structure.
For some, this new work modality is translated into higher productivity, lower operating and administrative costs for the company and a better work-life balance for its employees.
On the other hand, there are those who think that this new trend is just a way that the employee seeks to “hide” from work, since there are many bosses who think that to have good results it is necessary to spend eight hours a day behind a desk, and not handling it as they have done for years becomes an indigestible situation.
However, more and more companies are using such structures. According to the article How To… Manage The 'Virtual Worker' Phenomenon (2007) at IBM 42% of its 330,000 employees work from home, from the street or while visiting a client.
This new work structure has generated extremely important changes in the family nuclei, because now working mothers have been allowed to share more and better time with their children, since they have a flexibility that allows them to manage their time in a much more efficient way. productive.
In the case of companies, they have been allowed to minimize their administrative costs. Thus, in the article How To… Manage The 'Virtual Worker' Phenomenon (2007) shows that IBM has managed to save a hundred million dollars a year in real estate expenses.
Methodology:
The methodology used to carry out this work was to obtain from the digital library of the Tecnológico de Monterrey a series of articles listed at the end of it. The databases consulted are:
Ebsco, Blackwell Synergy, Esmerald, Proquest, Acm Digital Library
Pros and Cons of Virtuality
Although the concept of virtuality has been expanding rapidly, and more and more companies have embraced this new business structure, there are positive and negative factors that are worth analyzing.
The workplace is not only limited to the physical space where certain activities take place, it is clear that the relationship that is generated with other co-workers is supremely important. Thanks to this interrelation, the worker knows more closely the organizational culture, which helps him to act under certain parameters that will be in accordance with the objectives and goals of the company to which he belongs. This face-to-face contact makes employees create a sense of belonging and communicate, on many occasions, better than by e-mail. (Ali D. Akkirman, Drew L. Harris, 2005)
In some situations these employees do not feel part of the organization due to the lack of physical contact with the rest of the team. That is why it is necessary for their bosses to be in contact with them so that they feel an important part of the group to which they belong.
On the other hand, virtual employees only have access to digitized documents, and they miss out on very valuable information such as that found in physical documents, which can be obtained by visiting a plant, talking to their employees, observing how they work. his subordinates, etc. Unfortunately, technology cannot provide this information and on many occasions, when making decisions, it becomes a key element (Ali D. Akkirman, Drew L. Harris, 2005)
People who in one way or another use virtuality as part of their work, face a problem that may have future consequences. On the one hand, they have all the necessary technology to not "disconnect" at any time from their work. The famous Blackberry, cell phones and laptops make the worker available twenty-four hours a day by simply becoming employees, and forgetting that they have a family, and a life beyond work, that is how, their work is makes it an extremely demanding situation and in many cases even impossible to handle.
Therefore, it is important to differentiate personal life from work life and not forget the importance of having a space for recreation and distraction.
When analyzing the other side of the coin, it is important to emphasize the great benefits that this new way of working brings.
When talking about working women, this tool has become the lifeline for her family.
Working from home means that many women can now find a space to share with their children and provide them with all the necessary care, especially in their first years of life.
On the other hand, for companies virtual offices are now the best tool to reduce administrative costs, which represent a significant burden on the company's operating expenses. Thus, many North American companies invest approximately two hundred and forty billion dollars in physical space, an example of this is that AT&T has reduced between 50 and 100 million a year by implementing virtual offices for its employees (Davenport & Pearlson, 1998).
However, it is necessary to analyze the cost that the implementation of all the necessary technology will represent to the company for its operation to be a success.
Another factor to consider is productivity. Although it is very difficult to measure the productivity of employees, it is necessary to carry out studies when making a good decision. If companies establish that their virtual employees become as productive as their traditional employees, virtuality becomes a very good option when analyzing the costs that could be reduced thanks to this new way of working. Internal studies carried out by IBM have shown that they have gained between 15 and 40% in productivity, the same occurs with USwest, which reported an increase in the productivity of its teleworkers of approximately 40% (Cascio, 2000).
Suitable for everyone?
When analyzing the pros and cons of virtual jobs, it must be borne in mind that not all jobs, not all employees, and not all employers fit into a virtual environment.
People who work in the sales and marketing area can adapt to this new structure, since their functions require them to be in constant visits with their clients, investigate the competition and the opportunities that arise in the environment, giving the worker a flexibility that helps you be much more productive in your work.
On the other hand, there are two factors to consider: trust in the employee and the ability of the worker and his boss to deal with this new structure (Marilyn M. Helms, Farhad ME Raiszadeh, 2002)
Trust has become a key element in this type of situation, however, we must not forget that trust is important in any employment relationship, no matter how it is structured. In virtual workers where there is no physical presence as such, it is vital that the employer feels calm and secure in delegating functions, because he knows that these will be followed and resolved in a satisfactory way.
MacGregor, 1967, divides administrators into two types: 1. Theory of Administrators X who are those who do not trust their subordinates. 2.- Theory of Administrators And what are those who do trust.
Taking these two classifications into account, it is necessary that before establishing any employment relationship, both the boss and the subordinate feel comfortable and capable of starting teamwork. The boss must keep in mind the past performance of his future subordinate in order to establish some credibility in his performance.
One way to build trust is by clearly and appropriately defining the roles of the worker. The more structured the functions are, it is easier to measure the performance of the worker and therefore, generate trust or distrust based on real data.
On the other hand, it is recommended that workers have been in the company for a while so that this new possibility can be offered to them, that they have an adequate technological structure, and that they be given the necessary training. All this to achieve excellent performance.
As previously stated virtual workers are not made for all administrators. It is necessary that culturally undo the perception that it is necessary to see the employee to know if he is doing his job. In this new modality, it is important that employers evaluate their workers not by the hours they are sitting behind a desk, but by the fulfillment of tasks, "what is important is quality rather than quantity."
Quality of life
Many workers choose to be virtual workers as they seek to improve their quality of life.
Generally speaking, job satisfaction is a very important determinant when choosing a job. Virtual workers have a flexibility and comfort that makes them more likely to have greater satisfaction than an employee who has a traditional employment relationship. They have the possibility of being dressed in a more comfortable way, of attending to some domestic situation (taking care of their children), and having a more comfortable and pleasant physical environment (Laurence Habib, Tony Cornford, 1996)
When analyzing the health of employees according to Pearson (1995), people who work from home have better health than their colleagues who are in the office. They suffer less from colds and headaches, and their recovery time is shorter.
On the other hand, there are factors such as "strees" that make a worker have better or worse health. Thanks to the flexibility and power they have in their work environment, virtual workers can reduce their stress considerably, since they are less irritable, which makes their work and family are carried out in a satisfactory way.
Finally, one of the most important factors is the possibility of being with your family without stopping working. At present it is necessary that both men and women have to work either due to economic factors or because it is necessary to have an activity that gives the person satisfaction and importance within the family nucleus; that is why virtual jobs have become a very good option. On the one hand, you have the possibility of providing quantity and quality of time to your children without neglecting their personal aspirations, which is why this type of work has become very common in mothers who have children with ages in which their care is a must.
Conclusions
As it has been observed, "virtuality" has taken on a very important role in a world that is experiencing limitless globalization. Both companies and employees have been adapting to these new situations, achieving productivity and an improvement in the quality of life.
It was thought that this productivity was linked to the fact that the employee had to be at his job with a specific schedule and in an assigned physical place, all these traditional forms of work, have been dissolving little by little and thanks to the technological advances (such as a Blackberry, laptops, extranet, cell phones, among others); They have caused these new structures to be used more and more, generating greater productivity.
On the other hand, we must not forget the impact that a concept so widely used today such as the "work / life balance" has had on employees and their families, because little by little people have become aware of the importance of having control over their own lives.
All these benefits make employees motivated, more loyal, less controlled, and there is a greater retention of highly productive human capital in companies. (Marilyn M. Helms, Farhad ME Raiszadeh, 2002)
This impact has also been positively reflected in the companies, because thanks to these new structures, costs have been minimized, higher productivity has been achieved, and labor relations have been generated around the world, making the company increasingly richer. thanks to the diversity it faces.
It is a fact that in this new situation both companies and employees have new challenges to meet, the question is:
Are you really prepared to face these new work structures?
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