Research project "Better Job Satisfaction through Quality of Work Life – How Can Telework Help?" was funded by Ministry of Employment and the Economy and carried out by Finland Futures Research Centre during 2008-2009. The project report presents various arguments supporting a wide implementation of telework in companies and organisations.
Telework – or e-work as it has also been called, has been the subject of a great number of research projects. Great expectations about its penetration into society and into legitimate practice have not yet been met even though ample evidence of the benefits of telework is available to the employers. Results from a questionnaire to teleworkers as regards the impacts of telework on the quality of work life and job satisfaction are also reported. The third wave of telework, accepting it as a natural part of our working culture, could be achieved due to two challenges: the ageing of work force, which results in the need for longer working careers, and the necessity to combat the climate change, which can, in part, be achieved by reducing commuting by cars.
The report gives recommendations and instructions for the careful planning and implementation of telework schemes. Employer-driven introduction of telework is also advocated. This model challenges leadership, the management culture, and the working culture in general. It is possible that telework becomes an unnegotiable prerequisite for the desirability of any given job, and thus it will become a recruiting asset as well. The working habits of the younger generations are such that telework can no longer be considered a telltale sign of visionary, but a natural and undisputable element of a functioning working environment.
The report suggests a kickoff for a nationwide telework campaign. This campaign would meet the pivotal challenges of modern day society brought on by the ageing of the baby boomers and by the climate change, and furthermore, it would significantly improve the foundations on which a creative work culture can be built.
Further information:
Professor Sirkka Heinonen
sirkka.heinonen(a)tse.fi
Tel. +358 40 581 1229
> Finland Futures Research Centre