Top Manager and Institutional Effects on the Adoption of Innovations: The Case of Teleworking 1

In spite of the advances in information and communication technologies, the implementation of teleworking is still behind early expectations. The slow adoption of teleworking may be explained by different organizational drivers that influence its implementation. This article reports the empirical findings of a survey conducted among a sample of Spanish companies to identify potential drivers and constraints based on top manager and institutional perspectives. The results indicate that the potential of teleworking is influenced by the manager's perception of teleworking benefits and barriers, the manager's tenure, the company's use of information and communication technologies, the company's degree of innovation, the proportion of salespeople, women and middle-age employees in the workforce, and the company size. Top manager factors seem to have more influence in the decision to adopt teleworking, while institutional factors are more significant in the potential diffusion in the company.     

Patterns of Telecommuting Engagement and Frequency: A Cluster Analysis of Telecenter Users

Cluster analysis of sign-in log data for 115 users of California telecenters was conducted to identify patterns of telecommuting engagement and frequency over a six-month window. Three engagement clusters were identified: Persisters, Decliners, and Dabblers. Four frequency clusters were identified, classified as Low, Medium, High, and Erratic. Nearly half of the Persisters belonged to the Low Frequency cluster, highlighting the need to count not just telecommuters, but telecommuting occasions. Variables significantly associated with cluster membership were identified. Consistent with other research, management-related issues seem to play a substantial role in affecting both the engagement in, and frequency of, telecommuting.