Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.
In the recent past, more companies have realized the need to use the Internet to facilitate remote working. Remote working refers to an engagement in which an employee operates from outside the office using the new technology. This shift toward Post-Fordist immaterial labor in the information economy was originally hailed as bringing more flexibility for workers. Employees also argued that the shift was freeing them from tight control by companies heads. However, it has resulted in the emergence of precarious gig work and the primacy of unstable short-term contracts. Computers and the Internet, at large, have specifically changed the face of modern jobs since they facilitate communication between employees and the company from remote locations. Hence, as this section reveals, the flexible working environment has its advantages and disadvantages.
Benefits of Internet-Enabled Flexible Working Arrangement
Internet-enabled flexible job atmosphere has exclusive advantages, challenges, and prospects in the media sector. To begin with, employees are the major recipients of a flexible working environment. For example, they stand a chance to operate from any place at any time of the day. Another advantage that technology-based working has is that it helps to speed up the process of problem solving within the organization. In any organization, communication is needed to solve the various problems affecting its operations (Ashari, Heidari, & Parvaresh, 2014). Solving problems in a firm requires consultations among stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of informed decisions. In the absence of a sound communication system within a company, problem solving would be a hectic task that can result in inefficient decisions. The manual communication systems involve holding roundtable meetings with stakeholders to deliberate on the possible courses of action available to a firm. Such meetings are time-consuming since they require members to be personally present. Technology creates a communication system within a firm based on some of the most up-to-date messaging and collaborative apps, which are supported by the Microsoft Exchange 2007 Enterprise Edition that allows staffs to communicate with each other without having to meet (Lehdonvirta, Hjorth, Graham, & Barnard, 2015). This situation, which facilitates fast communication between employees and the executives, eliminates the need for employees to be personally present in the meetings. This situation not only saves time but also increases employees flexibility.
The other way that companies increase their efficiency through technology is by promoting knowledge availability. IT-based working offers a platform on which information can be created and stored for retrieval by the employees anytime, anywhere, and from any device. The availability of such information ensures that employees remain updated concerning the business operations, hence increasing their productivity. Additionally, it ensures that business operations are not stalled by the absence of technical expertise by any of the employees in the company (Ashari et al., 2014). Anytime employees have trouble when executing a certain task, they can consult their colleagues for support or open the databases for the relevant support. The availability of such information and support ensures that workers are highly productive, hence averting the stoppage of operations on the grounds of lack of sufficient information regarding a particular operation. Besides, such information promotes organizational learning, ensuring that the employees are regularly updated about the emergence of new business practices.
Time saving is another benefit accruing to the firm because of the embracement of IT-based working. Initially, employees would waste a lot of time going from one department to the other to collect information regarding the business tasks. The introduction of IT-based communication systems eased information sharing, thus enabling departments to communicate with each other without the employees having to personally move from one work station to the other to collect the relevant information. Manual sharing of knowledge may be hectic. It may involve workers going from one department to another to obtain such information. Its time-consuming nature may cause disruptions to the ongoing operations (Lehdonvirta et al., 2015). Communication between departments is essential for streamlining business operations since it facilitates the sharing of knowledge, hence enhancing efficiency. Additionally, it offers a platform through which employees may present their grievances to the top managers. This situation averts instances of resistance from the workforce. Interdepartmental communication also empowers employees to contribute to the decisions of the firm. It may help managers to detect deviations from the set business norms and practices. Therefore, engaging employees in the decision-making processes not only averts resistance from them but also motivates them to work hard to accomplish the goals they have set for themselves.
Problems of Internet-Enabled Flexible Working Arrangement
One of the challenges evident in a remote working setting is that it presents challenges regarding work-life balance. Although employees who work from their homes tend to have more hours to do their personal tasks, the lack of a predetermined schedule may complicate the work of the concerned employees. Lehdonvirta et al. (2015) argue that employees who work from home are forced to work late night due to lack of properly defined schedule. The other problem that is associated with remote working is that it may inhibit teamwork and group learning. While the traditional work arrangements allow employees to physically interact with each other at the workplace, remote working does not support personal interaction among employees (Ashari et al., 2014). Physical meetings among workers promote peaceful coexistence, hence fostering teamwork. Additionally, it helps to eliminate diversity issues, which may lead to better performance of the company.
Conclusion
Present-day companies work under the extensive pressure of finding ways that will enable them to remain aggressive and appropriate in their lines of business. As a result, it is vital for them to ensure that workers are not only as industrious as possible but also accessible on-demand any time of the day. Besides, following the extensive nature and demand of particular sectors, including the evolving technological setting, the need for a flexible job plan is not only a requirement for workers but also pertinent to companies capacity to maintain their competitive edge. Remote working refers to an arrangement in which an employee works from outside his or her office using a computer and the Internet. In the recent past, this practice has increased tremendously since firms seek to increase efficiency and/or reduce operations costs. Many advantages are associated remote working, including fast decision-making, increased flexibility, and increased customer support. On the other hand, the disadvantages include work-life imbalances and inhibition of teamwork. The advantages and the disadvantages have been discussed in details in this section.
References
Ashari, H., Heidari, M., & Parvaresh, S. (2014). Improving SMTEs business performance through strategic use of information and communication technology: ICT and tourism challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, 4(3), 1-20.
Lehdonvirta, V., Hjorth, I., Graham, M., & Barnard, H. (2015). Online labor markets and the persistence of personal networks: Evidence from workers in Southeast Asia. Web.
Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.