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Survey examines teleworking in SA

Michelle Avenant
By Michelle Avenant, portals journalist.
Johannesburg, 26 Jul 2016
While the necessary technology exists to enable people to work from home, it has gained little traction in SA workspaces, despite many reporting that the practice helps them maintain a better work-life balance.
While the necessary technology exists to enable people to work from home, it has gained little traction in SA workspaces, despite many reporting that the practice helps them maintain a better work-life balance.

A UCT Masters student is looking for respondents for his research about teleworking (working remotely or from home) in the SA IT industry, and requests that SA IT workers participate in his online survey.

Joseph Morrison, who is studying towards his Master of Commerce in Information Systems, has worked in the IT industry for over 20 years. Having spent much of his career working from home, he is investigating the factors that limit teleworking in SA, and says there is a need for more local research about the practice.

Almost 20 years ago, Bill Gates predicted that by 2050, 50% of workers in the world would be working from home, reports Morrison. Yet while the necessary technologies have developed and many IT jobs are well suited to working remotely, teleworking has not gained as much traction as experts such as Gates initially anticipated, he notes.

Many researchers point to resistance in management culture, namely a failure to shift from an "I must see you to manage you" attitude to a "management by objectives" mindset, as a reason for this lack of change, Morrison continues, adding that in some cases teleworking is technically permitted by company policy, but few take up this option due to social stigma against the practice, for example the idea that people who work from home are "not really working", and a resultant lack of trust in people who telework.

While these attitudes are dissolving in the US, as many big tech companies push to promote teleworking, SA management culture does not look to be changing in the same way, he puts forward.

Another factor that could influence employees' uptake of teleworking is whether they feel confident and supported in doing so, Morrison notes.

For many, teleworking can mean saving hours every week in commuting time, gaining a work environment with fewer interruptions, and achieving a better work-life balance, says Morrison, adding that some could experience less work-related stress as a result.

Yet for others, the practice could lead to loneliness due to social isolation, a "blurring" of their work and home lives, and frequent interruptions from family members who stay at home during the day, he warns.

Morrison's survey focuses on IT employees and aims to gain insight into the social and cultural factors that influence workers' and their employers' attitudes towards teleworking. Respondents stand a chance to win a R500 Takealot voucher.

Morrison aims to submit his thesis by the end of 2016.

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