Disadvantages and Advantages of Technology in Business GROUP 10 Cameron Weaver

							GROUP 10:
Cameron Weaver
Elizabeth Gratale
Katie Bennett
Casey Dunlevie


           Virtual Office
             How much do flexible work
               arrangements improve
              employee productivity?
                    Or do they?
                 SKIT
Virtual Office Workers   Traditional Office Workers
                                           Casey
           Elizabeth                      Dunlevie
            Gratale




 Katie                      Cameron
Bennett                     Weaver
  Agenda:

  What is a virtual office?
  Advantages
  Disadvantage
  Conclusion




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
  What is a Virtual Office?

  Definition: “mobile or work environment
   equipped with telecommunication links
   and basic office furniture, but without a
   fixed office space”-Business Dictionary




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
Increase in Teleworkers in U.S.
 What is a Virtual Office?

 Forms
     Hoteling/shared offices
     Satellite offices
     Home office
     Telecommuting




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
 Hoteling:

 Maximize office space
 Reserve space or set up permanent hours
 Can be customized


  Ernst & Young: employees were out of the office 3 or 4
   times a week.



Virtual Office   Advantages    Disadvantages     Conclusion
  Satellite Offices:

   Network of smaller offices
   Suburban locations


    Deloitte & Touche: SmartSpace Program




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
Home Office:

Designated space
New construction of homes
Equipped with right technology
Organized
Home office:



               Not this…




 This…
 Telecommuting:

 Working from anywhere
 Always connected with technology




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
Technology:
 Laptop                  Instant messaging
 Docking station         Web conferencing
 Cell phone with e-mail  TelePresence
 Scanner
 Video camera
 High speed Internet
 Software
  Regus
  Officescape
  Google Docs
2007 Survey of 200 users of Web
   Conferencing Technology
For Students

How many use Blackboard?
How many have taken an online class?
How many have taken a class with a live
 feed of a professor in another location?
  Advantages:


  Business


  Employee


  Environment


Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
 Business Advantages:

 Increased productivity
     Reduced absenteeism by 50%
 Cost-efficiency
 Employee Retention
 Broadens labor market




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
  Cost Efficiency of AT&T’s First Shared
        Offices in Morristown, NJ:
                               Before         After
     Square Feet               45,000         27,000
     Annual Rent               $1.2 M         $0.7M
     Persons                   196            225
     Annual Rent per           $6,100         $3,100
     Person
     Annual Savings            N/A            $463,500


Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
 Employee Advantages:

 Improves quality of life
     Flexible hours
     Balanced lifestyle
     Healthier
     Reduces stress




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
 Case Study
     IBM Teleworkers:
         “I enjoy coaching my daughter’s soccer team at
          3:30 in the afternoon.”
         “I can finally eat breakfast with my family for the
          first time in 15 years at IBM.”




Virtual Office   Advantages    Disadvantages     Conclusion
 Employee Advantages:

 Saves money
 Opportunities for mothers and people with
  disabilities




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
 Environmental Advantages:
 Reduced need for transportation
     Pollution
         Reduced by >4,500 pounds of CO2/year in Arizona
     Fuel consumption
         Reduced by 250 gallons/employee/year in Arizona




Virtual Office   Advantages     Disadvantages    Conclusion
What are some disadvantages
      of Virtual Office?
  Disadvantages

  What are some disadvantages to the
   virtual office?

      Lack of face-to-face interactions
      Blurry line between work life and home life
      Temptation of slacking, becoming unprofessional
      Lack of cohesion and unity with the company



Virtual Office   Advantages      Disadvantages       Conclusion
 Lack of face-to-face interaction:
  Better to take care of business immediately and
   in person
  Avoid e-mail chains and phone tag
  Stifles creativity and idea creation
  Prevents interoffice camaraderie

 If you didn’t work in an office, you’d be missing
    out on this…
 Its Getting Hot in Here: Scranton Style

Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
 Case Study
Advertising Agency. Employees were
 concerned…

   How do people know how hard I’m
    working?




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
 Case Study
Advertising Agency. Employees were
 concerned…
   •“How do people know how hard I’m
   working?”


   •“How do I overhear the
   important things, since no
   one bothers to tell me
   anything?”


Virtual Office   Advantages       Disadvantages   Conclusion
 Case Study
Advertising Agency. Employees were
 concerned…
   •“How do people know how hard I’m
   working?”

   •“How do I overhear the important things,
   since no one bothers to tell me anything?”


•“I’m afraid of being out of
touch.”


Virtual Office     Advantages        Disadvantages   Conclusion
  Blurry line between work and home:

 Not a sense of “I leave my work when I
  leave at 5pm.”
 Feel “on duty” even around family
  members
 Company's exploitation
  of workers' free time




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
 Case Study
     IBM Teleworkers:
            “Even vacation time blends into work time unless I go
             somewhere.”
            “I am always at work… between 5 a.m. and midnight,
             seven days a week.”
            Unintentionally long hours, fewer external cues to stop




Virtual Office   Advantages        Disadvantages        Conclusion
  Temptation of Slacking

  Slovenliness
  Set your own schedule--
  “This can wait until later.”
  Less monitoring of employees




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
  Lack of cohesion and unity:
   Lack of shared office space and
    experiences
   No dress code
   Other office artifacts: logos, notepads, etc
   Wiesenfield: “Virtual employees are the
    least likely to be exposed to
    organizational factors that have
    traditionally strengthened member
    identification.”

Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
 Eat Your Candy and Watch This:

Good Office Worker vs. Bad Office Worker
When calculated,
the statistics for
the benefits versus
drawbacks come
out roughly the
same….
  Conclusion: Our Opinion

  Each company and personality differ in
   what works
  Generation discrepancy as generation X
   and Y enters the workforce
  Personal responsibility and work habits
   determine which method is better




Virtual Office   Advantages   Disadvantages   Conclusion
   Katie Bennett     Elizabeth Gratale




      Virtual Office
(Remember we gave you candy..)




   Cameron Weaver   Casey Dunlevie