ATTITUDES TOWARD TELECOMMUTING - IMPLICATIONS FOR WORK-AT-HOME PROGRAMS

Managers interested in improving the productivity and job satisfaction of their technical personnel are beginning to consider work alternatives made possible by declining costs of data communications and the influx of microcomputers into homes and offices. The research discussed examines the attitudes of 51 managers and 129 programmers toward working at home. Survey data were collected from 3 divisions in 2 locations of a computer services firm which had experimented with work at home. Results suggest more interest in telecommuting among programmers than project managers; surprisingly, the two groups tend to identify the same benefits and problems. In general, programms express support for any alternative which would add variability and autonomy to their work, whether it is a change in work location or simply a change in scheduling. The implications of these findings are discussed.