Abstract
This research aimed at investigating the attitudes of teleworkers in the National Library and Archives of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the regulations, benefits, and drawbacks of teleworking. For this purpose, a self-administered questionnaire consisting of demographic information was used, as well as close-ended and some open-ended questions. The findings indicated that despite some problems such as the low speed of the Internet, excessive workload, inflexibility of work time, and some ambiguities in regulations, all of the teleworkers intended to continue to telework. So, it is concluded that the benefits of teleworking outweigh its drawbacks in the National Library and Archives of Iran.
Keywords
Introduction
The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has affected and changed people’s life styles and ways of working throughout the world. One of these changes is working without geographical limitation, called ‘teleworking’ (telecommuting). Teleworking permits the employees to work from their home, a telecentre or a place with technological facilities near the home. It is characterized by moving the work to the workers, instead of moving the workers to the work (Blake, 1999: 1).
Jack M Nilles was the first to present the idea of shortening the way from home to work to save the money and energy needed to transport employees to their workplaces. Since then, many developments have happened in this way of working. Today, hundreds of companies and organizations are experiencing teleworking. For example, as quoted by Baha Akpinar (telework expansion programme manager at the Library’s Office of Strategic Initiatives/Information Technology Services), ‘the Library of Congress (LC) has seen 300% growth in telework count over the past 18 months’ (Tuutti, 2011: 1). Within AT&T, around one-third of the managers are not bound to a particular worksite. Similarly, 40% of IBM’s workforce has no official office. Sun Microsystems allows half of its employees to work anywhere they want; and by so doing; it saves $300 million a year on real-estate costs (Conlin, 2006).
Teleworking or telecommuting enjoys a variety of benefits, which have led to its adoption throughout the world. On the other hand, it may also suffer from drawbacks that can affect the execution of teleworking or cause its downfall. These benefits and drawbacks are multi-faceted: that is they affect employees, employers (or organizations), and society. As teleworking is proposed as one of the best solutions for increasing useful work time, saving time and reducing pollution, it seems necessary to identify its benefits and drawbacks in different societies. This paper has surveyed a group of Iranian teleworkers’ viewpoints on the regulations, personal benefits, and personal drawbacks of teleworking in the National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI).
Teleworking in Iran
Iran is an Asian (Middle Eastern) country with a population of nearly 75 million people and 45.8 million Internet users (Statistical Centre of Iran, 2013). According to the National Internet Development Agency of Iran (2013), there are 61.06 Internet users per 100 of population in Iran. They connect to the Internet by GPRS (22.6 million), dial-up (6.9 million), ADSL 1 (8 million), WiMAX 2 (2 million), and optical fiber (6 million). Tehran, the capital of Iran, with a population of about 8,300,000, suffers seriously from air pollution and traffic congestion. The Government has established some plans such as setting up a traffic zone (Tarhe-Trafik) and allowing driving on alternate days. It has also planned telecommuting for some government employees as a new way to improve the city’s traffic.
In June 2010, Iranian teleworking regulations for government teleworking employees were ratified in 17 articles and sent to the governmental organizations to enable teleworking for the jobs that are appropriate for this kind of working. According to the regulations, the goals of teleworking are an increase in productivity, work flexibility, and reduction of commuting. A committee was established in every organization to select suitable works for teleworking; so teleworking started experimentally in some organizations and ministries. Since 2011, the Government eventually ordered that about 20% of activities in governmental organizations had to be undertaken by teleworking.
Accordingly, some libraries and information centres in Iranian governmental organizations began performing teleworking. As a result of teleworking performance, some librarians were selected and sent to work at home. To our knowledge, there is no report to indicate the quality and the amount of teleworking in Iranian libraries and information centres, except in the NLAI.
Teleworking in NLAI
The kind of teleworking in NLAI is home-based and part-time so that the teleworkers work four days at home and one day at the library. NLAI has a workgroup to manage the affairs related to teleworking. This group recognizes and selects the jobs which can be achieved without the physical presence of the employee. A virtual private network (VPN) for information security and also the necessary programs and software have been set up on the teleworkers’ computers. NLAI suggested the teleworkers have an Internet access with one of the common Internet providers in Iran: WiMAX or ADSL with 512 GB. The Internet costs are settled monthly for the teleworkers. They have to work at home in office hours; therefore, teleworking in NLAI is not like flexi-time as in the West due to misinterpretation of the regulations by the authorities. There are computer experts to answer the teleworkers’ technical questions and problems by phone. For communication with managers and colleagues, the teleworkers use Microsoft’s Office Communicator System or telephone, and they are informed of announcements via the NLAI intranet. They had a short training programme to instruct them how to connect to and use the NLAI’s virtual network. They are periodically evaluated by their managers, and annual assessment reports are sent to the Vice-President of Iran’s Human Resources Development and Management (Tahavori, 2013).
Since April 2012, 106 employees in NLAI from three directorates were asked to work as teleworkers: National Library Directorate (79 employees), National Archives Directorate (25 employees) and Support Directorate (2 employees). However, six months later, some teleworkers whose work did not match with teleworking, came back to the organization, and their teleworking was terminated (Tahavori, 2013).
Teleworking in the NLAI’s Department of Information Processing
From the beginning, most of the teleworkers in NLAI belonged to the National Library Directorate (79 employees); of which 60 were from the Department of Information Processing. As their sort of work was adapted to teleworking (Prati, 2002), they continued to telework. This department includes four groups: book cataloguing, non-book cataloguing, authority, and journal indexing group; the teleworkers are from the first three groups.
The indispensable work tool in these groups is RASA library software, 3 and most of the workload in the book cataloguing and authority groups is focused on electronic CIP (cataloguing in publication). Similar to other library teleworkers throughout the world (Prati, 2002), the teleworkers in this department edit and correct bibliographic records and authority databanks too. Some necessary sources for teleworkers have been scanned and put on the shared NLAI network. They can control the information that needs printed sources on the days that they come to the organization.
Literature review
A review of literature of teleworking demonstrates that there are different groups of studies in this regard. Some studies have theoretically explored the basis of teleworking or reviewed the literature of teleworking (Blake, 1999; Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Miller, 2011; Mills et al., 2001; Prati, 2002). Other studies have been undertaken before the implementation of teleworking, and surveyed employees’ and employers’ view about the prospect of having teleworking in their offices (Abdel-Wahab, 2007; Carr, 2006; Nicholas, 2007; O’Brien and Hayden, 2008). Also research has been carried out in the form of surveys of these groups to gather their views about the different aspects of teleworking after the experience of teleworking (Atkyns et al., 2002; Baruch, 2000; Black and Hyslop, 1995; Demas, 2011; Duncan, 2008; Ellis and Webster, 1997; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Johanson, 2007; Kitou and Horvath, 2008; Major et al., 2008; Morgan, 2004; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008; Sanchez et al., 2007; Scholefield and Peel, 2009; Smith and Van Dyke, 2008; Vittersø et al., 2003). Meanwhile, a portion of these works has referred to or focused on the benefits and drawbacks associated with teleworking, as identifying potential advantages and disadvantages is an essential step in achieving teleworking goals.
The most significant benefit of teleworking reflected in the reviewed literature is ‘reducing commuting time’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Baruch, 2000; Blake, 1999; Demas, 2011; Ellis and Webster, 1997; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Kitou and Horvath, 2008; Kitsap Regional…, 2009; Lavalee, 1993 in Mills et al., 2001; Major et al., 2008; Miller, 2011; Morgan, 2004; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008; Smith and Van Dyke, 2008). As previously mentioned, teleworking started with Nilles’ idea of shortening the way from home to work. The other important benefit is ‘saving commuting costs’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Atkyns et al., 2002; Baruch, 2000; Blake, 1999; Demas, 2011; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Kitsap Regional…, 2009; Lavalee, 1993 in Mills et al., 2001; Miller, 2011; Morgan, 2004; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008) arising from reducing the amount of time spent travelling.
After starting to telework at home, it is vital to achieve an appropriate balance between work responsibilities and home obligations. ‘Achieving a balance between work and family’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Atkyns et al., 2002; Blake, 1999; Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Johanson, 2007; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Major et al., 2008; Miller, 2011; Prati, 2002; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008; Scholefield and Peel, 2009), especially for married and working women with young children, is another important factor, which may benefit teleworkers.
‘Having flexibility in time’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Black and Hyslop, 1995; Blake, 1999; Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010; Demas, 2011; Ellis and Webster, 1997; Johanson, 2007; Kitsap Regional…, 2009; Miller, 2011; Mills et al., 2001; Prati, 2002; Valmohammadi, 2012; Vittersø et al., 2003) allows teleworkers to be more productive in their own time.
A number of studies have reported ‘less stress related to work’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Baruch, 2000; Demas, 2011; Ellis and Webster, 1997; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Johanson, 2007; Major et al., 2008; Miller, 2011; Prati, 2002; Valmohammadi, 2012) as one of the advantages of teleworking. The results of a study of workers who used to work from home four or five days a week reported lower levels of stress in this group than those who used to go to the office every day (Daly, 2007 in Demas, 2011: 56).
‘Improved quality of work/family life’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Atkyns et al., 2002; Baruch, 2000; Blake, 1999; Carr, 2006; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Lavalee, 1993 in Mills et al., 2001; Major et al., 2008; Morgan, 2004; Prati, 2002; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008; Valmohammadi, 2012; Vittersø et al., 2003) has been stated as another benefit of teleworking. The practice of conducting work at home is expected to produce positive effects, which are often covered under the general term of ‘quality of life’ (QoL) (Vittersø et al., 2003).
‘Fewer interruptions from co-workers’ (Baruch, 2000; Blake, 1999; Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Major et al., 2008; Miller, 2001; Mills et al., 2001; Prati, 2002s; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008; Scholefield and Peel, 2009; Vittersø et al., 2003) has been reported as the next benefit of teleworking. It results in ‘more concentration on the job’, as has been noted by some researchers under the benefits of teleworking (Blake, 1999; Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Mills et al., 2001; Vittersø et al., 2003).
‘Reducing sick days or less absenteeism’ is another benefit of teleworking cited in many research works (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Baruch, 2000; Black and Hyslop, 1995; Blake, 1999; Carr, 2006; Demas, 2011; Harpaz, 2002 in Demas, 2011; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Johanson, 2007; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Kitou and Horvath, 2008; Lavalee, 1993 in Mills et al., 2001; Major et al., 2008; Miller, 2011; Morgan, 2004; Nicholas, 2007).
‘More independence in work’ (Demas, 2011; Johanson, 2007; Nicholas, 2007) is another advantage cited for teleworking. Autonomy and independence have been acknowledged in teleworking situations (Nicholas, 2007). Autonomy is recognized as a facet of teleworking that allows more control over the working conditions. So, teleworkers have ‘more control on their work’ (Black and Hyslop, 1995; Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010; Ellis and Webster, 1997; Major et al., 2008; Nicholas, 2007; Prati, 2002). For instance, unlike a noisy working environment, cataloguing from home provides a more controlled and individually suitable work setting (Black and Hyslop, 1995).
Teleworking is praised by its advocates as a means of ‘improving morale’ (Black and Hyslop, 1995; Duncan, 2008; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Kitsap Regional…, 2009; Major et al., 2008; Miller, 2011; Prati, 2002; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008; Valmohammadi, 2012). By teleworking, the employees’ confidence and morale are increased when they believe their employers trust them to work independently and unwatched (Vega, 2003 in Miller, 2011: 70).
Teleworking produces a ‘comfortable work environment’ for teleworkers (Black and Hyslop, 1995; Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Prati, 2002). Teleworkers have reported having a more comfortable work environment at home, specifically better air quality, more silence, and control over the temperature than the open office at their corporate office (Montreuil and Lippel, 2003 in Cheuk Fan, 2010: 38).
Most of the reported advantages for teleworking end in ‘increasing in productivity’ and ‘improvement in performance’ for the employees as well as the employers (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Atkyns et al., 2002; Baruch, 2000; Black and Hyslop, 1995; Blake, 1999; Carr, 2006; Demas, 2011; Ellis and Webster, 1997; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Johanson, 2007; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Kitou and Horvath, 2008; Kitsap Regional…, 2009; Major et al., 2008; Miller, 2011; Mills et al., 2001; Morgan, 2004; Nicholas, 2007; Prati, 2002; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008; Sanchez et al., 2007; Telework America Survey, 2000; Valmohammadi, 2012; Vittersø et al., 2003).
Other benefits reported for teleworking in studies include: ‘satisfaction of having more time with family’ (Baruch, 2000; Johanson, 2007), ‘having informal/casual clothes at home’ (Lavalee, 1993 in Mills et al., 2001; Smith and Van Dyke, 2008), ‘keeping out of playing politics in organization’ (Blake, 1999; Lavalee, 1993 in Mills et al., 2001), ‘better organizing of work’ (Morgan, 2004), ‘increase in energy to work’ (Major et al., 2008), better time management’ (Harpaz, 2002 in Demas, 2011), ‘increase in self-confidence’ (Miller, 2011), ‘more attractive workplace’ (Lavalee, 1993 in Mills et al., 2001), and ‘increase in job motivation’ (Morgan, 2004).
The other side of the coin relates to the disadvantages of teleworking mentioned in the literature. The most usual disadvantage of teleworking is ‘isolation’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Atkyns, et al., 2002; Baruch, 2000; Black and Hyslop, 1995; Blake, 1999; Carr, 2006; Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010; Ellis and Webster, 1997; Harpaz, 2002 in Demas, 2011; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Johanson, 2007; Miller, 2011; Mills et al., 2001; Morgan, 2004; Prati, 2002; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008; Scholefield and Peel, 2009; Valmohammadi, 2012 ( that is perceived as personal, professional, and social isolation.
Another drawback of working from home is ‘family interruptions’ (Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010; Miller, 2011; Mills et al., 2001; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008). No separation between the domains of work and home (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Blake, 1999; Harpaz, 2002 in Demas, 2011; Lavalee, 1993 in Mills et al., 2001; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008; Smith and Van Dyke, 2008) and ‘inability to separate work from family issues’ (Carr, 2006) increase the relationship between work and family (Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010). Family interference makes unhappy telecommuters (Demas, 2011). As mentioned, ‘achieving a balance between work and family’ was one of the prominent benefits of teleworking; however, telecommuting may cause some work-family conflicts too (Cheuk Fan Ng, 2010; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Major et al., 2008; Nicholas, 2007; Prati, 2002; Vittersø et al., 2003).
According to the literature, another problem, which telecommuting may provide, is ‘excessive overtime working’. Teleworkers cannot set a time when the workday starts and when it stops, so they work exclusively (Miller, 2011; Vittersø et al., 2003), and may face the danger of burnout (Atkyns et al., 2002; Prati, 2002) and excessive fatigue. As a result, some teleworkers become workaholic (Atkyns, et al., 2002; Harpaz, 2002 in Demas, 2011; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Lavalee, 1993 in Mills et al., 2001; Miller, 2011; Mills et al., 2001; Nicholas, 2007; Prati, 2002; Vittersø et al., 2003) due to excessive workload or for their need to prove that they are productive. This provides ‘new stresses and damages to the family life’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Baruch, 2000; Blake, 1999; Johanson, 2007; Prati, 2002).
‘Lack of computer equipment’ (Atkyns et al., 2002), the existence of ‘technological reliability problems’ (Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008) and ‘lack of technical and help desk support’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Heijstra and Rafnsdottir, 2010; Johanson, 2007; Kanellopoulos, 2011; Mills et al., 2001; Prati, 2002; Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008; Scholefield and Peel, 2009; Valmohammadi, 2012) are some of the other drawbacks, which threaten the process of teleworking.
Lack of visibility within the office can lead to a growing concern by teleworkers’ growing concern that they are ‘losing the opportunities for promotion’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007; Baruch, 2000; Blake, 1999; Demas, 2011; Ellis and Webster, 1997; Johanson, 2007; Mills et al., 2001; Nicholas, 2007; Valmohammadi, 2012).
Another significant reported pitfall of teleworking is the ‘reaction of co-workers who did not opt for teleworking’ (Baruch, 2000; Prati, 2002) in the form of suspicion, jealousy and resentment of teleworkers.
Other disadvantages of teleworking reported in the literature include ‘lack of necessary training for teleworking’ (Prati, 2002), ‘losing on-the-job training’ (Abdal-Wahab, 2007), ‘low speed of the Internet at home’ (Prati, 2002), ‘a lowered awareness about the internal issues of organization’ (Rasmussen and Corbett, 2008), ‘harmful to career advancement and benefits’ (Prati, 2002), and ‘difficulties of information access and exchange’ (Morgan, 2004).
Research objectives
This research aims to explore the attitudes of teleworkers regarding the regulations, benefits and drawbacks of teleworking in NLAI. Hence, it attempts to answer this general question: What are the teleworkers’ attitudes about the regulations, benefits and drawbacks of teleworking in the NLAI’s Department of Information Processing?
Methodology
The data were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire comprising some demographic information, as well as 31 benefits and 31 drawbacks of teleworking in close-ended questions. The benefits and drawbacks were gathered from previous research in LIS (library and information science) and non-LIS areas as mentioned in the literature review. In addition, based on the Iranian social-cultural situation, some other benefits and drawbacks were added to the questionnaire. Each item’s importance was recorded on a six-point Likert’s scale, where 6 indicated ‘agree very strongly’ and 1 indicated ‘disagree very strongly’. The teleworkers were also asked to comment on the regulations, benefits and drawbacks of teleworking in their department through some open-ended questions (see Appendix). As mentioned previously, the sort of job done by teleworkers in the Department of Information Processing of NLAI was appropriate for teleworking; so all of the teleworkers in this department (N=60) were selected as the population and were asked to respond to the mailed questionnaires.
Research findings
Demographic data
Demographic data were collected from the respondents to identify the work group, marital status, the commuting time of teleworkers in the Department of Information Processing, and the place of their desks in their homes (Table 1).
Demographic information of the teleworkers.
As Table 1 shows, 40 employees from book cataloguing, 10 employees from non-book cataloguing, and 10 employees from the authority group now telework. Furthermore, all teleworkers are female (47 married and the rest unmarried). Before teleworking, 11 teleworkers spent less than 1 hour commuting to work, 22 of them between 1 and 2 hours, and 27 others more than 3 hours. It shows that the majority of teleworkers spent 1–3 hours commuting (65%). In spite of the fact that employees need a suitable place for their work-desk at home, 34 teleworkers placed their desk in the bedroom, and the others chose study room, sitting room, guest room, or any other place in their home.
In the first part of the questionnaire, the teleworkers were also asked whether or not they intended to have time flexibility in their work as well as to continue to telework. The results show that 56 respondents (93.3%) tended to have flexible time for working (Table 2). This highlights the importance of flexibility for the teleworkers in the Department of Information Processing of NLAI. Moreover, all of the teleworkers in this department (100%) were interested in continuing to telework at home (Table 3). It seems that the teleworkers are satisfied with the situation of teleworking.
Tendency to have time flexibility.
Intention to continue to telework.
Quantitative research findings
Tables 4 and 5 display the means and the standard deviations reported by the respondents for each of the benefits and drawbacks of teleworking.
Means and standard deviations of the responses given by the teleworkers to the benefits of teleworking.
Means and standard deviations of the responses given by the teleworkers to the drawbacks of teleworking.
The findings shown in Table 4 reveal that the mean number of each item of the benefits of teleworking is above the average number (3.5). It displays that the benefits of teleworking are considered high in the view of the teleworkers working for the Department of Information Processing. As shown, the following benefits have a mean number more than 5: having informal/casual clothes, reducing commuting time, satisfaction of having more time with the family, more control on work, comfortable work environment, better organizing of work, increase in energy to the work, increase in productivity, improvement in performance, reducing the number of off-work because of sickness, saving commuting costs, and reducing of distraction in the organization.
To have informal/casual clothes (5.78) is the most important benefit of teleworking for the teleworkers of the Department of Information Processing of NLAI. As all teleworkers in this department are women and have to wear the hijab formally and cover their head in the office due to Islamic codes, it is better for them to spend work hours at home.
‘Reduction of commuting time’ (5.7) is the next most significant benefit from the viewpoint of the teleworkers in the present work. Tehran city has traffic congestion, especially during the peak hours, and the findings in Table 1 show that more teleworkers spend between 1 to 3 hours for commuting (65%). Reducing commuting time leads to spending more time with the family members, and this provides the teleworkers’ with satisfaction (5.37).
The teleworkers points out that they have control over their job when they work at home (5.31). Furthermore, ‘having a comfortable work environment’ (5.25) is the other most prominent benefit of teleworking, which would arise from the advantage of ‘having informal/casual clothes’. ‘Having control over the job’ and ‘having comfortable work environment’ result in ‘organizing of work’ (5.25), ‘increase in energy for work’ (5.17), ‘increase in productivity’ (5.12), ‘improvement in performance’ (5.11), ‘reducing the number of sick days off work’ (5.08), as well as ‘reduction of distraction in the organization’ (5.07). The other best advantage of teleworking from the teleworkers’ viewpoint is ‘saving commuting costs’ (5.08).
The standard deviations in Table 4 indicate that the benefits have dispersion between 0.5 and 1/78. The comparison of standard deviations for each benefit shows that there is no dispersion in the teleworkers’ responses and almost all of them have similar views about these items.
The data in Table 5 show that the mean number of the majority of the drawbacks of teleworking is below the average number (3.5). This implies that the disadvantages of teleworking in this department are negligible, except for 2 drawbacks: ‘low speed of the Internet’ and ‘low speed of RASA software’, which had a mean number of more than 4. Surprisingly, some drawbacks mentioned in previous studies as important (such as ‘lack of computer facilities’, ‘losing social interaction’/‘social isolation’, ‘hard situation’, ‘lack of timely information about organization’, ‘lack of necessary training for teleworking’, ‘causing problems and disturbances for the family’, ‘decrease in social motivations for improving at work’, ‘excessive fatigue because of overwork’, and ‘increase in work stress at home’) are less important in the current study.
The standard deviations in Table 5 reveal that the drawbacks have dispersion between 0.6 and 1/73. The comparison of standard deviations of each drawback reveals that there is no dispersion in the teleworkers’ responses and the respondents belong to a homogeneous group.
Qualitative findings
The major themes that came out of the questionnaires included the attitudes of teleworkers about missing aspects in the teleworking regulations, exploration of the benefits and drawbacks of teleworking, and adding more items of benefits and drawbacks of teleworking.
Missing aspects in the teleworking regulations
One of the main items that the teleworkers mentioned as missing from the teleworking regulations was work hours. They believed that work hour were unclear in the regulations. One of the teleworkers pointed out: There is a contradiction about work hours in the regulations. They emphasize flexibility, but they say that work hours must be set by the workgroup. Flexibility has not been explained clearly. Now we have to work from the morning till the evening to finish the tasks.
Another teleworker added: There is no clear definition of work hours. We have allocated tasks and should give our reports at the end of the week. It is not necessary to be present at the office hours (8:00 to 16:00), but the manager does not permit us to work flexibly. The workload is too much, so that we have to work outside the office hours too to finish our tasks.
Other problems in the regulations, as mentioned by the teleworkers in this study, were ‘situation of technology infrastructures’ and ‘financial issues’. A teleworker noted: The regulations do not refer to information technology infrastructures at all. Most of the time, network problems and the low speed of the Internet affect our efficiency, but the managers do not take into consideration these problems when they ask for monthly reports.
Another respondent said: In spite of a reduction in the commuting costs, in the regulations there is no indication of the increased costs of electricity, telephone, Internet, and carrying books to home and office, as well as kindergarten costs for mothers with small children. Based on Article 8 of the regulations, 5% of the minimum of teleworkers’ salary must be paid to them for some secondary costs, but it is not enough.
Exploration of the benefits of teleworking
One of the most important benefits of teleworking that the respondents explained was ‘saving time’. One teleworker noted: We have less waste of time and more speed in doing the tasks.
Her colleague explained it in this way: By teleworking, we have less commuting, and it causes us to feel less fatigued and use our additional time for more rest and more work.
However, another respondent viewed this subject as one of time management and noted: About time management, yes I can manage my time more, but it depends on the speed of the Internet and the RASA software, as well as on the workload. They are not predictable and you cannot manage them.
A teleworker mentioned her responsibility and independence in her tasks: I have more responsibility and less dependence to other colleagues. I try to do my tasks independently by trying to spend more time on searching.
Some respondents noted that the sickness and tiredness they experienced before teleworking had now been reduced. One teleworker said, for example: I had allergies at the workplace, so before teleworking, I used more sick-days because of my sickness. Now my allergy has been reduced, so I use fewer.
Her other co-worker mentioned: Since teleworking, my physical health has improved a lot.
Another teleworker believed: I am not tired and depressed like before; rather I am enthusiastic about work and life more than before.
As Table 4 shows, ‘more balance between work and family life’ received the mean number of 4.23, revealing that the respondents believed that it has a significant benefit. However, one teleworker mentioned: To a point, teleworking provides more balance between our work and our family, but it depends on the speed of the Internet and the situation of the network as well. If I know clearly how much is my workload every day, I can plan my time and my duties. However, the managers have changed the measure of workload few times, and it has no stability; this instability has affected the balance of work and family.
Additional benefits
The respondents reported that ‘satisfaction of having more time with family’ was one of the vital benefits for them and they emphasized it repeatedly. One respondent, for instance, believed: The best benefit of teleworking for me is having more time with my son and not sending him to the kindergarten.
Another teleworker mentioned: I am with my child more than before, and have more time for my family.
Or her other colleague noted: I have mental tranquility and I am satisfied with and happy to work near my child.
Another respondent showed her belief in this way: As commuting has been omitted, in spite of an increase in the workload and work pressure, all office hours have changed to useful time. We can have free time for going to some classes and having more fun with the family.
Some teleworkers put an emphasis on the time saved by teleworking. One of the respondents believed: The time I used to spend to commute, now I spend it to do other things and gain more missed time.
In the same way, her co-worker said: I have less physical fatigue, more time and better opportunity for doing more things.
Exploration of the drawbacks of teleworking
As mentioned, the most important drawbacks of teleworking, which the respondents mentioned, were ‘low speed of the Internet’ and ‘low speed of the RASA software’ at home. Among the teleworkers 43 explained more about these problems in the open-ended questions, and pointed out that these drawbacks have caused some mental problems for them. One of them, for instance, said: The speed of the Internet and the RASA software is a difficulty that affects both the quality and quantity of our work, and causes the teleworkers stress.
Her colleague notified: Sometimes, the speed of the Internet and the RASA software is so bad that I give up and turn the computer off. Therefore, I cannot finish my duties till the end of the day and I would be stressed.
Another participant said: The speed of the Internet and RASA has multiplied the problems, and it is mentally harmful.
One teleworker linked one of the benefits to this problem and said: We cannot say that work stress and pressure have been reduced; perhaps it has changed. Before teleworking, being on time at work and using the office hours beneficially were important; however, now doing tasks during the time, when the speed of the RASA and the Internet is good, is essential. We are busy with the duties round-the-clock.
Another respondent in a similar manner noted: Teleworking is a suitable solution for saving time and for time management; however, in these situations and with this speed of RASA and the Internet, we have less progress in working and our nerve becomes wracked.
The other drawback, which 38 respondents emphasized, was ‘excessive workload’. Some of them believed that the increase in workload affected some benefits of teleworking: The excessive workload and the speed of the Internet and RASA in our organization have lots of ups and downs. If the speed was good, and the workload was less than now, the main targets of the teleworking would be fulfilled.
Another respondent impressed: The increase of workload and the system problems have caused more pressure for me.
And her co-worker added: My work stress has been increased at home, because I have to work more than before in a short time to produce CIP. Now it seems that I have round-the-clock work, but I cannot finish it on time.
Furthermore, some of the teleworkers talked about health-related problems. One respondent, for example, said: I had physical problems and I could not commute easily and do tasks completely in the office. Now I am satisfied with teleworking; however, I hope the excessive workload would diminish so that we have better conditions.
Another teleworker pointed out: By increasing the workload but not in salary, we see a decrease in the teleworkers’ motivation. They continue working in this situation and do not complain, because they like to continue teleworking. The managers do not pay due attention to the teleworkers’ motivation as a factor for improving the work efficiency.
Some respondents pointed out the problems that teleworking has caused for their family/work life balance: Paying attention to the teleworking benefits without taking into account the problems such as the family’s expectations of the teleworkers makes them unsatisfied. The teleworkers are both employee and family member (mother or wife) at the same time. Therefore, often it is difficult to make a balance between family life and work life. Sometimes, the excessive workload does not let you enjoy the family life, and on the other hand, family issues affect your work, especially when you face excessive workload.
Another teleworker stated: I think physical presence at home is not the sole criterion, because a mother teleworker, who has to send her child to the kindergarten and, due to excessive workload, works at the weekend too, would not have more time to spend with her family and her child.
Her co-worker explained this problem as below: At first, my husband welcomed my teleworking; however, he does not nowadays. He thinks my job has interfered in my family life a lot.
A teleworker referred to the differences between married and unmarried teleworkers in work: Teleworking can be good if it has clear definition for the work hours and the workload. In addition, the situation of teleworking is not equal for all teleworkers; single teleworkers are different from the married ones. However, the office situations are equal for both of these two groups. Single teleworkers have more spare time to work overtime, while the married ones have extra duties plus the work tasks. Managers should not compare these two groups with each other, or treat them equally.
In this case, a respondent mentioned: Teleworkers have another big problem: they have triple work at home. At the same time, they are housewives, mothers, and employees. When the workload increases, their stress increases too. Sometimes, we work from 7 am to 6 pm; however, we cannot manage our tasks at the end of the day.
Additional drawbacks of teleworking
As mentioned previously, many of the respondents emphasized the excessive workload and explained it: The only problem is the gradual increase in the workload that makes other problems.
Another respondent mentioned the difference in the abilities of teleworkers and said: The managers expect all teleworkers to work equally; however, the situations are different for them. Some teleworkers have more competencies and abilities and thus can work more than the others deprived of these God-given talents. The managers must not compare the teleworkers with each other and treat them equally.
One of the teleworkers noted the difficulties which the excessive workload has produced: As you know, teleworking was basically developed for reducing the problems of commuting and stress, and producing balance between the work and the family life. On the contrary, increases in the workload would multiply family problems little by little.
Her colleague explained further: Just because the teleworkers work excessively, it does not mean that they are satisfied with the workload. They are afraid that their teleworking would be canceled.
Here again, one of the respondents impressed the inflexibility of the working hours and stated: Another problem is about the flexibility. If we had flexible hours and we could choose our working hours, there would be less network traffic, and certainly the speed of the Internet and the RASA software would be better than now. Most of the time, during work hours, the speed is too low, and sometimes, the network is disconnected. We lose the useful time, then we have to work in the evening too.
Discussion
Teleworking is the practice of working at a location remote from the workplace by using the telecommunication technologies. Teleworking advocates claim that it has benefits and advantages for the employees, employers and society. On the other hand, some researchers have demonstrated that teleworking can also have drawbacks and disadvantages for these groups. To identify the benefits of teleworking in the Department of Information Processing of NLAI, the current research has surveyed the regulations, benefits and drawbacks of teleworking in this department.
Due to the limitation of having to wear the hijab in the office, for respondents ‘having informal/casual clothes’ was the most significant benefit of teleworking for them. Similarly, Smith and Van Dyke (2008) and Prati (2002) have pointed out the benefits in teleworking of not having to dress formally for work.
Tehran is crowded and full of traffic which makes commuting difficult; therefore, the benefit of reduction of commuting time is meaningful for Tehran’s teleworkers. Teleworking saves the teleworkers’ travel time and causes them to spend more time on the job (Abdel-Wahab, 2007; Baruch, 2000; Blake, 1999; Carr, 2006; Smith and Van Dyke, 2008) or with family (Baruch, 2000; Johanson, 2007) and this has provided the teleworkers’ with satisfaction. In addition, this benefit brings a better work-life balance (Blake, 1999; Duncan, 2008; O’Brien and Hayden, 2008; Prati, 2002), especially for the women with young children (Abdel-Wahab, 2007).
In view of the fact that the teleworkers in the present work (who all are female) did not have to cover their head and wear formal clothes at home, it would provide them with a comfortable work environment. Like respondents in the current study, Ellis and Webster (1997) notified that telecommuting gave a greater sense of control over the job for telecommuters. It is clear that ‘fewer interruptions from co-workers’ results in the improvement in teleworkers’ concentration (Blake, 1999; Carr, 2006; Ellis and Webster, 1997; Prati, 2002) and so better control on the job. This causes the teleworkers to have better organization of their work and more productivity (Abdel-Wahab, 2007; Baruch, 2000; Blake, 1999; Carr, 2006; Duncan, 2008; Valmohammadi, 2012).
The teleworkers in this study do not spend time on commuting and chatting with their co-workers and so they have less stress and less pressure on the job (Abdel-Wahab, 2007; Baruch, 2000; Prati, 2002; Valmohammadi, 2012); they have more energy instead. Besides, not having to commute and not being in polluted air would reduce sick-days among the teleworkers. Also Blake (1999) suggests that teleworking would reduce the probability of having days off because of sickness.
Ellis and Webster (1997) believe that on the economic front, telecommuting employees could save on the transportation, food, clothing, and child care costs. Similarly, the respondents measure ‘saving commuting costs’ as one of the prominent advantages of teleworking in NLAI.
One of the other most significant requirements of teleworking is having a good technological infrastructure; however, the most important drawback of teleworking in the view of the teleworkers in the Department of Information Processing of NLAI was ‘technological problems’. Although they emphasized the benefits of teleworking, they mentioned (in open-ended questions) that the benefits depend on the speed of the network. A well-functioning Internet connection is necessary for a successful teleworking experience (Smith and Van Dyke, 2008). The low speed of the network has influenced some important benefits of teleworking in NLAI and made the teleworkers unsatisfied. As Valmohammadi (2012) mentioned in his research in Iran, the most important barrier for teleworking is poor IT infrastructure and lack of full e-government realization, especially the low speed of the Internet in the country.
Inflexibility in time was the other significant drawbacks of teleworking in NLAI. Although there are a huge number of research reports in the literature showing that telecommuting is a form of ‘flexible work’, the teleworking in NLAI is not flexible. For example, the teleworkers in this research have to work during office hours. However, in other studies, telecommuters were not obliged to work in this way; rather they could manage their time themselves. One of the teleworkers in the University of London Library noted: I am able to work at any time of the day, as the computer catalogue is always available, unless work is being carried out on the system. There are no distractions from other workers, or demands upon me to undertake any other duties. This means I am able to concentrate on the task in hand (Blake, 1999: 52).
Concerning flexibility, Phil Bradley feels he works more effectively and achieves higher productivity. With more flexibility to choose his hours of work, he finds he can get a lot done between midnight and 4.00 am. He does as much work in three to four hours at home as he would in a whole day in the office, because there are no interruptions at home (Blake, 1999).
Similarly, Duncan (2008) notes: The Associate Director for Technical Services felt very strongly that encouraging flexible work schedules and work/life balance was essential to the retention of morale among staff.
Similarly, the results of another study reported that library managers need to develop an understanding of flexible worker demands and requirements. There is evidence that flexible workers have different reasons for such working from their full time colleagues, and presumably, value different things in the workplace (Goulding and and Kerslake, 1996).
On the one hand, an increase in the workload has caused the teleworkers to face some problems like disturbance to the family/work life balance, and so more pressure and stress. Most of the teleworkers work excessively, just because they are afraid that their teleworking would be canceled. It makes them become workaholic, which in turn has some other problems. Litchfield quoted that this fact can be due to their need to prove that they are productive (Armour, 2001 in Prati, 2002: 14). But it should not be forgotten that this may lead to the danger of burnout.
As mentioned, these drawbacks can cause another significant problem: an imbalance between work and family life. However, there are other reports showing that the main benefit of teleworking is the work/life balance (Blake, 1999; Duncan, 2008; O’Brien and Hayden, 2008; Prati, 2002). The current research respondents also believe that work and family balance is one of the greatest values of teleworking; however, the low speed of the network and the increase in the workload has impacted upon it. Duncan (2008) believes that the greatest personal challenge of working from home is defining a clear boundary between when you are ‘at work’ and when you are ‘at home’.
Conclusion
The findings of the present research regarding teleworkers’ perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of teleworking in the Department of Information Processing of NLAI revealed that they have a positive perception of teleworking in this department. Although they have some problems in teleworking at home, just two teleworking drawbacks are significant for them; ‘low speed of the RASA software’ and ‘low speed of the Internet’.
One of the differences in the views of the respondents, as compared with the findings of other studies, relates to ‘personal and society isolation’. The respondents in this work do not believe that teleworking has made them isolated personally and socially. However, in most of other studies, the teleworkers referred to isolation as one of the most significant drawbacks of telecommuting.
‘Inflexibility of work time’ was the other meaningful problem of teleworking in the present work. As mentioned, teleworking throughout the world is meant as a flexible work method, but in the Department of Information Processing of NLAI, the teleworkers have to telecommute during office hours. Most of the teleworkers (93.3%) have requested flexible time (Table 2) to have better work situation, reduction in the number of users in work hours, and thus increased network speed, resulting in more efficiency and productivity.
Another problem the teleworkers in this research reported was the excessive workload that makes them stressed. This problem may be intensified by the low speed of the network and the short time of CIP, which is the main duty of teleworkers in book cataloguing and authority groups. On the other hand, since most of the teleworkers in the Department of Information Processing of NLAI are married (78.3%) with double responsibilities (work and family); therefore, this problem (excessive workload) can put extra pressure and stress on them.
Recommendations
Considering the benefits of teleworking mentioned in this research and the other reports in the literature, it is necessary to take some actions to solve the problems associated with teleworking in Iranian library and information centres including NLAI. The most vital and significant measure is the improvement in the network speed. As the greatest problem of the teleworkers in the Department of Information Processing of NLAI was the low speed of the RASA and the Internet, the improvement in the network speed should be a top priority.
Since more than three years have passed from the start of teleworking in Iran, it is time to refine the regulations regarding the workplace situations and the kind of work. In this regard, similar research should be conducted in other Iranian organizations (which have adopted teleworking) to gather more and suitable information for refining the teleworking regulations.
Another action that the managers in NLAI can take is investigating the possibility of flexibility in working hours. Flexible work time has a mutual benefit for both the teleworkers and the managers. It reduces the number of users during peak hours, so the speed of the network would be better. On the other hand, teleworkers can manage their time better through having flexible time.
Footnotes
Appendix: Research Questionnaire
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.