Analyzing the effects of telecommuting practices of professional staff on the cultural strength of an organization

Organizations are becoming increasingly dependent on telework, and how remote employees are managed increasingly important to business performance. A strong culture is important in professional organizations and has been linked to effective client relationships. Using the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP), this study investigated the link between the employees' work arrangements and cultural strength, indicated by value congruence. A sample of 310 participants from the European divisions of a multinational information technology consulting company completed the survey. Using a definition of telecommuting as working more than 30% of their work week from home, 142 office-based employees and 166 home-based employees were surveyed. Value congruence between the employees' own values and those of the organization and their managers showed no significant differences. This contradicted previous research findings that indicated a change in the levels of socialization with managers and employees as experienced in telecommuting would reduce congruence with organizational values. One significant finding of this study was that higher levels of autonomy in telecommuters significantly increased value congruence between self-values and those of the organization in 2 OCP value factors, competitiveness and social responsibility. This may relate to Schwartz's concept of individualism, which suggests the need for increased autonomy.;This study took place in a company with a well-established telecommuting program. A number of company designated office based workers was found to spend time working from home. Thirty-three office based employees spent 30% or more of their time working from home. The study also discovered similarities in communication patterns between telecommuters and office based employees. Although this study was somewhat exploratory, further investigation into this aspect is needed to assess of the impact of telecommuting on both telecommuters and office-based employees and their communication patterns as well as on the overall cultural strength of the organization. Informal social networks between employees in both categories need to be encouraged and maintained. In consulting or other service organizations, the client's perceptions of the organization's employees create expectations of consistency that may decline if comprehensive telecommuting program reduce cultural strength not just within the telecommuting population, but also throughout the employee and management groups.