Virtual workplace

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A virtual workplace is a work environment where employees can perform their duties remotely, using technology such as laptops, smartphones, and video conferencing tools. A virtual workplace is not located in any one physical space. It is usually a network of several workplaces technologically connected (via a private network or the Internet) without regard to geographic boundaries. Employees are thus able to interact in a collaborative working environment regardless of where they are located. A virtual workplace integrates hardware, people, and online processes. [1]

Contents

The phenomenon of a virtual workplace has grown in the 2000s as advances in technology have made it easier for employees to work from anywhere with an internet connection.

The virtual workplace industry includes companies that offer remote work solutions, such as virtual meeting (teleconference) software and project management tools. Consulting firms can also help companies transition to a virtual workplace if needed. The latest technology evolution in the space is virtual office software which allows companies to gather all their team members in one virtual workplace. [2] Companies in a variety of industries, including technology, finance, and healthcare, are turning to virtual workplaces to increase employee flexibility and productivity, reduce office costs, and attract and retain top talent. Recently, there have been four industries that consider remote work suitable: communications and information technology, educational services, media and communications, and professional and business services. [3]

History

As information technology began to play a greater role in the daily operations of organizations, virtual workplaces developed as an augmentation or alternative to traditional work environments of rooms, cubicles and office buildings.

In 2010, the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 required each Executive agency in the United States to establish a policy allowing remote work to the maximum extent possible, so long as employee performance is not diminished. [4] [5] [6]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of workers began remote work for the first time. [7] 88% of office workers worldwide reported working from home during the pandemic, which was novel for 57%. [8]

Research from IWG found that 70% of employees globally work remotely at least one day every week, and more than half do so at least half of the week. [9]

Cities in which the population of remote workers increased significantly were referred to as Zoom towns. [10]

Types

Individual virtual workplaces vary in how they apply existing technology to facilitate team cooperation:

  1. Remote work: the availability and use of communications technologies, such as the Internet, to work in an offsite location.
  2. Hot desking: employees do not have individual desks but are rather each day allocated to a desk where they can access technology services including the Internet, email and computer network files. This is similar to "Hoteling": recognizing that employees spend more time at clients' offices than at the employer's office, they are not assigned a permanent desk.
  3. Virtual team: employees collaborate by working closely together and in regular contact, although physically located in different parts of the world.

Drivers

There are several factors that drive the interest in using virtual workplaces.

Office space and its cost

Office space has become a major expense for many organisations, [11] and virtual meetings can save money [12] by being a direct substitute of meeting face to face. [13] One response has been to reduce the amount of space each employee occupies. Another is to increase the flexibility of the office's layout and design.[ citation needed ] It is not easy to make the most of these approaches and keep employees happy — unless flexible work practices are also used.[ citation needed ]

Fuel and energy costs

The expenses of the energy consumption to physically commute are increasing rapidly. Planners and public policymakers share a strong belief that remote work with a virtual workspace is one of the most sustainable and competitive modes of commuting in terms of travel time and cost, flexibility, and environmental impacts. [14]

Challenges

Some common challenges are:

  1. Failure to leverage the technology that supports virtual workplaces, resulting in decreased productivity[ citation needed ]
  2. Lack of human contact could cause decreased team spirit, trust and productivity (and researchers indicate trust is a vital aspect) [15]
  3. Increased sensitivity to communication, interpersonal and cultural factors
  4. Cultural diversity is not yet achieving the expected benefits [16]
  5. Virtual offices might cause a lack of social interactions and creativity, since the on-site office is often one of the most important source of stress for employees. [17]

Virtual workplace software

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remote work</span> Employees working from any location

Remote work is the practice of working from one's home or another space rather than from an office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small office/home office</span> Category of business or cottage industry that involves from 1 to 10 workers

Small office/home office refers to the category of business or cottage industry that involves from 1 to 10 workers. In New Zealand, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) defines a small office as 6–19 employees and a micro office as 1–5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cubicle</span> Office furniture meant to allow for concentration

A cubicle is a partially enclosed office workspace that is separated from neighboring workspaces by partitions that are usually 5–6 feet (1.5–1.8 m) tall. Its purpose is to isolate office workers and managers from the sights and noises of an open workspace so that they may concentrate with fewer distractions. Cubicles are composed of modular elements such as walls, work surfaces, overhead bins, drawers, and shelving, which can be configured depending on the user's needs. Installation is generally performed by trained personnel, although some cubicles allow configuration changes to be performed by users without specific training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Office</span> Room where administrative work is performed

An office is a space where the employees of an organization perform administrative work in order to support and realize the various goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. In the adjective form, the term "office" may refer to business-related tasks. In law, a company or organization has offices in any place where it has an official presence, even if that presence consists of a storage silo, for example, instead of a more traditional establishment with a desk and chair. An office is also an architectural and design phenomenon, including small offices, such as a bench in the corner of a small business or a room in someone's home, entire floors of buildings, and massive buildings dedicated entirely to one company. In modern terms, an office is usually the location where white-collar workers carry out their functions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collaboration tool</span> Tool that helps people to collaborate

A collaboration tool helps people to collaborate. The purpose of a collaboration tool is to support a group of two or more individuals to accomplish a common goal or objective. Collaboration tools can be either of a non-technological nature such as paper, flipcharts, post-it notes or whiteboards. They can also include software tools and applications such as collaborative software.

A virtual office is part of the flexible workspace industry that provides businesses with any combination of services, space and/or technology, without those businesses bearing the capital expenses of owning or leasing a traditional office.

A virtual team usually refers to a group of individuals who work together from different geographic locations and rely on communication technology such as email, instant messaging, and video or voice conferencing services in order to collaborate. The term can also refer to groups or teams that work together asynchronously or across organizational levels. Powell, Piccoli and Ives (2004) define virtual teams as "groups of geographically, organizationally and/or time dispersed workers brought together by information and telecommunication technologies to accomplish one or more organizational tasks." As documented by Gibson (2020), virtual teams grew in importance and number during 2000-2020, particularly in light of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic which forced many workers to collaborate remotely with each other as they worked from home.

Hot desking is a work office organization system where each space is available for any worker, rather than reserved for a specific worker, so different workers may use the same spot along the day or week. The "desk" in the name refers to a table or other work space being shared by multiple workers on different shifts as opposed to every staff member having their own personal desk. A primary motivation for hot-desking is cost reduction through space savings—up to 30% in some cases. Hot desking is especially valuable in cities where real estate prices are high.

Hoteling is a method of office management in which workers dynamically schedule their use of workspaces such as desks, cubicles, and offices. It is an alternative approach to the more traditional method of permanently assigned seating. Hoteling is reservation-based unassigned seating; employees reserve a workspace before they come to work in an office. An alternate method of handling unassigned seating is hot desking, which does not involve reservations; with hot-desking, a worker chooses a workspace upon arrival, rather than reserving it in advance. The use of the term has declined in recent years.

Workforce management (WFM) is an institutional process that maximizes performance levels and competency for an organization. The process includes all the activities needed to maintain a productive workforce, such as field service management, human resource management, performance and training management, data collection, recruiting, budgeting, forecasting, scheduling and analytics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workforce productivity</span> Concept in economics

Workforce productivity is the amount of goods and services that a group of workers produce in a given amount of time. It is one of several types of productivity that economists measure. Workforce productivity, often referred to as labor productivity, is a measure for an organisation or company, a process, an industry, or a country.

Employee scheduling software automates the process of creating and maintaining a schedule. Automating the scheduling of employees increases productivity and allows organizations with hourly workforces to re-allocate resources to non-scheduling activities. Such software will usually track vacation time, sick time, compensation time, and alert when there are conflicts. As scheduling data is accumulated over time, it may be extracted for payroll or to analyze past activity. Although employee scheduling software may or may not make optimization decisions, it does manage and coordinate the tasks. Today's employee scheduling software often includes mobile applications. Mobile scheduling further increased scheduling productivity and eliminated inefficient scheduling steps. It may also include functionality including applicant tracking and on-boarding, time and attendance, and automatic limits on overtime. Such functionality can help organizations with issues like employee retention, compliance with labor laws, and other workforce management challenges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open plan</span> Floor plan that makes use of large open spaces

Open plan is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan that makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms such as private offices. The term can also refer to landscaping of housing estates, business parks, etc., in which there are no defined property boundaries, such as hedges, fences, or walls.

A virtual help desk allows IT support organizations to virtually deploy IT technicians on demand to support a computer user experiencing technical issues. IT can efficiently manage and allocate global help desk resources, including – most importantly – its personnel, to access any computer to provide support despite the end user or IT rep location. Virtual help desks allow IT reps to virtually access end systems through support sessions where they can diagnose and fix computer issues quickly. This eliminates in-person customer service calls and/or ineffective phone-only tech support sessions, making the help desk more efficient. Another objective of the virtual help desk is to improve IT resource management and save organization's money by increasing IT support efficiencies. Through an enhanced ability to allocate resources, IT organizations have the flexibility to create new ways of using its technical support knowledgebase. This technology usually requires a software implementation and support contract.

A distributed workforce is a workforce dispersed geographically over a wide area, without requiring teammates to be within the confines of a single office. Workers may access the organization's resources and communicate to each other through information technology such as wide area networks and the Internet.

Asana, Inc., is an American software company based in San Francisco whose flagship Asana service is a web and mobile "work management" platform designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work. Asana, Inc. was founded in 2008 by Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein. The product launched commercially in April 2012. In September 2020, the company was valued at $5.5 billion following its direct listing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Office space planning</span> Process of organizing workspace layout

Office space planning is the process of organizing the workplace layout, furniture and office functions to work effectively together, while using space efficiently. Floor plans should consider the workgroup function, building codes and regulations, lighting, teaming requirements, inter-communication and storage, as well as zoning for employee workstations, task space needs, support rooms and reception areas to make the best use of available space. Optimising office spaces with effective space planning can aid circulation, productivity and improve workplace wellness, as well as the health and safety of occupants.

Activity-based working (ABW) is an organizational strategic framework that recognizes that people often perform a variety of activities in their day-to-day work, and therefore need a variety of work settings supported by the right technology and culture to carry out these activities effectively. Based on activity, individuals, teams, and the organization are empowered to achieve their full potential by developing a culture of connection, inspiration, accountability, and trust. On a personal level, ABW also enables each person to organize their work activities in a way that best suits what and with whom they are trying to accomplish, promoting productivity and engagement at work. Although not normally implemented as a cost-saving business strategy, it can produce efficiencies and cost savings through more effective collaboration and team work. Inspiring spaces that evolve from an activity-based approach are designed to create opportunities for a variety of workplace activities, ranging from intense focused work to collaboration, as well as areas for meetings, whether formal or impromptu.

Data center management is the collection of tasks performed by those responsible for managing ongoing operation of a data center. This includes Business service management and planning for the future.

A flexible work arrangement (FWA) empowers an employee to choose what time they begin to work, where to work, and when they will stop work. The idea is to help manage work-life balance and benefits of FWA can include reduced employee stress and increased overall job satisfaction. On the contrary, some refrain from using their FWA as they fear the lack of visibility can negatively affect their career. Overall, this type of arrangement has a positive effect on incompatible work/family responsibilities, which can be seen as work affecting family responsibilities or family affecting work responsibilities. FWA is also helpful to those who have a medical condition or an intensive care-giving responsibility, where without FWA, part-time work would be the only option.

References

  1. ↑ "Getting started — eXo Platform 5.3 documentation - Space definition". docs.exoplatform.org. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  2. ↑ Woo, Erin (2021-07-06). "Work at Home or the Office? Either Way, There's a Start-Up for That". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  3. ↑ Tahlyan, Divyakant; Said, Maher; Mahmassani, Hani; Stathopoulos, Amanda; Walker, Joan; Shaheen, Susan (2022-01-01). "For whom did telework not work during the Pandemic? understanding the factors impacting telework satisfaction in the US using a multiple indicator multiple cause (MIMIC) model". Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice. 155: 387–402. doi:10.1016/j.tra.2021.11.025. ISSN   0965-8564. PMC   9759408 . PMID   36570728.
  4. ↑ "Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 (2010 - H.R. 1722)". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  5. ↑ "Legislation - Telework.gov". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  6. ↑ "Statement by the Press Secretary". whitehouse.gov. 2010-12-09. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  7. ↑ "'Work from anywhere' is here to stay. How will it change our workplaces?". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  8. ↑ Travis, Michelle A. "A POST-PANDEMIC ANTIDISCRIMINATION APPROACH TO WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY".
  9. ↑ Browne, Ryan. "70% of people globally work remotely at least once a week, study says". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  10. ↑ Rosalsky, Greg (September 8, 2020). "Zoom Towns And The New Housing Market For The 2 Americas".
  11. ↑ Carter Jonas. "With London office rents predicted to increase by 13% by 2017, tenants are seeking ways to reduce their property footprint". Carter Jonas. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  12. ↑ Verderber, Rudolph F.; Verderber, Kathleen S.; Sellnow, Deanna D. (2014-01-01). COMM3. Cengage Learning. p. 122. ISBN   978-1-305-43696-1.
  13. ↑ Anna, Mellin; Alice, Dahlstrand; Anders, Lewald; David, Mowitz (2021-02-01). Sustainable Nordic cities with focus on climate smart mobility. Nordic Council of Ministers. p. 16. ISBN   978-92-893-6923-7.
  14. ↑ Kim, Seung-Nam (2017-02-07). "Is telecommuting sustainable? An alternative approach to estimating the impact of home-based telecommuting on household travel". International Journal of Sustainable Transportation. 11 (2): 72–85. doi:10.1080/15568318.2016.1193779. ISSN   1556-8318. S2CID   156991681.
  15. ↑ Harney, Owen; Hogan, Michael J.; Broome, Benjamin J. (December 2012). "Collaborative learning: the effects of trust and open and closed dynamics on consensus and efficacy" (pdf). Social Psychology of Education. 15 (4): 517–532. doi:10.1007/s11218-012-9202-6. ISSN   1573-1928. OCLC   11218. S2CID   40620898.
  16. ↑ Han, Soo Jeoung; Beyerlen, Michael (August 2016). "Framing the Effects of Multinational Cultural Diversity on Virtual Team Processes". Small Group Research. 47 (4): 351–383. doi:10.1177/1046496416653480. ISSN   1046-4964. S2CID   148547063.
  17. ↑ Stich, Jean-François (2020-07-02). "A review of workplace stress in the virtual office". Intelligent Buildings International. 12 (3): 208–220. doi:10.1080/17508975.2020.1759023. ISSN   1750-8975. S2CID   218949023.
  18. ↑ "Best Project Management Software Of 2023 – Forbes Advisor". www.forbes.com. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  19. ↑ "What is productivity software?". WhatIs.com. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  20. ↑ "Best Video Conferencing Software Of 2023 – Forbes Advisor". www.forbes.com. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  21. ↑ "What is Cloud Storage? Cloud Storage Definition | Search Storage". Storage. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  22. ↑ Lu, Yiren; Abella, Derek (2021-02-17). "The Race to Fix Virtual Meetings". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  23. ↑ "What is employee engagement software? | Definition from TechTarget". HR Software. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  24. ↑ "8 Best Antivirus Software (February 2023) – Forbes Advisor". www.forbes.com. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  25. ↑ "Using digital technology to support employees' mental health | McKinsey". www.mckinsey.com. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
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