Work and Rewards in the Virtual Workplace : A "New Deal" for Organizations and Employees

WORK AND REWARDS IN THE VIRTUAL WORKPLACE A 'New Deal' for Organizations and Employees

What is the 'virtual workplace'? It is a world where networks of people engage in work, but are not bound by the traditional limitations of time and space -- they need not work in the same place or keep standard business hours. And it is a growing reality for many companies.

The question for managers is: How do you manage workflow and employee efforts in what seems such an amorphous situation? This forward-thinking book presents an original three-stage model for the virtual workplace and provides case studies that illustrate how this model is working today. Readers learn:

** the skills and competencies required for success ** how work gets assigned, monitored, and measured ** the critical role of rewards and compensation in this new environment ** how to manage the 'blended workplace' that is a combination of regular, contract, and temporary employees ** how to 'go virtual' gradually, at a pace that is right for each organization Readers will get a clear picture of the work skills and competencies they will need to operate successfully as old organizational structures give way to the exciting and challenging environment of the virtual workplace.

N. FREDRIC CRANDALL, Ph.D., and MARC J. WALLACE, Ph.D. (Northbrook, IL) are nationally recognized experts on organizational change, human resources strategies, compensation, and rewards. Both have written and lectured widely, and Dr. Wallace is the author of more than 10 bestselling textbooks. They are partners in the prestigious consulting firm, Center for Workforce Effectiveness.

By now, telecommuting is a well-defined word in the corporate U.S. But how about frontline workplace? Or cyberlink workplace? Consultants Crandall and Wallace make convincing arguments about the efficacies of virtual work, and they outline detailed processes and qualifications for any organization contemplating such a move. In a very logical, almost scholarly, fashion, they define terms, explain implementation, demolish perceived and real obstacles, and prove their points via a few case histories. Yet this is not a cut-and-dried book, for the excitement of dramatic changes to our collective workplaces is captured in the descriptions. Chiat/Day assigns its employees a cell phone and a laptop, period. And at Ross Operating Valve, customers actually lead the creative design process. Job satisfaction? You bet. And a much more productive group of employees. Most important for companies interested in these virtual ideas will be the economics chapter, describing in black and white (and sometimes red) the costs involved. Barbara Jacobs