Title: Telecommuting in higher education: faculty perceptions of strategic implications for traditional postsecondary institutions

Authors: Jennifer Percival, Ellen Vogel, Bill Muirhead

Addresses: Faculty of Business and Information Technology, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario L1G 8B7, Canada. ' Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario L1G 8B7, Canada. ' University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario L1G 8B7, Canada

Abstract: The number of people telecommuting or teleworking has been increasing steadily in corporate and government organisations. Telecommuting has also seen an increase in higher education due to distance and open universities. Given the availability of technology to support online communication and collaborations, as well as both faculty and student comfort with technology, the use of telecommuting on traditional university campuses as a viable alternative to brick and mortar offices deserves analysis. This study offers a preliminary look from the faculty perspective of the requirements that should be included in the development of a comprehensive telecommuting policy in order for it to provide a competitive advantage for employee recruitment and retention.

Keywords: teleworking; faculty perceptions; strategic implications; post-secondary institutions; distance learning; open universities; online communication; online collaboration; internet; world wide web; ICT; information technology; communications technology; student comfort; university campuses; office accommodation; telecommuting policies; competitive advantage; employee recruitment; employee retention; University of Ontario Institute of Technology; UOIT; Canada; education management; higher education; competitive edge; competitiveness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2011.039489

International Journal of Management in Education, 2011 Vol.5 No.2/3, pp.271 - 284

Published online: 12 Feb 2015 *

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