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

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