Improving Corporate E-mail Communications with Employees at Remote Locations: A Quantitative Study in Progress

摘要

Today's company managers arc under pressure to manage employees residing in different cities, states and countries, and are pressured to adapt to the changing definition of the workplace. Mayor (2001) describes the traditional 9:00-5:00, one office location, as archaic; advocates for having employees at remote locations; and advises managers to learn to effectively communicate without the luxury of in-person or facc-to-face interaction. Companies arc setting up remote offices so employees or telecommuters can work from or near home, are physically close to clients, and to cross boundaries of time, distance, culture, and geography. Melcrum (2000) wrote that the increase in the number of remote locations accommodates work/life balance of telcworkers by reducing travel and time away from home, and is supported and enabled by technological advancements such as computers, the world wide web, video conferencing, cellular phones, pocket-size computers, wi-fi, and electronic mail (email) - the predominant communication channel of telcworkers and the topic of this quantitative research project.