Does I.T help or hinder us in achieving work life balance?
BEM3002 Assignment 2003-4
Does I.T help or hinder us in achieving work life balance?
Student Number: 510006084
Candidate Number: 020332
Does I.T help or hinder us in achieving work-life balance?
A Literature Review
Work life balance has always been a concern of those interested in the quality of working life and its relation to a broader quality of life. Yet recently it has come to the fore in contemporary debates because excessive demands of work are perceived to present a distinctive issue that needs to be addressed. Individuals and organisations are beginning to realise that achieving a suitable work-life balance is a further-reaching issue than many first thought. Advances in information technology provide new opportunities. For technology to assist in achieving work-life balance it is crucial that the existing social structures in which they are introduced are considered.
This literature review intends on looking at and analysing various documents predominantly found on the World Wide Web. Books tend to go out of date as soon as they are published due to constant developments of technology. It will interpret what has been written and gain an understanding into what technology has done to the work-life balance - helped or hindered. Categorising divisions of works under review will allow the synthesis of information and provide a valid understanding of the area of research.
There has been much written on the importance of improving the work-life balance. A survey carried out by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and 'Management Today', revealed that one in five workers want a better work life balance (Hazarika, 2002.) The study also raises concerns about long hours and illness. British industry loses £370 million every year to stress-related sick leave. DTI minister Patricia Hewitt believes that a "motivated and healthy employee is more valuable to a business than someone who suffers from high stress levels" (Hewitt, 2003.) The government is promoting the benefits of work-life balance through the 'Department of Trade and Industry Work/Life Balance Campaign.' This in itself is evidence that work-life balance is gaining importance in today's 24/7 environments.
David E Guest wrote a discussion paper on the 'Perspectives of the Study of Work-Life Balance,' he believes that part of the interest in the subject arises from the view that the scope for increased work from home has been facilitated by new technology. This idea is in agreement and has been developed by many other writers who believe that technology has improved the work-life balance.
There is no doubt that modern technology is changing the way the UK businesses work. Employment Relations Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said "using technology to work away from the traditional office environment has the potential to bring a wide range of benefits to both employers and employees." This point can be demonstrated by looking at a BT case study. Using technological advances it allows employees to make choices about where, how and when they work. Reduced overheads equate to a £52million saving per year along with 14% increased employee 'happiness.'
There is further evidence of technology improving work-life balance. Diane Perrons paper on 'The New Economy and the Work-Life Balance' emphasises how "new technologies and patterns of work allow the temporal and spatial boundaries of paid work to be extended." This paper describes how working from home enables individuals to combine work and family life. The web itself has become an important medium for social contact, and in some cases virtual connections consolidated through physical meetings. Overall, the findings indicate that the experience of home working is varied. Though much can be done through the Internet, face-to-face meetings are vital both to convince potential clients of their own merits and create an element of trust.
Perron's paper compiled at the beginning of 2003 has led to other such writers agreeing that technology has benefited working life. Nevertheless, it is important that it does not "simply allow life to be squeezed around the growing demands of work." In Kathy Rausch's article: 'Use Technology to Enhance Work/Life Balance, Don't Let it Use You,' she argues a strong point. She believes that technology can be "the villain or the hero." Technology should be used to your advantage and turned off when it's time to turn it off. Rausch is a founding partner of an e-business planning organisation. The subject of her article will not represent the whole of the population, but shows a company that understands that talented people are no longer willing to compromise their family life for their work.
A well-balanced article is that of technology journalist David Berlind. He writes, "leveraging technology has led to measurable productivity gains...but it has also led to a culture in which the lines between business and home life are blurring." Technologies that have been relevant to business lives are now equally relevant to personal lives; Berlind describes these devices as a way to "embrace the fusion of work and leisure." A problem that is associated with this fusion is a work vs. home connectivity issue. While at work, jokes are not wanted to intermingle with important business correspondences, but what time the grocer plans to deliver an internet-placed order is important so that you're home in time. Berlind's concluding thought is that technologies are available to help manage the convergence of work and personal lives but they were not designed to manage the mesh in mind.
Academics Worrall, Jones and Cooper researched into the area of managerial perceptions of work-life balance and found that the two halves of our lives - work and home appear to be increasingly out of date. They bring up a valid point concerning existing government programmes. How can rationales of economic growth through greater productivity and competitiveness be balanced with rationales for protecting the workforce from the stresses and pressures that these forces tend to engender?
All literature does not believe that technology is solely the answer to a good work-life balance. Developing an "organisational culture" is ...
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Academics Worrall, Jones and Cooper researched into the area of managerial perceptions of work-life balance and found that the two halves of our lives - work and home appear to be increasingly out of date. They bring up a valid point concerning existing government programmes. How can rationales of economic growth through greater productivity and competitiveness be balanced with rationales for protecting the workforce from the stresses and pressures that these forces tend to engender?
All literature does not believe that technology is solely the answer to a good work-life balance. Developing an "organisational culture" is the idea behind Claire McCartney's guide on work-life balance. As with other literature, work-life balance can result in tangible benefits to the bottom line. By putting work-life balance at the heart of their cultures and their strategic plans they will not only be satisfying employees and creating more equitable workplaces, but increasing their productivity and responding competitively to significant changes, such as a growing 24/7 lifestyle. This view is consistent with the Work Foundation study into 'About time for a change' by Alexandra Jones. These benefits will only be realised if work-life balance values and practices are embedded into the organisational culture. This approach concentrates on relationships and the support of the whole organisation; technology can still be associated within this frame of thought.
Technology can help a business support these relationships. A press notice by http://www.ukonline.gov.uk/ is valid evidence that "the use of technology within business communication between customers and suppliers is key to business growth." Within this press notice and other literature, a balance needs to be understood for the advantages of technology to transpire. A national newspaper writes "as with any technology, people will use it to death, it's the novelty factor. They need to learn to use it and realise its place in life as only a tool to help with working life."
Work-life balance is no doubt a very hot topic at the moment; the amount of literature written is unassailable evidence of that. Views have varied from Rauschs' 'Don't let it use you' to Perron's 'new technologies...allow temporal and spatial boundaries of paid work to be extended.' Opposing views are inevitable but it is the underlying strength of evidence that is of greatest importance. Perron's paper was written in conjunction with 'Employers for work-life Balance,' and thus has a more convincing argument since it is supported by commissioned research. The topic is far from researched; technology is constantly developing new devices that will assist in the balance of work and life. The question is as Berlind puts it, "where these products designed with managing the mesh in mind?"
Few researchers have managed to give a truly balanced view on the work-life aspect. The literature review has exposed a gap in the associated arena of study. In the following section I intend to look at the effects of information technology on both the social and work aspect. Gaining an understand of how computers have altered the way of life, has the Internet led to greater exchanges of human relationships and is the new way of working leading to a blur of the home and work divide?
References
Ashton W (2002) Businesses face growing technical demands from customers and suppliers http://www.internetforum.org.uk/newsdetails.php?ID=6 17 September
BT Case Study (2003) Improving work-life balance through technology The Work Foundation
Berlind D (2003) When work becomes life http://www.comment.zdnet.co.uk/other/0,39020682,39118290-2,00.html
Carrol J (2002) Too much Technology? CPSA April
Guest D (2001) Perspectives on the Study of Work-Life Balance A discussion paper The Management Centre King's College, London
Hazarika A (2002) UK workers struggle to balance work and quality of life as long hours and stress take hold http://www.dti.gov.uk/work-lifebalance/press300802.html
Hewitt P (2003) UK businesses prove work/life balance policies can improve a firm's bottom line Computer Weekly October p34
Jones A (2003) About time for change The Work Foundation, in association with Employers for Work-life Balance June
Kotadi M (2003) The DTI is urging employers to use modern technology to reduce employee stress levels ZDNet UK September 2
Perrons D (2003) The New Economy and the Work-Life Balance: Conceptual Explorations and a Case Study of New Media Gender, Work and Organisation January Vol.10 No.1
McCartney C (2003) Balance in your business, GuardianUnlimited, September 2
Rausch K (2003) Use Technology to Enhance Work/Life Balance, Don't Let it Use You August 15
Swinton A (2002) Study: Telecommuting is healthy for you ZDNet UK, October 15
Waddington, P (2002) A different way of working Information World Review March issue
Worrall L, Jones B & Cooper C (2003) Addicted to work? The blurring of the work/home divide People Management Vol 9 Issue 22, p48
Does IT help or hinder us in achieving a work-life balance?
Information technology is constantly developing; there is no doubt that systems and programmes, which were in use last year, have been adapted and updated to keep with the times. Facsimile machines are no longer the most efficient way to deliver information. People are now able to transmit lengthy documents to a recipient on the same network or anyone in the world via electronic mail. E-mail is just one capability of a computer, just one reason why people are now capable of working at home and communicating with their supplier, manager, fellow colleagues and customers more efficiently. Such significant changes in the business environment undoubtedly will have further impacts on the employees.
So what is work-life balance? It is a form of metaphor that can take many shapes; it can have both an objective meaning - a set of scales, and a subjective meaning - a physical and psychological meaning. This gives rise to the need to recognise that the balance can vary according to circumstances and that it will also differ across individuals. Part of the interest in this subject arises from the view that the scope for increased work from home, facilitated by new technology, has helped to blur the border between home and work. It is partly the overlap of the distinctions and the limitations between them that has stimulated interest in the topic.
With technology developing at a rapid rate comes both positive and negative effects. On one hand the leveraging of technology has led to measurable productivity gains, on the other it has led to a culture in which the lines between business and home life and work and leisure are merging. The pressures of work have been intensified over recent decades. Advances in information technology and the need for rapid response, all demand time and can be sources of pressure. The same technologies that have been prevalent to our business lives are now equally relevant to our personal lives. Ursula Huwes, an associate fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies, says 'The majority of people find it hard to draw boundaries and many take on huge workloads and thrive on it.' Huwes agrees that technology is the main factor behind this trend.
Teleworking is an increasingly common form of employment that enables employees to work both at home and in the office. It is a belief that teleworking creates considerable environmental and social benefits including reduced commuting and a better work-life balance for employees. One of Europe's leading providers of telecommunications services, BT, is participating in a European project on sustainable teleworking.1 The company began implementing telework schemes in 1990 and now probably has the largest number of teleworkers of any UK organisation. One of the first outputs from the project was an on-line survey of staff. Answers were received from 1874 people, all staff registered with Workabout - BT's official teleworking scheme. This scheme has proved a useful contribution of empirical evidence in demonstrating whether IT has helped or hindered us in achieving work-life balance.
A main reason for BT's encouragement of teleworking has been productivity, concerned with encouraging more efficient and effective working by employees. The survey found that a majority of respondents (78%) stated that they considered that they were more productive as a result of shifting to a form of home-based working. If employees are feeling more productive through their work it is likely to reduce pressure and family relationships feel less strain.
"I have a healthy balance between work and family life and as a result far more productive"
Respondent of Teleworking at BT
- The Economic, Environmental and Social Impacts of its workabout Scheme.
Many IT devices can alter the work-life balance. Videoconferencing is a system capable of linking various types of computers across networks. Participants can share data, voice, pictures, graphics and animation. It allows several geographically dispersed groups to work on the same project and communicate by video in real time. Such a system improves efficiency as less time is spent commuting leaving more time to be spent on the discussion at hand. Discussions can be saved for future purposes in case of need to verify any topic. Equally it is a technique that can improve company productivity. In the case of this topic, information technology allows employees to work at home but still be connected to the office via VPNs and other such groupware technologies.
A virtual private network (VPN) is a secure connection between two points across the Internet to transmit corporate data. In many businesses, the availability of wireless, telecommuting, and VPN technologies - although not explicitly set up keep people on their jobs 24/7, naturally providing a foundation for a 24/7 work culture. Many people lament this as an unfortunate evolutionary step of modern business. Others, who are so driven or motivated to succeed see the mixture of business and pleasure not as a sacrifice, but embrace it.
Information technology can help the work aspect of the work-life balance in the ways aforementioned. Nevertheless, there are other work life/personal life convergence challenges that loom. Although the capability exists to have multiple hardware profiles on a single system, which allows users to assign a work configuration to one profile and a home configuration to another, there is no way to have a 'shared' profile which allows to the two to merge. This can cause an imbalance between work and life, because important work related items are masked in a similar way that imperative personal emails are unopened when at work.
Electronic mail can lead to further work related problems. Unsolicited commercial email or spam is increasingly overwhelming mailboxes making email unusable. The Internet server provider, AOL handles 30 million messages a day, 30% being spam, a figure that is constantly rising. Email is becoming progressively more important within businesses but spam is creating a 'fog,' it is now much harder to sort out the legitimate mail. Filtering systems help but are not the answer since they use even more CPU and weigh the system down; sometimes valuable mail can be lost in the process. More importantly, huge amounts of spam require further time to displace normal email and thus creating an unfavourable balance between work and life.
For this and other technology-related problems that are relevant to the intermixing of our business and personal lives, it makes sense to look at ways to consolidate the two. But, unfortunately, there are barriers. Security problems arise; devices such as laptops, desktops and PDAs are increasingly becoming conduits through which security exploits enter corporate networks. Crime though a computer is significantly more expensive - costing an average of £60,000, compared to a normal crime that can cost just £1,600-£3,000. IT departments are able to respond with policy-orientated technologies that prevent the use of company furnished equipment for anything but company business. For example, accessing a shared printer on a home network through a corporately supplied device that's at home, but connected to a VPN is problematic to the point that most won't know what to do. Working at home is made more difficult, thus perhaps a need for more hours at the office finishing off jobs.
It is now necessary to look at the effects on the social side. It is easy to assume that advances in technology have made work easier and quicker and therefore led to greater leisure time. On one hand this is true because mundane tasks at work can be sped up, but on the other a 24/7 work culture is extending a workday into a time slot once reserved for precious quality family time.
The ability to work from home as viewed in the BT study shows that 85% of the 1779 respondents to the question 'overall how would you judge your quality of life over the past 12 months' stated that it was good or very good. Information technology has provided employees with this flexibility.
"By managing my time around what I have to do I can spend more time with my family, be less stressed and hence more focused and productive when carrying out my work."
"24hr availability of e-mail/intranet at home means I can progress work flow at anytime of day/night without having to make a special journey to a BT building."
In addition, Government policy over recent years has stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and one initiative cited as important in this is the availability of flexible working. This is emphasised in their 'Work/Life Balance Campaign' and in 2003 over a 1/5 of employees working full time had some type of flexible working arrangement (see table below.)
Table 4.18
Employees with flexible working patterns1, 20032
United Kingdom
Percentages
All
Males
Females
employees
Full-time employees
Flexible working hours
9.7
4.9
1.6
Annualised working hours
4.9
5.1
5.0
Four and a half day week
.8
.1
.5
Term-time working
.2
5.8
2.9
Nine day fortnight
0.4
0.3
0.3
Any flexible working pattern3
8.0
26.7
21.1
Part-time employees
Flexible working hours
6.6
8.4
8.0
Annualised working hours
3.4
4.2
4.0
Term-time working
3.9
1.2
9.8
Job sharing
.2
3.5
3.1
Any flexible working pattern3
6.9
26.7
24.8
Source: Labour Force Survey, Office for National Statistics
People can also exchange human relations through forms of information technology. Email and chat-rooms allow individuals to communicate easily, efficiently and more importantly, when they have time. Private chat channels such as msn messenger allow family members and friends to interact live, strengthening relationships that may have been lost due to distance or busy schedules. Chatting over the Internet could be further developed through the use of avatars. An avatar is an animated, articulated representation of a human and in some more sophisticated chat rooms will provide the facility to 'chat' over the 'net via the visual representation of interacting human forms. Communication is imperative for a good quality work life balance and information technology can help, by being the facilitator.
It is possible that IT can carry out routinely household's chores freeing up time for social activities, thus improving the work life balance. The Bluetooth standard allows low-power radio-based communications among wireless phones; devices that can operate each other without direct user intervention. Although not fully developed, a form of Bluetooth(r) will be able to monitor what is needed in the fridge and send an electronic order to the supermarket. Such a system can create a more favourable balance between work and life.
"What this means it that with the same technologies that most pundits think tie us to the office to the detriment of our home life, are in fact the very methods by which those of us with our priorities straight can achieve a balance."
In addition to information technology improving the social side of the balance, it is also possible that IT can hinder a pursued work-life balance. Although the majority of the BT survey suggests an improvement in their quality of life, a small minority felt that teleworking was having negative effects on their quality of life. 45% of the individuals felt that they have lost a useful transition between work and home:
"Conflict with being at home and 'at work' at the same time has been hard - it is more difficult to 'ignore' my partner when she is at home and I am 'at work.' It is easier to ignore open-plan office noise than home noise!"
Working at home becomes an issue of whether work is controlling you and whether it is ever possible to 'turn-off.' Without a clear divide between work and life it could lead to longer working hours. People feel that with no set hours and the use of laptops it is too easy to work for long periods, there is never an end point. Another, more teleworking-specific reason for longer working hours, is the way in which people use greater control of time to complete tasks in one go:
"Easier access to computer, systems and information etc tend to result in carrying on working until a job is completed to my satisfaction, rather than leaving it until the next day to complete."
It could be argued that information technology has led to increased working hours and had a adverse effect on quality of life, for example:
"I have spent more time working and less time with family related issues."
"I used to work on the garden on Saturday mornings, now I tend to work on the computer."
Life does not just refer to home-life; it can mean any form of social interaction. The chats in an office are valuable in terms of communicating information, maintaining relationships and providing stimulation. One potential downside of teleworking is the difficulty of adjusting to the lack of social interaction. The BT study showed that 48% felt strongly or agreed completely that there was a concern for loss of social interaction found in the traditional workplace. A reduction in social inclusion can be demotivating and can lead to depression, thus hindering the balance between work and life.
Blending work and family life with flexibility has become a significant business imperative. It is no longer an option for companies it must be aligned with their business strategy and will enable them to 'attract, motivate, and retain key talent.' Employers need to look closely at the hours their staff are working and how their work and home lives are balanced. Information technology has played a central role in achieving a work life balance. IT has had positive and negative effects on creating an acceptable balance of work and life. A question, which remains unanswered, is whether the technology community can respond with the products and services that will make the meshing of data, profiles and policies a seamless activity. Only time will tell.
Teleworking at BT - The Economic, Environmental and Social Impacts of its workabout Scheme. 14/10/2002
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