Can you hear me now? Adapting to the Virtual Workplace

Over the past few years, the concept of the virtual workplace has come about. The virtual workplace has begun "replacing some traditional nine-to-five workplaces with fixed central office locations" (Berman et al., 2010). It's not surprising that this trend has changed the relationships among colleagues and poses challenges to how supervisors effectively manage their employees. According to Selden, technology can be a positive change or a hindrance to efficiency. Which one it ends up being depends on various factors, including how managers and employees adapt to it.

The virtual workplace concept has brought about much debate. Some, especially those with kids, believe telecommuting and working from home has numerous advantages, including increased productivity; whereas, others think it's not good for business. A large number of parents love the idea of teleworking because it gives them a greater amount of flexibility in their work schedule and they are able to spend more time with their children. However, managers can have a difficult time overseeing and supervising their employees if they can't physically see them working. In fact, some CEO's, including Yahoo!'s CEO Marissa Mayer and Best Buy's CEO Hubert Joly, have banned their employees from working from home. This article, Working from home: Efficient and economical? Or corporate suicide?, talks about this decision and the discontent it has brought about among teleworking mothers and fathers. Naturally, many of them are upset with this new policy, but Mayer and Joly don't appear to be budging from their stand as they receive support from much of the rest of the business world. 

Karen Lojeski, in the video below, discusses the paradox of how the more connected we are, the more separate we actually are. In other words, the use of technology can actually hinder communication between coworkers. Colleagues who sit right next to each other may be just as far away from each other than those who are thousands of miles apart. In fact, some workers, as a result of the virtual workplace, report feeling more isolated in the virtual workplace. She also poses the question "how do we know which mode of communication to use when?". People are generally not trained to know when it is appropriate to use email, telephone, Skype, etc. in different situations.

The Melting Pot

The 21st century is seeing a more diverse workforce than it has in the past. Diversity is about differences among individuals. Each individual is unique and does not represent or speak for a particular group.The workforce has become more diverse not only through the increase of working women (discussed in the previous post), but also through the increase of various minorities in a wide range of occupations (Selden, 2009). A diverse workplace has a myriad of advantages: it increases marketing opportunities, recruitment, creativity, and business image; it allows organizations to effectively market to consumers from different backgrounds; and it allows the United States to remain competitive in an increasingly globalized world. 

Nevertheless, challenges to managing a diverse work population still exist. Managing diversity is more than simply acknowledging differences in people. It involves recognizing the value of differences, combating discrimination, and promoting inclusiveness (Green et al., 2012). Managers must understand discrimination and its consequences and have to understand their own cultural biases and prejudices. The following articles talk more about this subject from a myriad of perspectives:

• Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and the Required Managerial Tools
• The Top 10 Economic Facts of Diversity in the Workplace: A Diverse Workforce Is Integral to a Strong Economy
• The Top 50 Companies for Diversity
• The State of Diversity in Today’s Workforce
• Diversity at Ford Motors

Out of the Kitchen and into the Office

Hanna Rosin on the Rise of Women:

Hanna Rosin speaks about the rise of women  and "the end of men" in the workplace. According to her, women have the skills that the current economy demands (intelligence, ability to sit still and focus, communicate openly, and listen to people) and therefore, have been able to break through the glass ceiling and surpass men. In fact, more women than men are pursuing college degrees. For every two men that graduate, three women will do the same.

• Statistical Overview of Women in the Workplace
• Women in the Workplace – The Changing History of Female Labor
• Throwing Stones at Glass Ceilings 

There is no question that women have entered the workplace with full force and have thrived in their new roles. The above articles discuss the history of women in the workplace and how far they have come, although challenges still exist. Women in the U.S. made their first major entrance into the workforce during World War II as the men were overseas and women were needed to fill their shoes. Traditional jobs for women used to include manufacturing, teaching, and nursing. However, women nowadays can be found in all sectors; many are lawyers, others are doctors, and some are even firefighters. Since 1995, the amount of Fortune 500 board seats held by women has increased from 9.6% to 16.6% in 2012. In addition, women made up 51.5% of management, professional and related professions last year. Nevertheless, the glass ceiling still exists as many men are unwilling to take direction from female superiors, women still don't receive equal pay for equal work, and men are more likely to be promoted and receive impressive assignments (Berman et al., 2010). Astonishingly, women are sometimes their biggest critics. Instead of supporting one another, female colleagues sometimes have a tendency to harshly judge each other's work.