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First Draft On The Virtual Workplace

The document discusses the implications of the virtual workplace for traditional centralized offices. It asserts that advances in technology now allow more people to work remotely, reducing overhead costs for companies. While the virtual workplace offers increased flexibility and productivity, it may also decrease camaraderie among employees and increase issues with proper time management and health risks from extensive screen time. The virtual workplace also raises concerns about data security but allows for a more diverse workforce. Overall, the virtual workplace can improve productivity and reduce costs while potentially neglecting camaraderie.

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Sophia Richards
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53 views6 pages

First Draft On The Virtual Workplace

The document discusses the implications of the virtual workplace for traditional centralized offices. It asserts that advances in technology now allow more people to work remotely, reducing overhead costs for companies. While the virtual workplace offers increased flexibility and productivity, it may also decrease camaraderie among employees and increase issues with proper time management and health risks from extensive screen time. The virtual workplace also raises concerns about data security but allows for a more diverse workforce. Overall, the virtual workplace can improve productivity and reduce costs while potentially neglecting camaraderie.

Uploaded by

Sophia Richards
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Topic: Virtual Workplace

Narrowed Topic: The Virtual Workplace and its implications for the future of traditional
centralized offices in United States.

Haid (n.d) asserted that "while possibilities of working outside of traditional


centralized offices have been around at least since the advent of the post office, dizzying
innovations in technology are making working virtually a new opportunity and a new
reality"1(pp.1). This suggests that as technological devices become more advanced, it has
created an opening for individuals who are now eager to experience this change and the
benefits that come with it .In fact ,more and more companies have experienced increases
in efficiency through reduced overhead costs that would have otherwise been incurred in
establishing a physical workplace. It substantiates the claim that considering a virtual
working environment has its advantages. However, it has some limitations. The
implications of such a move have given rise to issues on the lack of camaraderie, a
decrease in overhead costs and an increase in productivity.
First of all, it is through the medium of internet connectivity and the advancement of
technology that the subject of physical distance has become a thing of the past. Crandall
& Wallace (1998) portrayed a Virtual workplace to that of a world in which networks of
people work in new ways, assisted by technology and freed from traditional limitations of
time and space 2(pp.2). Modifying your current workplace in to one such as this may
1 Haid, M. (2010). The Workplace Revolution: Six Steps to Build a Successful Virtual Workforce
2 Crandall, N & Wallace, M (1998). Work & rewards in the virtual workplace. New York: AMACOM

cause a decrease in overhead cost to the company. Reber (2015) suggest that there is a
drop in the costs of maintaining office space3 as well as in charges that would have been
accumulated due to the purchasing and repairing of equipment needed for the day to day
operations of the company. There is also a reduction in the need for parking space and the
firm is able to pick and choose from a pool of talented people. As a result of this, the
company is able to save more money to provide employment opportunities and to spend
on other expenses. As the virtual workplace becomes a fast reality, companies such as
Amazon, American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T,) Apple Inc., Hewlett Packard (HP)
and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) have joined the lines of other
companies that have made the transition to virtual where their employees are given the
option to work as a team without being constrained to a physical structure while using
this as a means to encourage workers to be more productive. Therefore, work is done
more efficiently and in the most cost-effective way thus an increase in productivity.
However, there are concerns to the issue of breaches to company client confidentiality,
the possibility of the server being hacked and network problems as work and projects are
uploaded to a computer server or cloud without having to come in to submit it .
Secondly, Townsend, DeMarie and Hendrickson (1998) emphasized that One of
the benefits of the virtual team environment is its ability to efficiently connect people and
enable greater levels of productivity 4(p.27-28). With that being said, a company is able
to see a sizeable increase in their revenue if a boost in productivity occurs. This is due to
3 Reber, M. (2015). Working Virtually; The 21st Century Workplace.
4 Townsend, A, DeMarie, S & Hendrickson, A (1998). Virtual teams: Technology and the workplace of
the future.

the fact that the virtual workplace allows fewer distractions and less commuting time as
work is wherever you deem as a comfortable work environment. It gives you the ability
to work beyond normal work hours, improve quality of your work output and improves
ones confidence in their ability so that you are now able to voice your opinions or give
suggestions on a project youve been assigned. While providing even more flexibility to
work based on your own initiative; develop employee morale and a sense of satisfaction
in ones job. On the other hand, workers may be faced with the matter of proper time
management skills if they are not focused and health issues as they are prone to develop
vision problems as they are required to conduct all communications and interacts via a
computer screen.
And finally, Camaraderie is one of those key components of a successful business
which encourages teamwork and group decision-making while re- enforcing mutual trust
within the workforce. On the other hand, with the emergence of the virtual workplace,
there is a rise in the number of issues on the lack of camaraderie5. This is due to the fact,
that employees are no longer restricted to their offices but are given the option to choose
their own work environment i.e. at home or at a Wi-Fi hotspot in the city and means of
communication via email, Skype, Google hangout and/or social media such as Facebook
without the distraction within the workplace. In other words, companies will be able to
become more diverse in culture as they are now capable to increase their workforce by
hiring outside of its countrys borders while providing training for the use of new devices
so as to enhance the quality of outputs. Thus making them more marketable on the
international scene. However, interactions between peers can become non-existent;
5 Bloch, C. (2015). Advantages and Disadvantages. The Virtual Workplace - The Hartford.

workers might begin to feel unappreciated which may ultimately cause


underperformance.
In conclusion, as a result of incorporating virtual workplace into traditional
centralized offices, firms will see an improvement in their productivity level as well a
decrease in overhead costs that would have affected the stability of the firm where they
are now able to hire more while having that advantage in picking from a pool of qualified
individuals. As well as diversifying the culture of the business as workers have the choice
to work from anywhere in the world despite the fact that camaraderie is being neglected
as more persons are no longer focused on building friendships and relationships within
its physical structure.

References
Bloch, R. (2015). Advantages and Disadvantages, The Virtual Workplace - The Hartford.
Thehartford.com. Retrieved 3 March 2015, from https://www.thehartford.com/businessplaybook/in-depth/virtual-workplace-advantages-disadvantages
Crandall, N., & Wallace, M. (1998). Work & rewards in the virtual workplace. New York:
AMACOM.
Haid, M. The Workplace Revolution: Six Steps to Build a Successful Virtual Workforce.
Thought Leadership, p. 1. Retrieved from http://www.right.com/thought-leadership/enewsletter/the-workplace-revolution-six-steps-to-build-a-successful-virtualworkforce.pdf
Townsend, A., DeMarie, S., & Hendrickson, A. (1998). Virtual teams: Technology and the
workplace of the future. Academy Of Management Perspectives, 12(3), 17-29.
doi:10.5465/ame.1998.1109047
Reber, M. (2015). Working Virtually; The 21st Century Workplace (PowerPoint slides).
Facultyfiles.deanza.edu. Retrieved on 3 March 2015 from:
http://facultyfiles.deanza.edu/gems/reberm/WorkingVirtuallyPPT81209.ppt

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