Research Project Description
FACILITATING TELECOMMUTING AS A MEANS OF CONGESTION REDUCTION
Project Number: 2803
Research Project:This project proposes to gain a deeper understanding of telecommuting patterns and adoption behavior through an examination of perceived obstacles and facilitators of telecommuting. The proposed study involves data collection using survey methodology and archival data collection. Respondents include telecommuters and a matched sample of non-telecommuters as well as their supervisors from a wide variety of organizations. The proposed study will also include collecting benchmarking data regarding telecommuting policies and practices of companies in Silicon Valley in an attempt to understand factors that impact telecommuting and subsequently traffic congestion.
Principal Investigators:
Co-Principal Investigators:
1. Nancy Da Silva, Ph.D., Associate Professor, San Jose State University
2. Meghna Virick, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, San Jose State University
Institution:
Mineta Transportation Institute
Telephone Number:
(408) 924-7560
Email Address: mti@mti.sjsu.edu
Project Objective:
To examine employee, supervisor, and organizational factors that facilitate and impede telecommuting among employees in for-profit organizations and the subsequent relation to traffic congestion.
Project Abstract:
Rising estimates of telecommuters is not surprising given the benefits of telecommuting to multiple stakeholders. Society benefits when employees telecommute because working from home reduces gasoline consumption and auto emissions. Organizations that support telecommuting benefit due to lower office overhead costs and lower employee turnover rates (Bailey and Kurland, 2002). Employees who telecommute benefit from greater levels of satisfaction with their work and improved quality of life (Golden and Veiga, 2005; Van Sells and Jacobs, 1994).
However, telecommuting is not growing as fast as predicted by researchers and practitioners. Numerous employees and managers are still resistant to teleworking. For example, one could argue that the technological environment of Silicon Valley combined with the high traffic congestion in the Bay Area would make organizations more receptive to alternative work arrangements such as telecommuting. However, many organizations have been reluctant to embrace telecommuting and, in fact, provide incentives (e.g., on site gyms and day care centers) that encourage employees to go to work.
This study aims at examining perceived obstacles and facilitators of telecommuting from the stakeholder perspective by evaluating both individual and managements attitudes toward telecommuting. The intention is to understand factors that make certain telecommuting arrangements more successful than others, and how this relates to traffic congestion. The sample for this project will be comprised of organizations in Silicon Valley; however, we expect the findings to be generalizable to other urban areas such as Boston and Chicago.
Milestones Dates:
Task 1: Survey Development
Task 2: Survey Data Collection
Task 3: Data Entry and Cleaning
Task 4: Archival Data Collection
Task 5: Data Analyses
Task 6: Draft Final Report
Final completion Of Report:
Total Budget: $55,820 (includes $9,450 for MTIs costs)
Student Involvement:
Jennifer Brown, Undergraduate Student, San Jose State University
Maria Joao Carvalho, Graduate Student, San Jose State University
Cheryl Ray, Undergraduate Student, San Jose State University
Julie Tu, Undergraduate Student, San Jose State University
Technology Transfer Activities:
Upon publication, a pdf version will be available on the Mineta Transportation Institute site. The project experience and data will be available for community meetings. Authors are encouraged to submit articles based on the research to relevant journals and to present the information to end-users at conferences.
Potential Benefits of the Project:
The project will provide researchers, policy-makers and planners with data to improve modeling techniques, smart growth, and transit-oriented development.
TRB Keywords:
Administration and Management; Energy and Environment; Operations and Traffic Management; Telecommuting.
Primary Subject:
Telecommuting as a means of congestion reduction
Goals:
1. Determine perceived facilitators to telecommuting.
2. Determine perceived obstacles to telecommuting.
3. Determine employee and managements attitudes toward telecommuting and how those relate to employees telecommuting behaviors.
4. Assess the relation between employees telecommuting behaviors and the number of miles commuting to work.
5. Summarize a sample of company policies and practices regarding telecommuting programs.
Enabling Research:
Energy and Environment; Operations and Traffic Management
Modal Orientation:
Highways; Automobiles
