(Interview with Prof. Reynaldo Lugtu, Jr, by Sam L. Marcelo, Special Features Writer, BusinessWorld for the Corporate Wireless Business Solutions supplement, March 2006)
BW: In your article "TheEmerging Mobile Workforce", you said that "some employees may abuse the newfound freedom from mobility, and instead spend their time away from the workplace on personal matters." Isn't it that output of employees is more important than howmuch time they spend at the workplace? Used to be, the bundy clockplayed a role in paying employees-- with mobile/wi-fi technology (andflexible hours) how should performance be judged? Would you say thatas long as employees deliver, how much time they spend at theworkplace is irrelevant?
Prof Rey Lugtu: Much of the mobile workforce right now are working as marketing and sales professionals, consultants, technical support, and other business executives that need to visit clients and business partners. Measuring the performace of such workers are straighforward -- sales results, customer calls, etc. Many believe that as long as these mobile workers deliver, their time spent in the office is irrelevant.
However, competition is getting stiffer and tougher. A salesman that makes customer calls from 8am to 5pm and uses slack times (lunch time or after 5pm) for conneting to the backoffice and answering mails, is more likely to outperform a colleague or beat a competing salesman who instead spends time on personal matters or on using his/her connectivity tools to surf the Net. Moreover, the former obviously is more productive than the latter; and this is precisely one of the main reasons why employees are empowered to be mobile -- to improve and increase productivity.
BW: You also said that "some employees may dislike the change to mobility and feel isolatedand disconnected from the other colleagues and management; therebyfostering fragmentation instead of unity." What kind of personality should a mobile worker possess?what traits should HR look for in a potential field employee? and if employees spend less time at the office, how can management inspirecompany loyalty in them, how can a sense of belonging be instilled?
Prof. Rey Lugtu: Mobility is a form of empowerement -- giving workers the resources, both psychological (support, motivation) and physical (mobility tools, PDA's, cellphoens, laptops) to make decisions as regards how to use their skill, time, and other company resources to help the company achieve its goals. The degree of empowerment of worker is a function of the the skills required for that worker i.e. the more empowered the worker is, the more skills he/she requires. So a mobile worker, empowered as he/she is, requires more skills than an non-mobile one.
For example, a technical support person who is empowered by the organization to attend to customers' technical queries and problems is provided such mobility tools as mobile phone, laptop with connectivity, etc.and is allowed to access his/her emails or back-office infomation remotely. Such employee, to fully maximize the potential of mobility, should possess skills, apart from his technical job-related skills, as time management, office software application skills, technical know-how trouble shoot connectivity problems, etc.
Apart from these, authors Thomas and Velthouse define empowerment as the individual's attitudes toward their work and their role in the organization; it takes into account the employees' beliefs about the meaning of thier work apart from their capability to do their job well. It also involves an individual's sense of self-determination and autonomy in influencing work outcomes. Operationally, a mobile worker, as empowered as he/she is, should have the right attitude to work away from the office, with little direct supervisions from a supervisor. He/she should be self confident about his/her role in the organization, that he/she is determnined to achieve his/her and the company's objectives. HR practitioners should look for these qualities when hiring a mobile worker; and should strive to instill and develop these traits on potential current pool of employees.
To address the potential feeling of isolation and disconnection among mobile workers, companies should regularly communicate the organization’s purpose, mission, and vision; and inculcate a sense of identity and culture of teamwork to the entire workforce. This will instill a sense of responsibility and accountability among mobile employees who will strive to utilize mobility and its tools to help achieve the organization’s objectives.
BW: In your article "TheEmerging Mobile Workforce", you said that "some employees may abuse the newfound freedom from mobility, and instead spend their time away from the workplace on personal matters." Isn't it that output of employees is more important than howmuch time they spend at the workplace? Used to be, the bundy clockplayed a role in paying employees-- with mobile/wi-fi technology (andflexible hours) how should performance be judged? Would you say thatas long as employees deliver, how much time they spend at theworkplace is irrelevant?
Prof Rey Lugtu: Much of the mobile workforce right now are working as marketing and sales professionals, consultants, technical support, and other business executives that need to visit clients and business partners. Measuring the performace of such workers are straighforward -- sales results, customer calls, etc. Many believe that as long as these mobile workers deliver, their time spent in the office is irrelevant.
However, competition is getting stiffer and tougher. A salesman that makes customer calls from 8am to 5pm and uses slack times (lunch time or after 5pm) for conneting to the backoffice and answering mails, is more likely to outperform a colleague or beat a competing salesman who instead spends time on personal matters or on using his/her connectivity tools to surf the Net. Moreover, the former obviously is more productive than the latter; and this is precisely one of the main reasons why employees are empowered to be mobile -- to improve and increase productivity.
BW: You also said that "some employees may dislike the change to mobility and feel isolatedand disconnected from the other colleagues and management; therebyfostering fragmentation instead of unity." What kind of personality should a mobile worker possess?what traits should HR look for in a potential field employee? and if employees spend less time at the office, how can management inspirecompany loyalty in them, how can a sense of belonging be instilled?
Prof. Rey Lugtu: Mobility is a form of empowerement -- giving workers the resources, both psychological (support, motivation) and physical (mobility tools, PDA's, cellphoens, laptops) to make decisions as regards how to use their skill, time, and other company resources to help the company achieve its goals. The degree of empowerment of worker is a function of the the skills required for that worker i.e. the more empowered the worker is, the more skills he/she requires. So a mobile worker, empowered as he/she is, requires more skills than an non-mobile one.
For example, a technical support person who is empowered by the organization to attend to customers' technical queries and problems is provided such mobility tools as mobile phone, laptop with connectivity, etc.and is allowed to access his/her emails or back-office infomation remotely. Such employee, to fully maximize the potential of mobility, should possess skills, apart from his technical job-related skills, as time management, office software application skills, technical know-how trouble shoot connectivity problems, etc.
Apart from these, authors Thomas and Velthouse define empowerment as the individual's attitudes toward their work and their role in the organization; it takes into account the employees' beliefs about the meaning of thier work apart from their capability to do their job well. It also involves an individual's sense of self-determination and autonomy in influencing work outcomes. Operationally, a mobile worker, as empowered as he/she is, should have the right attitude to work away from the office, with little direct supervisions from a supervisor. He/she should be self confident about his/her role in the organization, that he/she is determnined to achieve his/her and the company's objectives. HR practitioners should look for these qualities when hiring a mobile worker; and should strive to instill and develop these traits on potential current pool of employees.
To address the potential feeling of isolation and disconnection among mobile workers, companies should regularly communicate the organization’s purpose, mission, and vision; and inculcate a sense of identity and culture of teamwork to the entire workforce. This will instill a sense of responsibility and accountability among mobile employees who will strive to utilize mobility and its tools to help achieve the organization’s objectives.
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