Telecommuting: does it work in the long term?

While there is considerable literature reporting the results of studies of benefits and problems associated with telecommuting, there is little longitudinal research available addressing how the perceptions of these may change over time, an important aspect for those considering setting up telecommuting programmes. Staff working in a software development area in a major international organisation with a large presence in Australia were selected as the population for this study. The staff were asked to rate a series of advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting in a survey repeated after 18 months. By comparing the results from the two surveys, some insight may be gleaned into how perceptions of telecommuting may change as staff become more experienced in working in this way.