Work & Rewards in the Virtual Workplace: A 'New Deal' for Organizations & Employees
by N. Fredric Crandall, Fredric Crandall, Marc J. Wallace
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Availability: This title usually ships within 24 hours. Hardcover - 288 pages (June 1998); AMACOM; ISBN: 0814403751; Dimensions (in inches): 1.01 x 9.38 x 6.31; Amazon.com Sales Rank: 45,257; Avg. Customer Review: *****; Number of Reviews: 1
Review
From Booklist , September 1, 1998
By now, telecommuting is a well-defined word in the corporate U.S. But how about frontline workplace? Or cyberlink workplace? Consultants Crandall and Wallace make convincing arguments about the efficacies of virtual work, and they outline detailed processes and qualifications for any organization contemplating such a move. In a very logical, almost scholarly, fashion, they define terms, explain implementation, demolish perceived and real obstacles, and prove their points via a few case histories. Yet this is not a cut-and-dried book, for the excitement of dramatic changes to our collective workplaces is captured in the descriptions. Chiat/Day assigns its employees a cell phone and a laptop, period. And at Ross Operating Valve, customers actually lead the creative design process. Job satisfaction? You bet. And a much more productive group of employees. Most important for companies interested in these virtual ideas will be the economics chapter, describing in black and white (and sometimes red) the costs involved. Barbara Jacobs Copyright© 1998, American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
What is the 'virtual workplace'? It is a world where networks of people engage in work, but are not bound by the traditional limitations of time and space -- they need not work in the same place or keep standard business hours. And it is a growing reality for many companies.
The question for managers is: How do you manage workflow and employee efforts in what seems such an amorphous situation? This forward-thinking book presents an original three-stage model for the virtual workplace and provides case studies that illustrate how this model is working today. Readers learn:
** the skills and competencies required for success ** how work gets assigned, monitored, and measured ** the critical role of rewards and compensation in this new environment ** how to manage the 'blended workplace' that is a combination of regular, contract, and temporary employees ** how to 'go virtual' gradually, at a pace that is right for each organization Readers will get a clear picture of the work skills and competencies they will need to operate successfully as old organizational structures give way to the exciting and challenging environment of the virtual workplace.
N. FREDRIC CRANDALL, Ph.D., and MARC J. WALLACE, Ph.D. (Northbrook, IL) are nationally recognized experts on organizational change, human resources strategies, compensation, and rewards. Both have written and lectured widely, and Dr. Wallace is the author of more than 10 bestselling textbooks. They are partners in the prestigious consulting firm, Center for Workforce Effectiveness.
stern@hrconsultant.com, Yvette Borcia, Editor, Stern's SourceFinder and Stern's Management Review online from Culver City, CA, USA , August 13, 1998
An insightful tour through virtual organization realities
Like the industrial revolution before it, the Information Age is giving rise to new types of organizations, new ways of working, and new approaches to human resource management. This technology-driven economy, with its virtual realities, is profoundly reshaping the nature of relationships between organizations, as well as between the organization and the individual.
On a macro level, the authors aim to show how a new social contract (New Deal) is developing between individuals and organizations, replacing the traditional employer-employee relationship. Through this virtual revolution, the conflict, as many see and experience it today, between people and technology will be overcome. And free market dynamics make it inevitable that virtual organizations will and must continue emerging.
Moving from the macro to the micro, the authors explore some of the pivotal changes taking place today; changes in the nature of the workplace, the design of work, the use of competencies, the characteristics of reward systems, learning, career opportunities, and staffing. Numerous tables and diagrams, as well as illustrations from company experiences, highlight key points and make the distinctions between traditional and virtual workplaces vivid. There is a lot to be gained from each chapter. Guidelines are presented to help practitioners address their needs for taking action. The authors are also helpful in laying bare serious problems that companies have faced in applying such concepts as skill- or competency-based pay and broad bands which I, as a consultant in organization and compensation, welcome seeing in print. Additionally, the authors present a model to demonstrate the economic value of the virtual workplace. This is an excellent book, impressive in scope and rich in substance.
