Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
supervision, and have a low need for social interaction. Jobs unsuitable for telecommuting
include those that require frequent face-to-face interaction, need much supervision, and have
many short-term deadlines. Employees who choose to work at home must be able to work
independently, manage their time well, and balance work and home life.
Cable TV provider Cox Communications employs about 22,000 people, of which
roughly 10 percent are teleworkers who provide customer service to Cox's six million sub-
scribers. Cox estimates a net savings of roughly $3,400 per year per call agent in reduced
office space, energy, and the cost of employee parking. Cox requires teleworkers to come to
the regional office every couple of weeks for meetings and employs videoconferencing as
well. Josh Nelson, vice president of information and technology for Cox, states: “Working
from home doesn't mean that they want to be alone. We don't want to lose our company
culture, we don't want to lose the connection with our employees.”
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Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing
enables people to hold a conference by combining voice, video, and audio
transmission. Videoconferencing reduces travel expenses and time, and increases managerial
effectiveness through faster response to problems, access to more people, and less duplication
of effort by geographically dispersed sites. Almost all videoconferencing systems combine
video and phone call capabilities with data or document conferencing (see Figure 6.16). You
can see the other person's face, view the same documents, and swap notes and drawings. With
some systems, callers can change live documents in real time. Many businesses find that the
document- and application-sharing feature of the videoconference enhances group produc-
tivity and efficiency. It also fosters teamwork and can save corporate travel time and expense.
videoconferencing
A telecommunications system that
combines video and phone call
capabilities with data or document
conferencing.
Figure 6.16
Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing allows
participants to conduct long-
distance meetings “face to face”
while eliminating the need for
costly travel.
(Source: © Comstock Images/
Alamy.)
Group videoconferencing is used daily in a variety of businesses as an easy way to connect
work teams. Members of a team meet in a specially prepared videoconference room equipped
with sound-sensitive cameras that automatically focus on the person speaking, large TV-like
monitors for viewing the participants at the remote location, and high-quality speakers and
microphones. Videoconferencing costs have declined steadily, while video quality and syn-
chronization of audio to data—once weak points for the technology—have improved.
Jeffrey Marshall, senior vice president and chief information officer at retailer Kohl's,
employs videoconferencing to interact with job candidates that have passed an initial screen-
help nonprofit organizations communicate their mission and advocate their work. Google
held a videoconference to help kick off the program that included an appearance by noted
the Information Systems @ Work special feature to learn how one company makes effective
use of videoconferencing (telepresence) technology.
