Critical aspects of telework in a multinational company

Abstract

Amidst the changes in the business world, companies are constantly forced to adapt by reviewing their policies, their processes and their practices and work routines. Among various working practices, teleworking is a controversial theme in management and worthy of more in-depth studies. Based on this premise, the following research question is proposed: What are the critical elements for telework programs’ sustainability in a multinational company? This article aims to describe and characterize teleworkers’ views regarding telework as a human resources practice, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as the challenge of making it a strategically oriented practice. A study was carried out in a telework program for interns of a multinational company. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with twelve trainees and examined through a content analysis with the aid of the software NVivo 9. The analysis provided seven categories regarding the perceptions of the program participants. Among advantages identified are the positive relationships between telework and academic activities, the flexibility provided, as well as professional development as a result of autonomous setting of individual working goals. On the other hand, the working hours, the difficulty of untying personal life from work and problems with visibility within the organization – which is important in terms of career advancement – were singled out as major difficulties of this work mode.