Assignment
Case Study- Yahoo! Pulls Plug on Tele-Work
Working from home is growing in popularity. More than 1.7 million Canadians, about 11 percent of the workforce currently do it. Many see the perks and convenience and flexibility, and in fact some employers are encouraging the practice to. But one tech giant in the United States is pulling the plug on so-called telework.
At least a couple of days a week, Tracy McLain Thompson works away from the office. When she's on a call the kids can be on the couch and the one with the cold has a parent handy monitoring every cough. Her employer, Cisco, is one of many companies that encourages what's often called telework. David Heather of Cisco Canada says, "I actually do believe there is a productivity gain by allowing people to work flexibly." That's backed up by many studies.
Yet Yahoo has ordered all of its employees to work at offices. The move ostensibly to encourage innovation. A memo attributed to Yahoo argued, "Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings."
CEO Marissa Mayer is taking a lot of heat. "She's got to turn around this company, it's in a difficult position. She feels she needs to apply this heavy medicine," says Kara Swisher of AllthingsD.com.
It's medicine few companies are prescribing. The global trend is toward more telework not less. "This is going back 50 years. It's the idea if I don't see you how do I know you're not working," says Linda Duxbury of Carlton University.
Even Sir. Richard Branson jumped into the debate saying on his blog, "Yahoo's move is perplexing." Companies have come to realize that telework means smaller offices and savings while employees, especially young ones, crave choice. "It's going to make it much more difficult for Yahoo to get hold of and retain talent because talent can go anywhere," says Duxbury.
That's precisely Tracy McLain Thompson's point. The term working from home doesn't come close to detailing what she does in a typical week. "I can be on the soccer field, I can be at a hockey rink, I can be in Tim Horton's, Starbucks, wherever and I can get access to WiFi and I can do my job." A job that she believes is done best when she isn't tied to any desk anywhere."
1. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AND MANAGEMENT
A. What does telework have to do with organizational behaviour?
B. Discuss the implications of a Yahoo's decision to ban telework with respect to the goals of organizational behaviour. In addition, use the goals of organizational behaviour to understand the implications of allowing employees to telecommute.
C. Discuss Yahoo's decision to require employees to work at the office and not to allow telework in terms of the three reasons discussed in the text to study organizational behaviour.
2. MOTIVATION IN PRACTICE
A. What are flexible work arrangements and what is telework?
B. What are the explanations provided against telework and in favor of it? In other words, why has Yahoo decided to end telework and why do some believe that telework should be allowed?
C. Do you agree with Yahoo's decision to require workers to be in the office and not telecommute? What do you think Yahoo should do?