Relationships Between Telecommuting Workers and Their Managers: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Employees who had become telecommuters at several corporations in the mid- Atlantic region of the United States were surveyed and interviewed. In inter views, telecommuters consistently reported that telecommuting had been a success with few disadvantages. Questionnaire results did not conflict with interview results, but did offer a more complex picture by suggesting that the relationship between the telecommuter and his or her manager may deteriorate after an initial "honeymoon" phase has passed. The results also suggested that age and sex may affect a telecommuter's relationship with his or her manager.