Professor Daniel Cable of London Business School Research Work Patterns

Sept. 10, 2012 - PRLog -- Research carried out by Professor Daniel Cable of London Business School and Professor Kimberly of the University of California suggests that spending less time at work can reduce ones’ chances of gaining that all-important promotion.

With the rise of globalisation and expanded work force, more employees are faced with the reality of working from remote locations, a shift in work pattern which can be both beneficial to employees, as well as the organisation. Daniel Cable, professor of organisational behaviour with good understanding of human resource training, shared his thought on the subject saying, “Twenty years ago, when we left the office, we generally left our work behind, which is ironic because more than ever before, much work can be accomplished without being physically present at a desk in a building.”  

The highlighted difference between the traditional and non-traditional working pattern is the amount of face-time put in at work. Davis research findings revealed that those individuals who emulate the traditional work arrangements have better chances at receiving work associated rewards than those who put in less face-time. Face-time simply implies the amount of time an employee is seen at the work place; hence it is understandable that telecommuting employees will have less presence at their work location that traditional workers. This little delicate factor may play a role in the assessment of employee’s ability to perform certain tasks/assignments.

Findings from a number of unstructured interviews and experiment during the research, presents a few information to analyse:

•   Two work face times discovered. Expected face time, where employees are seen at the office during business hours; and extra-curricular face time, when employees give extra work time and are seen past business hours.
•   The amount of time spent at the workplace can create an impression of the employee’s work ethics. Expected face time denotes responsible and dependable work behaviour, while extra-curricular work behaviour denotes commitment and dedication.
•   Managers make unconscious decisions about workers working habits based on the type and amount of time spent at work.

Useful Tips and Tactics

Following his research work, professor cable has provided a number of tactics for remote workers to overcome some of the barriers associated with passive face time.

1.   Regular communication. Making phone calls, emails etc. as practised by 83% of telecommuters can help to show employees progress, while away from the office
2.   Put in more efforts when presence at the office. This will highlight the employees work ethics and improve trust while away
3.   Make yourself available. Ensure immediate access to emails and telephone calls as you would while in the office.
In addition, certain training programmes, human resource training and management training provide provided elements of knowledge and guidance that could help remote workers manage their time more efficiently and overcome barriers of passive face time.

For more information, visit http://www.london.edu/programmes/executiveeducation/human...