The Ethics and Responsibilities of Telecommuting as Part of a Business System

A business system is comprised of people, information, and automated process and tools. This paper addresses how the topic of telecommuting utilizes these three components. People are addressed in the relationship between employer and employee, the process identified to determine the appropriate individual as a telecommuter, and the advantages and disadvantages to both parties. Information is defined as the communication and data components that exist in this relationship, and the security and system issues to support this. Automated process and tools are the instruments with which telecommuters effectively perform their work functions, communicate, and report time spent on projects. This paper presents the experiences of a small group of telecommuters at RTI International, an independent research organization with a worldwide staff of over 2,600 people. Using a case study approach, we explore the challenges and success factors related to working in a location away from the organization's headquarters and physically isolated from other team members, and touch upon all three components. Also included are ethical issues which should be addressed during the evaluation and approval process when the employee requests telecommuting status, and for which the employee is responsible as a telecommuter. Finally, this paper discusses the qualities common to successful telecommuters.