From silicon valley to silicon prairie: a long distance telecommuting case study

The issues faced by firms in today's telecommunications environment are outlined and are discussed in juxtaposition with an actual telecommuting case study of Trade Reporting and Data Exchange, Inc. (T.R.A.D.E.), a software engineering company located in San Mateo, CA. Telecommuting was successful for T.R.A.D.E in the short term because a) required technology was widely available, b)the candidate initiated the idea and had the necessary industry and company experience, c)the organization could provide the flexible work arrangement while retaining a valuable employee, d)the employee was able to live in a geographic area of their choice, e)overall costs could be shared by the company and the employee, f)the job category was an ideal fit, and g)existing procedures were in place for communicating and managing the geographically detached worker. In the long run the employee left the company to take a job with a local software company because he missed the everyday interaction with co-workers.