Department of Accountancy

University of San Carlos

P. Del Rosario St., Cebu City 6000

THE HOPEFUL TELECOMMUTER

A Case Study of
Operations Management and Total Quality Management
Presented to the
School of Business and Economics
University of San Carlos
Cebu City, Philippines

Submitted by:
Malaza, Andrea Delia Isabel S.
MW 3:00 - 4:30 PM

Submitted to:
Mr. Glenn Java
April 27, 2020
 As a top-performing worker, Jennifer should state facts as to why working
through telecommunication should be allowed for her. If I were in Jennifer’s
position, here are the facts that I would point out:
● Promotes autonomy
It increases the personal level of fulfillment from work, it also makes
time more flexible.
● Demonstrated capability
I have demonstrated that I am more than capable of doing my job
and it is proven by being ranked first in customer and supplier surveys. I
am also organized in doing my job.
● Promotes longer hours working
In working at home and having more control over my working
schedule, I can work longer and be more efficient. (Johnson, 2015)
In the part of the employer, the strengths that they would attain would be these
points:
● Reduces attrition
Employees would not leave the company and the employers would
not have the need to hire new employees for replacement.
● Reduces unscheduled absences
Since employees would be working at home, the unscheduled
absences would be minimized.
● Increases employee empowerment
Remote work lets employees be more independent and
self-directed. (Global Workplace Analytics)
Telecommunications also has its limitations, both to the employer and the
employee. The following are limitations in par to the employee:
● Lack of web connectivity
Internet connections at home might not be as stable as in the office
and there might be less accessibility in meeting customer’s needs
compared to being at the office.
● May voluntarily or involuntarily feel overworked
Since employees have their own time frame when working they
may feel like they have been working too much.
● Work-family conflict
There might be a conflict between having to focus on family or work
demands.
In par with the employer, here are following limitations of telecommunication:
● Need to change methods of management
There is a need for the company to adjust its management style to
make it suitable for telecommunication.
● The necessity of evaluating employees for the ability to work at
home
Not every employee is well-suited to work at home, some may need
guidance from supervisors and people from higher positions.
● Deciding which jobs are telecommuting appropriate
The company will have to decide which position and job are
suitable for telecommunications.
 The VP for Human Resource would have issues with regards to the
scheduling and how to track the number of hours an employee is working. The
issue with regards to confidentiality and security of the company’s information
would also be at risk. The communication, discipline, employment laws, and
expense reimbursements would also be a concerning factor to the Human
Resource VP. The VP for Operations would be concerned with the productivity of
the employees. The main issue would be its effectiveness and efficiency.

Empowerment is described as giving people the authority to make

decisions based on what they feel right is right and to have control, to take risks
and learn from mistakes, and to promote change. Successful empowerment is
when the management provides education, resources, and encouragement to its
employees. It fosters a sense of trust in its employees and lets their employees
share information freely. In Jennifer’s case, allowing her to have autonomy and
letting her work while at home will give her a feeling of empowerment which
helps her do her job more. Jennifer will feel that the company trusts her and
values her and will take the responsibility more seriously. She will handle her
work more seriously and more responsibly.

Currently, the USC SBE Online Learning Program has let students have
the freedom to do their academic work based on when they would want to do it.
They have empowered students with a sense of autonomy. Students can do their
work according to their time.
Sources:
Johnson, C. (2015). ​20 Reasons to let your employees work at home.​ Retrieved
from: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253896
Cost and Benefits. (n.d). ​Advantages of agile work strategies for companies​.
Retrieved from: https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/resources/
Costs-benefits
Haberman, M. (2011). ​Telecommuting: Advantages and disadvantages​.
Retrieved from: https://hr.toolbox.com/blogs/mikehaberman/
telecommuting-advantages-and-disadvantages-113010
Brunot, T. (n.d). ​Telecommuting & HR Issues.​ Retrieved from:
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/telecommuting-hr-issues-44075.html