Many execs wondered if the program was simply flextime in a prettier bottle. Others felt that working off-site would lead to longer hours and destroy forever the demarcation between work and personal time. …
Then again, the new work structure’s proponents say it’s helping Best Buy overcome challenges. And thanks to early successes, some of the program’s harshest critics have become true believers. … The hope was that ROWE, by freeing employees to make their own work-life decisions, could boost morale and productivity and keep the service initiative on track.
It seems to be working. Since the program’s implementation, average voluntary turnover has fallen drastically, CultureRx says. Meanwhile, Best Buy notes that productivity is up an average 35% in departments that have switched to ROWE. Employee engagement, which measures employee satisfaction and is often a barometer for retention, is way up too, according to the Gallup Organization, which audits corporate cultures.
I do not see how this can work well in too many workplaces, unless some sort of tracking system is used to monitor whether any actual work is being done. People can be in remote locations or working from home, and report on their ‘effort’ that is recorded, tracked, and measured. Then you know that people are actually investing their time and focusing on their projects. Otherwise the risks of a program like ROWE would be too great with irreversible damage to customers and project schedules occurring long before anyone can even gather the ‘lack of results’ to tell.
Wireless and mobile technologies, added to project workforce management’s growing adoption, are contributing to the momentum behind flexible scheduling and the "work-life balance."
