Although organizations are offering telecommuting programs / in greater numbers than ever before, acceptance and use of these programs / are still limited by a number of factors.

These factors include manager reliance on face-to-face management practices, lack of telecommuting training within an organization, misperceptions of and discomfort with flexible workplace programs, and a lack of information about the effects of telecommuting on an organization’s bottom line.

Despite these limitations, / at the beginning of the 21st century, / a new “anytime, anywhere” work culture is emerging.

Continuing advances in information technology, / the expansion of a global workforce, / and increased desire to balance work and family / are only three of the many factors / that will gradually reduce the current barriers to telecommuting / as a dominant workforce development.

With implications for organizational cost savings, / especially with regard to lower facility costs, / increased employee flexibility, and productivity, / telecommuting is increasingly of interest to many organizations.