Johnson is the Associate Dean of the Business School at Capella University in Minneapolis. Besides working twenty years in private industry, she was also a guest editor for a special edition on telecommuting of the Journal of End User Computing and was a Fulbright Scholar in 1992.

In the book Johnson says conventional centralized organizational structure has served organizations well; however, as global and domestic competition increases and intensifies, traditional organizations must react appropriately and quickly.

She adds that globalization of the markets and higher customer expectations are other factors that put growing pressure on organizations. Place-bound organizations are limited in options for employees and customer service, and mobile employees are often needed. Information technology (IT) enables employee location-choice options and the creation of a virtual organization with strategic alliance partnerships. Designing effective new IT- enabled processes and project teams affects the organizational infra-structure and individual work roles. Managers depend on good planning models and practices drawn from experience and knowledge.

The book presents the best work of a wide variety of authors and styles from Europe, US and Canada. Research and case studies are included, and information is presented for the potential virtual community (including employers and employees). The thirteen chapter authors provide advice on a broad set of issues related to telecommuting and virtual offices.

IT plays a critical role in discussion in the literature of the virtual workplace, especially in facilitating effective work and management practices. Managers need to understand the existing cultural and organizational paradigms in order to know which practices to adapt.

Portable employees are becoming increasingly popular to meet customer site servicing needs and to provide personal living location choice flexibility for employees. Mobility of the individual, portability of the work tools and 24/7 access to work-related information have become a mantra of business and individuals alike.

The thirteen chapters discuss a range of topics such as legal aspects of telecommuting, managing a virtual team, making remote workers effective, the impact of virtual organizations on managers, myths and realities of telecommuting experiences and many other telecommuting topics.

Telecommuting and virtual organizations can bring radical changes in lifestyles and work practices for many individuals and businesses, and “Telecommuting and Virtual Offices” helps readers plan for and adjust to those changes.

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