Are Managers Making the Right Choice?

Abstract

Smart work has been credited with providing flexible supply capabilities to meet customer demands in service businesses operations. Effective operations of smart work need huge investment of technologies implementations. The authors use Delphi techniques and survey method to identify implementation factors of importance of home-based work which is a representative type of smart work. Seven technologies were identified to be important (Knowledge Management, Real-time monitoring, Remote IT assist, Online testing, Online training, Workforce management, Agent performance management technologies). Different from general expectations, control-based technologies were found not to have positive effects, but support-based technologies to have positive effects to the performance. Smart work technologies in service business affect employees' job satisfaction, and further retention of remote agents. Careful planning of how to implement technologies for smart work is needed in service business in order to identify the best working environment design.