According to the 2006 Teleworking survey, conducted by Market Connections, Inc., Fairfax, Va., while teleworking is technically possible in most cases, the culture of an agency may be keeping it from reaching its potential. More than 75 percent of survey respondents indicated they did not receive encouragement to telework from their immediate supervisors.

This management resistance is an indication that most of the top-tier challenges facing teleworking involve agency culture, according to Lisa Dezzutti, president and founder of Market Connections. She says management sets the tone for what is acceptable and not acceptable within an agency's culture, and without management making a concerted effort to promote teleworking, employee morale could slip if employees feel that management does not have their best interest in mind. The survey also reports that the perceived benefits of teleworking are more likely to be realized in improved employee morale than hard dollars and cents.

"More than 60 percent of our respondents stated that teleworking support does not exist throughout the whole chain of command," says Dezzutti. "In order for teleworking to work at an agency, middle and upper management need to be supportive of the concept. They need to speak with their employees about the benefits of teleworking and what steps need to be taken to implement a successful program—we find more conversation usually means higher employee morale."

The survey also asked questions about the role vendors play in helping employees prepare for teleworking. Respondents indicated vendors could help by:

• Providing up-to-date technologies;
• Addressing management resistances;
• and Educating the public about teleworking benefits.