The good, the bad, and the unknown about telecommuting: Meta-analysis of individual consequences and mechanisms of distributed work

What knowledge do we have about the reliable positive and negative consequences of telecommuting? How do these consequences come about? What actions can we recommend based on research evidence? We answer these questions through a meta-analysis of 38 studies involving 10711 employees working in natural contexts. Telecommuting has small but favorable effects on task related and workfamily outcomes. Its beneficial consequences are partially transmitted through increases in perceived autonomy and they tend to be accentuated when telecommuting is more frequent (higher intensity). Telecommuting also has no clear-cut, detrimental effects on the quality of workplace relationships or individual prospects for career advancement. However, higher intensity telecommuting does harm relationships with coworkers (but not supervisors). Results provide building blocks for a more complex and complete theoretical treatment of telecommuting. They also suggest research based actions that HR practitioners and public policy makers can implement to maximize benefits from telecommuting.