Digital Workplaces

Photo credit: Retrieved from pixabay.com/photos/online-meeting-virtual-skype-zoom-5059828/

A 2019 report found that 48 percent of staff in the United States already worked from home at least once a week.¹ In Singapore, employers have been gradually adopting telecommuting. From 2013 to 2018, the proportion of employers providing formal telecommuting arrangements grew from 5 to 8 percent, whereas between 17 to 18 percent of employers allowed ad-hoc tele-working when necessary.²

Many corporate functions have begun to shift onto digital, online or even cloud platforms, allowing employees to access these functions from home or even the café across the street. Telecommuting can afford employees more free time, giving them the flexibility to work comfortably and achieve work-life balance. However, there are concerns of falling productivity, lack of effective communication, negative impact to company and team culture, and a blurring of lines between work and home. Hence, many work-related productivity apps, guides and books have been produced to help ease the transition into digital workspaces. If implemented effectively, businesses and teams can come out stronger, with the agility and flexibility for work to be done regardless of location or time.

To learn more about digital workplaces, check out the resources listed below.

Books/ Ebooks/ Audiobooks

1. Working remotely: Secrets to success for employees on distributed teams

Douglas, T., & Gordon, H. (2020). Working remotely: Secrets to success for employees on distributed teams. Barrons. Retrieved from OverDrive.

2. Working in a virtual world: A practical guide to connected and productive working with virtual clients, managers and team members

Stinton, N. (2013). STTS: Working in a Virtual World. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish.

3. Remote: Office not required

Fried, J., & Hansson, D.H. (2013). Remote: Office not required. Currency.

4. Manager’s guide to virtual teams

Fisher, K., & Fisher, M. (2011). Manager’s guide to virtual teams. New York: McGraw-Hill.

5. The power of virtual distance: A guide to productivity and happiness in the age of remote work

Lojeski, K.S., & Reilly, R.R. (2011). The power of virtual distance: A guide to productivity and happiness in the age of remote work. Wiley.

Videos

1. Digital workplace evolution and challenges

Source: Digital workplace evolution and challenges. (2019, November 15). Accenture Technology. Retrieved 2020, April 22.

2. How to collaborate effectively if your team is remote

Source: How to collaborate effectively if your team is remote. (2020, March 6). Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 2020, April 22.

3. Work together anywhere | Lisette Sutherland | TEDxKaunas

Source: Work together anywhere | Lisette Sutherland | TEDxKaunas. (2018, Febuary 6). TEDx Talks. Retrieved 2020, April 22.

4. How high-performing companies design their digital workplace

Source: How high-performing companies design their digital workplace. (2016, November 16). Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. Retrieved 2020, April 27.

Websites

1. The essential remote work tools you need to get things done

Smith, K. (2020). Remote Work Tools, The Essentials you Need (And We Love). Skillcrush. Retrieved 2020, April 22 from https://skillcrush.com/blog/remote-work-tools/?ref=learn.rps.asia

2. Remote working could put an end to the office as we know it

Khalili, J. (2020, April 4). Remote working could put an end to the office as we know it. TechRadar. Retrieved 2020, April 22 from https://www.techradar.com/news/remote-working-could-put-an-end-to-the-office-as-we-know-it

3. A guide to managing your (newly) remote workers

Larson, B.Z., Vroman, S.R., & Makarius, E.E. (2020, March 18). A guide to managing your (newly) remote workers. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 2020, April 22 from https://hbr.org/2020/03/a-guide-to-managing-your-newly-remote-workers

4. How to collaborate effectively if your team is remote

Dhawan, E., & Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2018, February 27). How to collaborate effectively if your team is remote. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 2020, April 22 from https://hbr.org/2018/02/how-to-collaborate-effectively-if-your-team-is-remote

5. Digital workplaces mean more than instant messaging

Lamneck, K. (2020, January 15). Digital workplaces mean more than instant messaging. Forbes. Retrieved 2020, April 22 from https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2020/01/15/digital-workplaces-mean-more-than-instant-messaging/

7. SkillsFuture for digital workplace

SkillsFuture Singapore. (2020). SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace. SkillsFuture. Retrieved 2020, April 22 from https://www.myskillsfuture.gov.sg/content/portal/en/career-resources/career-resources/education-career-personal-development/SkillsFuture_Digital_Workplace.html

If you are interested to read up more on digital workplaces, check out the following journal articles and resources in Chinese and Malay.

Journal Articles

1. Digital workplace and culture: How digital technologies are changing the workforce and how enterprises can adapt and evolve

Buchanan, J. (2016). Digital workplace and culture: How digital technologies are changing the workforce and how enterprises can adapt and evolve. Deloitte. Retrieved 2020, April 22.

2. Increasing productivity in the information age

Attaran, M. (2019, January). Increasing productivity in the information age. Industrial Management, 61(1), 16. Retrieved 2020, April 22 from ProQuest via NLB’s eResources website (myLibrary ID is required to access this article.)

3. Workplace Technology – What office life might look like in the year 2030: Glimpses of the future include working commutes, smarter elevators, robot assistants, flexible floor plans and maybe even productive meetings

Loten, A. (2020, March 6). Workplace Technology – What office life might look like in the year 2030: Glimpses of the future include working commutes, smarter elevators, robot assistants, flexible floor plans and maybe even productive meetings. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2020, April 22 from ProQuest via NLB’s eResources website (myLibrary ID is required to access this article.)

4. A guide for working (from home) parents

Thompson, A.P. (2020, March 19). A guide for working (from home) parents. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 2020, April 22 from EBSCOhost via NLB’s eResources website (myLibrary ID is required to access this article.)

Chinese and Malay resources

1. Digital Workplace 企业未来的数字化工作方式

张秋丽编辑。(2019年6月28日) 。Digital Workplace 企业未来的数字化工作方式。 消费日报网。 Retrieved 2020, April 22.

This article examines the advantages of a digital workplace and predicts that all companies will go digital as technology advances.

2. 居家办公新手必看：视讯会议101

杨全龙。（2020年4月1日）。居家办公新手必看：视讯会议101。 联合早报。 Retrieved 2020, April 22.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, people in Singapore have been asked to work from home where possible. Videoconferencing has become the new normal. This article provides some tips on how to set up videoconferences at home.

3. Kerja di rumah karena Virus Corona? Simak 5 tips ini

Kerja di rumah karena Virus Corona? Simak 5 tips ini. (2020, March 17). Kompas.Com Retrieved 2020, April 21.

For those who have to telecommute during this coronavirus outbreak, this article shares five tips on how to work from home effectively.

4. Tenaga kerja BERITAmediacorp #dudukrumahsaja, manfaatkan teknologi jalankan tugas

Tenaga kerja BERITAmediacorp #dudukrumahsaja, manfaatkan teknologi jalankan tugas. (2020, April 13). Berita Mediacorp Retrieved 2020, April 21.

This news segment features how the BERITAmediacorp team made use of technology to enable its staff to work from home.

Disclaimer/ Rights statement
The information in this resource guide is valid as of April 2020 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2020.

References

¹ OWL Labs. (2019). State of Remote Work 2019. OWL Labs. Retrieved 2020, April 22 from https://www.owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work/2019

² Ong, S.Y. and Ng, Lucas B.S. (2019). Conditions of employment 2018. Ministry of Manpower. Retrieved 2020, April 28 from https://stats.mom.gov.sg/Pages/Conditions-Of-Employment-2018.aspx