Telework and the location of dispersed offices in the Tokyo metropolitan area

Abstract

A new working form called "telework" has attracted much attention with the rapid progress of information technology since the 1990s. Telework involves 1) working at home or in offices distant from headquarters, and 2) using electronic communication methods. A dispersed office is a typical site for telework. Research was conducted for the four companies that employ telework systems. The activities and locations of their dispersed offices in the Tokyo metropolitan area were analyzed based mainly on data from interviews with promoters of telework in the companies concerned. The progress of information technology enhances telework-related activities in dispersed offices. The use of electronic equipment, databases, and software has helped individual employees to do daily desk work efficiently, and telecommunication tools have enabled group work among employees in the main and dispersed offices, which had been considered impossible without face-to-face dialogue. The dispersed offices of the four companies concerned were located mostly in southwestern suburban cores within 30 km of the Tokyo metropolitan area. The teleworkers who moved their work places from the office in the urban center to dispersed offices save significant amounts of commuting time.