satisfiesitscustomers.Themorecommuterscommittedtotaking publictransport,the
lesscongestion oncitystreets.
Sample 137
'Telecommuting'referstoworkersdoingtheirjobsfromhomeforpartofeach
weekandcommunicatingwiththeirofficeusingcomputertechnology.
Telecommutingisgrowinginmanycountriesandisexpectedtobecommonfor
mostofficeworkersinthecomingdecades.
Howdo youthinksocietywillbe affectedbythegrowthof
telecommuting?
Youshouldwriteatleast 250 words.Allowyourself 40 minutesforthistask.modelanswer:
Thespread oftelecommutingissureto havefar-reachingeffectsonsociety.Byitself,
telecommutingrefersto offiiceworkersspendingmuch oftheirtimeworkingfromhome
and usingelectronictechnologiestocommunicatewiththeiremployers.Thebroader
implicationsoftelecommuting, however,mayinvolvechangestocorporatestructure,
workers'lifestylesandeven urban planning.
Themostobviouschangesmay beapparentinthe`normal'officesofcompanies,
governmentsand other organisations.Ifeven halftheworkingweekisspent
telecommutingfromhome,thenwewouldinitiallyexpectmany
empty desksintheoffiice.Asofficesgrowsmaller,workerscominginforthedaywould
beexpectedtosharedeskswith
theirabsentcolleagues.This,inturn,mayaffectthesocialatmosphereofan
organisation, however,aslesssocialcontactwith one'scolleaguescould harmmorale
andloyalty.
Fortheindividualofficeworker,telecommutingwouldmeanspendingmoretimeat
home.Foraparentwith youngchildren,thismay beablessing.Moreover,many
telecommuterswould be
abletoworkthehourstheywished:havinganapintheafternrnoon,forexample, but
workingsomehoursintheevening.Onesubstantialbenefitforalltelecommuting
workersisthattherewillbeno needtotraveltowork,allowingmorefreetime.The
structureofurbanlifeisalsolikelyto
beaffected bytelecommuting.Wewouldexpecttoseefewercarsontheroad during
peak hoursand,eventually,asmallerconcentration ofoffiicesincities'central business
districts.Inshort, peoplewill havelessreasontotraveltocitycentresfromoutlying
areas.Asmorepeopleworkandliveinthesamelocation,shopsandculturaleventswill
likelyrelocatethemselvesoutofthecitycentre.
Insum,telecommutingwillservenotonlytochangethewaywework butalsotheway
welive.
Sample 138