An interesting study commissioned by our parent company, Cisco, takes a look at the psychology of the mobile worker. The study was actually done in parts of Europe, Africa and Latin America, but the results can surely be interpreted globally.
It is of course especially important considering the forecast from IDC that shows that mobile workers will account for a full one quarter of the world’s working population by 2009 – just around the corner.
The study, entitled “Understanding and Managing the Mobile Workforce” points to the importance of recruiting the right kinds of personalities, managing them appropriately, and providing them with the best communication resources. Under and over communication can both have a negative impact, mismanagement in general being a major threat to worker productivity and job satisfaction.
The study was carried out by British occupational psychology specialists, and identifies the types of workers that can be most successful in mobile roles. They generally fit these personality profiles:
• Stimulation Seeker - extroverted, motivated by contact with people
• Tough Survivors - emotionally stable, low levels of neuroticism, resilient under pressure
• Curious Explorers - creative, open to new ideas, enjoys variety of experience
• Independent Decision-Makers - maintain independent mindset, appreciates being trusted to work without supervision
• Disciplined Achievers - conscientious and self-motivated.
There were also some noteworthy cultural observations, especially in terms of developing nations. Some Middle-Eastern and African countries were capitalizing on the work-life balance of mobile working, while several Latin American countries have a strong preference for face-to-face communications and have been slower to adapt to mobile working.
Tools like instant-messaging and video were cited for their important role in building a sense of inclusion and reducing any feelings of isolation.
And for anyone considering either finding a more mobile position, or making a proposal to their current employee – there’s even a quiz you can take to see how well suited your personality is to the change.
Colin Smith, Dir Corporate Communications, WebEx
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