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TPM
25,1/2 “You have got a friend”
The value of perceived proximity for
teleworking success in dispersed teams
Caroline Ruiller
2 University of Rennes 1, Graduate School of Management,
Laboratory CREM CNRS UMR, Rennes, France
Received 6 November 2017
Revised 25 May 2018
Accepted 4 June 2018 Beatrice Van Der Heijden
Radboud University, Institute for Management Research, AJ Nijmegen,
The Netherlands; Open University of The Netherlands and Kingston University,
London, UK and Hubei University, Wuhan, China
Frédérique Chedotel
University of Angers, Laboratory GRANEM, Angers, France, and
Marc Dumas
University of Bretagne Sud, Vannes, France

Abstract
Purpose – As a way to enable employees to work distantly, teleworking has gained a growing interest in
companies. At the same time, management challenges regarding the teleworkers’ risk of isolation, coupled
with the need to maintain cohesion for the dispersed team, to give an example, are various. How can
management practices help to maintain adequate levels of perceived proximity for a dispersed team’s
members? The purpose of this paper is to answer this question. Referring to a particular person’s perception
of how close or how far another person is, the concept of perceived proximity is mobilized. This Telecom case
study is based on 22 interviews with human resources directors, managers and teleworkers. While the results
of this study appear to corroborate empirically the theoretical model as proposed by O’Leary et al. (2014), they
also propose nuances, highlighting the importance of the interpersonal relationship to expand the perceived
proximity and stressing the need for both distant and face-to-face exchanges. They also help to understand
which management practices can influence perceived proximity. In particular, they help to understand the
role of communication and collective identity and support the importance of the e-leader. Finally, the results
highlight two remote management modes that will be discussed elaborately.
Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a single in-depth case study of Telecom as a
unique case study; it is useful to analyze new and complex phenomena for which theoretical development is
emerging and the consideration of the context is essential (Yin, 2013). In total, 22 interviews were conducted
with the human resources directors, managers and teleworkers. Lasting between 40 and 130 min each, the
interviews were all fully transcribed and analyzed using an iterative thematic content analysis. The authors
first manually analyzed the data on the basis of the social regulation theory to interpret the local and the
combined regulation (that is say to how the managers and the teleworkers co-build the rules to work being
distant) the telework implied between managers, teleworkers and their co-workers (Authors, 2018). Two
emerging codes led the authors to reinterpret the data, compared to the initial interpretative framework. The
authors thus transformed the coding and recoded the 22 interviews (Bacharach et al., 2000, p. 713; cited by
Gibbert et al. 2010, p. 58) around the objective/subjective working time and information and communication
technology (ICT) use and the perceived proximity: shared identity and perceived proximity, and
Team Performance Management: communication and perceived proximity.
An International Journal
Vol. 25 No. 1/2, 2019
pp. 2-29 Findings – First, the level of ICT use and the accompanying objective and subjective perceptions with
© Emerald Publishing Limited regard to working time are reported and positive perceptions for the employees are determined because of the
1352-7592
DOI 10.1108/TPM-11-2017-0069 timing flexibility the ICT determines. Second, the ICT use is presented in relation to the managerial and
collegial proximity perceived. Third, the authors discuss the shared identity processes that influence the You have got a
proximity perceived, followed by the characteristics of the communication process, being the fourth one. As
such, the results lead to a valuable input that enables to critically reflect on the e-leader roles, resulting in two friend
emerging management modes seen as a continuum in terms of shared identity: the “e-communicational” mode
signals the re-foundation of management in situations of distance based on the personality of the e-leader that
influences the team members in terms of communicational and organizational behaviors; and the control
management mode that is based upon objectives in a situation of being distant, illustrated by managers who
regulate the work made by the distant team in monitoring the objectives without sharing the experience of
telework. 3
Research limitations/implications – The results corroborate empirically with the theoretical model by
Boyer O’Leary et al. (2014), while putting into perspective the complexity to manage the inter-subjectivity that
is related to distance. More specifically, the results show that even if the ICT use leads to a new balance
regarding time management for teleworkers – increasing their quality of life perceptions, with a better
organizational flexibility – that is to say, a “win-win” configuration, the ultimate success of such a
configuration depends on sound management practices. In this sense, the authors propose to enrich their
model (Figure 3, p. 33). More extensive research will test two new moderating variables. At first, the results
put in evidence the core role of e-management (e-communicational vs control), with a potential moderator
effect on the relationship between objective distance and shared identification, on the one hand, and
communication, on the other hand. Another result is the potential moderator effect of the ICT use on the
relationship between perceived proximity and relationship quality. The nuances proposed support some
recent studies arguing that distant communication (versus face-to-face) may inhibit geographically
distributed team performance without consideration of the way the teams use ICT to ensure their cohesion
and performance (Malhotra and Majchrzak, 2014).
Practical implications – These conclusions result into important management recommendations to
support dispersed teams with how to cope with challenges such as the risk of delayed communication,
possible misinterpretations, limited information richness and great conflicts (Zuofa and Ochieng, 2017).
Originality/value – Compared to the unique empirical application of the Boyer O’Leary et al.’s framework
(2014), who found no differences existing in terms of proximity perceived with the study of 341
“geographically present” dyads with 341 “geographically distant,” this study’s results show that the
construction of the feeling of proximity depends on a fragile balance between virtual and face-to-face
exchanges. The authors also highlight the role of an e-leader in this regard and identify and compare two
modes of remote management.
Keywords Team management, Teleworking, Dispersed teams, Distant management modes,
Perceived proximity
Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction
What does the feeling of proximity mean? Referring to “one person’s perception of how close
or how far another person is,” perceived proximity was conceptualized (Wilson et al., 2008,
p. 1) and, subsequently, operationalized (Boyer et al., 2014) quite recently. In this
contribution, we are focusing on teleworking[1] as:
[. . .] a form of organizing and/or performing work, using information technology, in the context of
an employment contract/relationship, where work, which could also be performed at the
employer’s premises, is carried out away from those premises on a regular basis.
More specifically, we raise the following question: How to develop and to maintain the
feeling of proximity of teleworkers, being geographically dispersed?
Teleworking [etymologically “working with distance” (Metzger and Cléach, 2004)]
has been associated with potential growth since the early 1970s. With the increasing
digitization, teleworking leads organizations to work more virtually, mainly based on
temporary and agile cooperation, resulting in abolition of distances that are coupled
with an increasing employees’ empowerment and networking opportunities (Vignikin
TPM et al., 2016). The phenomenon symbolizes current changes of work and of the workplace
25,1/2 design (Bailey and Kurland, 2002), and it might be questioned how to ensure success in
virtual teams and to adapt the management practices to the accompanying
(experienced) distances. Following this view, teleworking benefits from a growing
scientific attention, as historically, team management research has mainly focused on
collocated teams (Hinds and Mortesen, 2005; Wilson et al., 2013).
4 ATT (1971) stated that all US employees would be teleworkers in 1990. In France, the
predictions were more moderate; a report by the Strategic Analysis Center[2] (2009) specified
that teleworking would have a strong potential development that might impact up to 50
per cent of the active working population in 2015, against 30 per cent in 2009.
Notwithstanding the moderate predictions, real-life data cannot reveal the reality of
teleworking in France. More specifically, Greenworking, a consulting firm, estimated that
12.4 per cent of French employees of large companies would telework, at least, 8 h per month
in 2012. In fact, 113 company agreements integrating teleworking were concluded in 2014[3],
signaling the huge increase in top management interests to this arrangement.
With regard to academic results, Cocula and Fredy-Planchot (2001) came up with an
historical review and proposed a continuum categorizing two types of employment
relationships. On the one hand, they notified a unilateral relationship which can be
associated with top management utilitarianism. On the other hand, they referred to a
relationship based on employment reciprocity, reflecting strategies to provide
organizational support to employees in return for their efforts. While, originally, teleworking
was considered as a means to reduce the real-estate costs for companies (Kurland and
Bailey, 1999), currently, teleworking is envisaged as a flexible way to organize work,
coupled with ergonomics for employees (Berkery et al., 2017).
Up till now, the management challenges and the risks that are associated with
teleworking have been a central part in the scholarly literature, and there is an urgent
need to refine the current state of knowledge (Dumas and Ruiller, 2014). More
specifically, nowadays, management roles ought to be extended with the concern for
preventing the risk of isolation for teleworkers in dispersed teams, that is to say, teams
that are characterized by a geographical and/or a temporal dispersion and by their
frequency of information and communication technology (ICT) use (Taskin, 2006).
According to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development[4], possible
barriers for teleworking success are “inflexible organisational structures and cultures,
rules that do not allow for telework and a lack of infrastructure.” We believe that next to
contextual factors, management does play a key role in the sound implementation of
teleworking. To gain more insight into the possible role management plays in this
regard, this contribution focuses on how managers can influence perceived proximity in
dispersed teams. As such, the objective of this study is to deepen our insight into how
the process of perceived proximity among teleworkers being members of dispersed
team can be facilitated by sound management practices. After depicting our theoretical
framework, we will go into the methodology of our study. Next, the results of our case
study approach will be outlined, followed by a thorough discussion of its outcomes. Our
paper provides several contributions to the scholarly literature in this field, providing
evidence of the importance of interpersonal relations (even at distance) and helping to
understand how and which management practices may help to enhance perceived
proximity. Indeed, our results show that the construction of the feeling of proximity
depends on a fragile balance between virtual and face-to-face exchanges. We also
highlight the role of the e-leader in this regard and identify and compare two modes of
remote management.
2. Conceptualization: perceived proximity in dispersed teams You have got a
Teleworking is a situation in which an employee works at home, at least, part of the time friend
(Sullivan, 2003). Some studies on teleworking have focused on the characterization of this
practice and have shed more light on its prevalence in the workplace, the individual
characteristics of teleworkers, the effects of teleworking and, more recently, on the reasons
for which companies put it in place (Aguilera et al., 2016). Some other scholars have focused
on the issue of perceived proximity (Wilson et al., 2008; O’Leary et al., 2014).
5
2.1 Objective to subjective proximity
Proximity refers to “how near one thing is to another, or the fact of being near something”
(Cambridge Dictionary). As the concept is being studied in many academic disciplines
(economics, geography, sociology, management sciences, etc.), different conceptualizations
have arisen. For instance, geographical economy scholars have explored this concept for a
long time and have highlighted five main components (Bochma, 2005). Historically, they
made a distinction between geographical and organizational proximity. First, geographical
or spatial proximity objectively concerns the inter-personal physical distance and is in part
subjectively evaluated by the way two persons or more estimate the way they feel distant or
closed. It refers to the spatial distance between separate entities (Rallet and Torre, 2006),
which implies that team mates need digital tools to facilitate cooperation. Second,
organizational proximity is defined as the extent to which relations are shared in an intra- or
inter-organizational arrangement (Bochma, 2005). It enables to structure the interactions
that exist among the dispersed team members and is grounded on the amount of affiliation
and similarity between the parties involved (Bouba Olga and Grossetti, 2008). Using an
organizational perspective, affiliation comprises an individual’s abilities to interact and to
coordinate themselves with common rules and routines. Similarity implies that individuals
share a system of beliefs (Rallet and Torre, 2006).
This trend of research on perceived proximity has recently raised several avenues of
research or debates, leading to a need for more in-depth empirical work. In particular, the
manager’s role and practices are not fully understood, and given their complexity, they need
more scholarly attention (Zuofa and Ochieng, 2017). O’Leary et al. (2014, p. 1238) suggest to
investigate how the e-communication affects perceived proximity to deepen the knowledge
on the differences of the communication content exchanged being distant regarding the ICT
use and compared to face-to-face communication. They also underline how crucial it is to
improve the understanding the recursive relationships between the perceived proximity as
“the symbolic result of communications and identification”.
Teleworking consists of a form of distributed work, that is, it is carried out by a group of
separated people and coordinated by using advanced communication technologies (Jackson
and Van der Vielen, 2002). This separation is a source of difficulty which managers must
seek to apprehend. Indeed, by breaking with a certain unity of time, place and action,
teleworking results in “despatialization.” Despatialization refers to the physical (or
geographical) and psycho-sociological distance, which results from the practice of
teleworking and which fundamentally alters the management mode (Taskin, 2006). On the
one hand, despatialization creates tension between the experience of being physically absent
from work and the need to work and be connected to one’s manager and peers in the privacy
of one’s own home (Sewell and Taskin, 2015). On the other hand, the more the work is
distributed, the more difficult it is to manage, because it rests on a mode of communication
beyond the boundaries of the company. Obviously, the latter is not easy to implement,
leading potentially to misunderstanding and interpersonal conflicts, which might result in
inefficiency for the company (Vartiainen et al., 2007).
TPM Finally, while there is no consensus on the founding rules of teleworking, the
25,1/2 empowerment of teleworkers implies a change in the role of managers, based on trust and
performance monitoring (and not on control of the tasks), which is not self-evident in all
occasions (Pyöriä, 2011). Here again, the teleworker is confronted with a paradox:
teleworking is supposed to reinforce autonomy and to reduce conflicts between one’s work
and private life, but at the same time, it deteriorates one’s communication with colleagues
6 and managers. This leads to a certain risk for the team members as they might perceive that
the sense of belongingness decreases, which might have cohesion loss consequences: quality
of the cooperation, commitment, social climate and turnover (Gajendran and Harrison, 2007).
Therefore, the issue regarding the relationship between the quality of management of
distant relationships and perceived proximity comes up and requires some thorough
empirical work. In other words, we need to deepen the knowledge and to improve
management practices on the relationship-oriented leader behaviors and their influence on
individual and team processes and outcomes in virtual teams (Liao, 2017).
Another current theoretical debate deals with objective versus subjective proximity.
Research on proximity management focused first and foremost on the concept of “objective
distance” (Wilson et al., 2008). Based on the seminal work of Festinger (1950), we posit a
positive relationship between physical proximity, interpersonal affinities and the frequency
of communication. In the 1970s, Allen (1977) began to look into the role of distance in the
regulation of work and outlined that several dimensions are to be considered: dispersion in
space/time (recovery between working times) and distribution of sites (number and distance
between them). Earlier outcomes on geographic dispersion are contradictory. Some
researchers have shown that co-operation between teleworkers is a form of virtual
teamwork that can be effective if managers combine dispersion and use of appropriate
communication technologies (Von Krogh and Von Hippel, 2003). Others consider it too early
to conclude that “distance is dead,” and that new technologies are sufficient to overcome the
difficulties that are associated with distributed teamwork (Handy, 1995).
Up till now, scholars have put less emphasis on “subjective-based” research (Ancona
et al., 2001), even though it has been recognized that perceived proximity is neither
significantly nor positively influenced by actual physical proximity (Hansen and Lovas,
2004). Therefore, Scott (1999) already argued in favor of a more sophisticated approach to
study the perceived proximity phenomenon, including subjective-based approaches. In a
similar vein, the meta-analysis conducted by O’Leary and Cummings (2007) indicated a
strong research trend focusing on spatial dispersion to the detriment of analyzing temporal
dispersion or team configuration and hence overshadowing subjective dimensions. Their
meta-analysis has yielded two perspectives that, according to the authors, deserve to be
dealt with greater depth. First, the use of ICT and its effect on the relationship between
objective (e.g. the chronological time for which ICT has been used, regardless of its
experiences by the team members) and subjective working time (e.g. the team members’
experiences of time, which is socially sense-maked during the action and by the actors
involved in an event; Ancona et al., 2001) should be considered. Second, the use of ICT by the
organization/individual employees and their influence on the managerial and/or collegial
perceived proximity should be further investigated.

2.2 Understanding relationships in dispersed teams through the lens of perceived proximity
Previously, some authors have already lobbied in favor of a conceptual refinement of the
concept of perceived proximity by stating that, in essence, it refers to someone’s “perception
of how close or how far another person is” (Wilson et al., 2008, p. 1). One example of an
elaboration of the research stream on physical proximity consists of examining the
possibility of feeling (very) distant from a colleague working in the same office/building. You have got a
From the standpoint of dispersed teams, researchers have sharpened their focus on the friend
perceived proximity phenomenon among objectively distant members. The “far” and “near”
qualifiers actually characterize perceptions that are differentiated depending on the
individuals involved in the assessment (Harrison-Hill, 2001). The perception of distance and/
or proximity entails multiple factors, and the actual/effective distance would only exert a
slight influence on this perception (Mooney et al., 1991). From this point of view, Wilson et al.
(2008) and Boyer et al. (2014) highlighted two variables on which the manager can act: 7
common or shared identity and communication.
According to the social identification theory (Ashforth and Mael, 1989), social
identification with a group (e.g. a dispersed team) means that an individual has a feeling of
belonging to this social category (ibid.). Shared identification comprises a self-categorization
process (Turner and Haslam, 2001) built around three distinct mechanisms. First, it is based
on a “common ground” (learning how to mutually understand one another, i.e. relationship
building experiences) that leads to similarity and self-categorization to the group (by
profession, gender, ethnicity, etc.). Second, this categorization process permits anyone to
reduce uncertainty about their social environment: a sharing of characteristics and/or
significant experiences makes it possible to project onto the other person in relying on one’s
life experiences. As a third mechanism, shared identification generates positive attributions
in case “hard” data are missing or when attitudes and behaviors from the other person
remain invisible, herewith consolidating the psychological bond (Hinds and Mortesen, 2005).
The amount of perceived categorization differences, combined with an absence of shared
identity, would explain a feeling of separation (Metiu, 2006).
In a remote management context, wherein ICT is used as a control infrastructure and
wherein so-called “control” managers can be characterized by their oppressive nature
(Mortensen and Hinds, 2001), such an identification process appears to be even more
problematic. The element of communication refers to the frequency, intensity (both
personalized and personally significant) and interaction (exchange and reciprocity) that may
enhance the feelings of proximity (Burgoon et al., 2002). Communication-based
opportunities, which serve to improve depictions of someone else, consequently influence
the cognitive and affective dimensions of perceived proximity via the congruence of shared
value references and, in so doing, strengthen the process of shared identification.
Concretely, Wilson et al. (2008), in questioning the paradoxical paradigm of feeling close
to colleagues that are separated geographically, proposed a theoretical model of perceived,
dyadic, cognitive and affective proximity. This model serves to “enliven” the work of
Ancona and associates (2001) and Hall (1983) and reconciles the results from previous
research on the contradictory effects of objective distance on interpersonal processes. The
model by Wilson et al. (2008) provides a framework for considering the factors influencing
perceived proximity to determine the measurement frame in which organizations are able to
take advantage of dispersed teams.
More recently, O’Leary et al. (2014) refined this theoretical model. In case the objective
distance is able to directly affect the perceived distance, then organizational research
(Rice and Aydin, 1991) would suggest that the relationship between physical distance and
perceived proximity is influenced through communication and identification processes,
yielding a direct and significant effect on the perception of proximity. From this standpoint,
perceived proximity would substantially influence the quality of relations perceived within
a dispersed team configuration (O’Leary et al., 2014; see Figure 1, p. 12).
By virtue of its comprehensive scope, the model by Wilson et al. (2008) corroborates the
findings of Nonaka and Noboru (1998), according to whom remote relations are not
TPM
25,1/2

Figure 1.
Refinement of the
perceived proximity
model

necessarily less “social” or less “proximate.” The model is based on sharing robust
behavioral and collective norms, a positive leader-member exchange (LMX) relationship and
team-member exchange (TMX)[5] (Gabarro, 1987). Its elements imply varying degrees of
signs of attention among one another, a sense of responsibility, reciprocity in the exchange,
the desire to collaborate in the future and workplace well-being (Hackman, 1990).
Individual factors have only been very marginally studied within the domain of research
on geographically dispersed teams (Martins et al., 2004), even though the notion of remote
work is associated with a feeling of isolation and uncertainty (Kurland et al., 1999). From a
managerial point of view, this last consideration implies that autonomy should be
considered as a key competence in the selection of members/teams for remote work, given
that employees need to show the capacity to cope with the potential downsides of these new
configurations. More autonomous staff members will be more willing to devote themselves
to communication and identity-building processes, thereby possibly enhancing the feeling of
perceived proximity. In addition, individual affinity for a remote working environment, as
characterized by cognitive and behavioral flexibility and adaptability, is in fact a critical
factor of success when managing remote teams (Judge et al., 1999).
Previous experiences with dispersed teams have served to create routines and norms to
ensure productivity efficiency in situations with off-site configurations. With experience,
members of a geographically distributed team learn how to communicate frequently, how to
initiate tasks quickly to meet production deadlines and how to manage to decipher the
symbolic and tacit content of messages received (Wilson et al., 2008). Conceptual tinkering
regarding the perceived proximity model as developed by O’Leary et al. (2014) has led to
postulating that beyond communication frequency and shared identity, the symbolic
content of such constructs also proves to be essential. More specifically, individuals use ICT
to transmit the symbols of their shared values, expressing what brings them together.
Indeed, based on a study of 682 dyads, Boyer O’Leary et al. showed how individuals are able
to create strong psychological bonds, despite their physical separation, through the use of
ICT as a transitional means to establish their shared meaning and value systems. The
results (both quantitative and qualitative) of their empirical work on successful ICT use You have got a
comparing “geographically present” dyads with “geographically distant” ones did not friend
reveal any differences with respect to the feeling of proximity.
The academic and managerial insights proposed by Wilson et al. (2008) and by O’Leary
et al. (2014) are key in our theoretical framework. Taking distance from maintaining the gap
between those who believe in digital cooperation (Von Krogh et al., 2003) and those who
stress the positive relationship between physical proximity and the quality of interpersonal
relationships, O’Leary et al. (2014) plead for a sophisticated conceptualization of proximity 9
to the benefit of its subjective dimension. The literature review reports the absence of
empirical studies apart from Boyer O’Leary et al. (ibidem).
In terms of managerial implications, refining the understanding of the impact of
perceived proximity could highlight its added value for teleworking success in dispersed
teams. First, dispersed teams may implement new practices to be encouraged when the
traditional work organization poses its limits (e.g. working hours). Second, this conceptual
refinement can enrich the state of knowledge on the communication structure. O’Leary et al.
(2014) reported an increase in communication density in a teleworking situation by the
facilities that ICT allows, for instance, the use of skype or videoconferencing, herewith
resembling a face-to-face setting. In particular, the interviewed respondents stated that the
lack of daily presence of a team does not influence the quality of the interactions because of
the opportunities offered by ICT (O’Leary et al., 2014). Following this perspective, a cultural
vision of ICT supporting interpersonal dynamics could be considered as a way to enrich the
interaction, over and above the added value in terms of productivity increase. Referring to
Google Circles, O’Leary et al. (2014) considered ICT compensating for face-to-face
interactions, herewith reinforcing the communication and the identification processes. Based
on the theoretical outline given above and, more specifically, considering the need to
empirically refine the perceived proximity construct, we assume that shared identity and
communication influence the perceived proximity and, in turn, the relationship quality in a
dispersed team.

3. Methodology: the Telecom case study

We conducted a single in-depth case study of Telecom as it is a unique case study useful to
analyze new and complex phenomena for which theoretical development is emerging and
the consideration of the context is essential (Yin, 2013). Telecom is a large French company
that is engaged in the telecommunication sector and that demonstrates a dispersed team’s
culture. This research was conducted within four of its business units (France) covering
three activities: Telecom business, Telecom human resources and consumer support
(international and national large accounts and individual consumers). Teleworking is
experimented by an undertaken agreement since 2009, which was reappointed in 2013. The
ICT use in Telecom can be characterized as “mature” as employees consider the ICT as a
facilitator’s tool to balance work and non-work spheres (Le Douarin, 2007). Telecom invested
in several tools to facilitate distant exchanges: “Com” is an instant messenger, “P” is an
internal social network and “Sharedoc” is an interactive tool to share working documents. In
Telecom, team integration was strived for, and the human resources unit launched the need
for a thorough reflection on the management skills’ development to accompany dispersed
team leaders.
The framework that was initially used to structure the interviews was based on the
French social regulation theory (Reynaud, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2003), but our research is
explorative and enables us to generate innovative results. From January to July 2013, 22
interviews were conducted by two of the authors of this contribution with six e-leaders (four
TPM men and two women) and 16 teleworkers (9 men and 7 women in total) working in one and
25,1/2 the same company. For sake of anonymity, we were not allowed to gather information on the
participants’ ages. Teleworking appeared to be part of the company agreement that deals,
among others, with professional equality, parenthood and disabled workers’ employment.
The company had introduced dispersed teams building upon the perceived proximity
concept, which lies at the heart of our unique case analysis and which stresses the
10 networking of employees around common interests (Moquay et al., 2003). In particular, the
teleworkers selected to be interviewed were motivated to experiment with telework to better
conciliate their professional and their non-professional life. The principal mode we used the
to collect data was interviews done by two researchers, complemented with collective
interviews, observations and a quantitative study (Figure 2, p. 16).
In total, three types of telework were studied. First, telework at home was included (seven
interviews with teleworkers and one with an e-leader), varying from a half day to two days
per week. Second was teleworking in dispersed teams (six teleworkers with three e-leaders
were interviewed). These dispersed teams were implemented as a solution proposed by the
top management representatives, with the strategy to retain the small sites, and to enable
employees to stay on these sites arranging their own work conditions with special attention
given to ergonomics (work space and furniture). Employees are e-managed by the team
leader who came on the site one or two days per week. Third, teleworking in a telecenter
(interviewing three teleworkers and two e-leaders) was included in our case study, being an

Figure 2.
The Telecom case
study; four modes to
collect data
experimental process that comprises an open office wherein co-workers joined each other for You have got a
two days per week. This experiment was conducted to better understand how the friend
experiences of the participants were different from employees in an ordinary telework
context.
After holding a short professional life conversation to better understand their motives for
teleworking (Dumas and Ruiller, 2014), three themes were discussed with all interviewees:
(1) the use of ICT within the teleworking experience; 11
(2) the benefits regarding the issue of working time and, more specifically, regarding
work-life balance as perceived by teleworkers within the telework experience; and
(3) the relationships and the local regulations between the management and the teams
in teleworking settings.

Our results were reported to the site managers and discussed with the interviewees to
ensure accuracy. In addition, new data were collected to confirm the results (collective
interviews with the human direction members, observations done on work sites and a
confirmatory questionnaire), and, as such, to cross-validate them. The strategies used to
enhance the validity and the reliability of the Telecom case study data are synthetized in
Table I (p. 18).
The interviews, lasting between 40 and 130 min each, were all fully transcribed and
analyzed using thematic content analysis (Schreier, 2014). For sake of rigor, we provide a
concrete description of how categories and codes were formed iteratively (Gibbert and
Ruigrok, 2010): we first manually analyze the data on the basis of the social regulation

Credibility criteria for

qualitative research Strategies used for this research

Truth value Insider researchers’ journal

Skype and face-to-face exchanges between insider researchers and outsider
researchers to account for personal bias
Data triangulation to enhance the integrity of the analysis (ethnographic
material; primary internal – teleworking agreement – teleworking charter;
secondary external data)
Selection of a company willing to integrate researchers in a transparent way
(willing to allow observations at the initiative of researchers)
Regular interviews between the insider researchers and the production sites
management, the human resources management (national and local)
Semi-structured interviews with teleworkers and e-managers allowing for
revisiting data and cross-checking with emerging themes
Systematic comments from the human resources members on the research
findings and the themes
Consistency/neutrality Introspective reports written by the insider researchers allowing for a
complete description of the teams studied. This report also described the
challenges, the difficulties, and the decision process taken by the e-managers
Discussions between the insider researchers and the outsider researchers
about the emerging themes was a creative process in which solutions and
decisions could be debated
Table I.
Applicability The longitudinal nature of the unique case study (interviews, feedback on the
interviews realized with the interviewees, rich details of the context allowed Strategies to enhance
by observations) facilitates us to better understand what is case-specific and the validity and the
what can be transferred to other cases reliability of the
Telecom case study
TPM theory (Reynaud, ibidem) to interpret the local and the combined regulation (that is say, to
25,1/2 how the managers and teleworkers co-build the rules to work being distant) the telework
implied between managers, teleworkers and their co-workers (Ruiller et al., 2018). Two
emerging codes led us to reinterpret the data, compared to the initial interpretative
framework. We thus transformed the coding and recoded the 22 interviews (Bacharach et al.,
2000, p. 713; cited by Gibbert et al., 2010, p. 58) around:
12 (1) the objective/subjective working time and the ICT use; and
(2) the perceived proximity:
 shared identity and perceived proximity; and
 communication and perceived proximity.
The analysis led us to identify two management modes corresponding to the eight teams
investigated within the Telecom case:
(1) the e-communication (one team) mode; and
(2) the control mode (seven teams).

4. Results
First, the level of ICT use and the accompanying objective and subjective perceptions with
regard to working time are reported and positive perceptions are determined for the
employees because of the timing flexibility the ICT determines. Second, we present the ICT
use in relation to the managerial and collegial proximity perceived. Third, we go into the
shared identity processes that influence the proximity perceived, followed by the
characteristics of the communication process, being the fourth one. As such, our results lead
to valuable input that enables us to critically reflect on the e-leader roles, resulting into two
emerging management modes we see as a continuum in terms of shared identity:
(1) the “e-communicational” mode, which signals the re-foundation of management in
situations of distance based on the personality of the e-leader that influences the
team members in terms of communicational and organizational behaviors; and
(2) the control management mode, which is based upon objectives in a situation of
being distant, illustrated by managers who regulate the work made by the distant
team monitoring the objectives without sharing the experience of telework.

4.1 The level of information and communication technology use and objective and subjective
perceptions with regard to working time
In Telecom, the use of ICT may be qualified as “mature.” Employees easily coordinate their
use of the phone, e-mail service, the “com” (instant messaging) tool and CoopNet (an
application sharing tool) for working remotely. This successful appropriation of ICT
characterizes an “e-communication” mode in which formal exchanges (i.e. meetings and
working in “project mode” from multiple physical locations) overlap with informal
exchanges. Over time, Telecom’s management is pursuing continuous development of this
“e-communication” mode (through Intranet, shared videos, company blogs, etc.). The use of
email and the “com” tool for instant messaging helps to ensure a permanent bond among
members of a dispersed team:
Every morning, when I go online, I send out a message to all site managers and to my boss letting
them know that I’ve arrived and can now be reached. Same thing then when I log off, I say
 goodbye as a means of informing them that my workday is over [. . .] In case dictates need to be You have got a
made, we send each other little notes [. . .] using the “Com” tool (Trainer and support staff
member, full-time contract, half day-a-week teleworker). friend
When interrogating employees regarding their teleworking situation and its impact on their
personal schedules, all agree with the premise that reducing commuting time has a
significant impact on perceived quality of life, whether in the professional or personal realm.
An employee’s organizational flexibility is a major advantage for reshaping his/her daily 13
schedule: examples mentioned referred to picking up a child from school at 5 p.m.,
concentrating on a specific project task without being interrupted by workplace commotion
or breaking the monotony of the professional routine:
We adopted a five-year-old boy and I really wanted to better allocate my time to be able to eat
with him [. . .]. If I wanted to have lunch with him, I’d have to spend over two hours a day
commuting (Project manager, full-time contract, two days/week teleworking]).
This reorganization of work may thus influence not only the objective relationship with time
(commuting time) but also the subjective relationship (quality of perceived time).
For instance, teleworking leads to personal flexibility in terms of schedule management
(objective time):
Instead of getting up at 6 a.m., I can wake up at 7! It’s really a time when I can relax. And this
flexibility allows me to be more mellow with my kids. To know that on Wednesdays, I’ve got
more time for them, I’ll be able to review their homework with them, and to be free to spend more
time with them [. . .]. And to feel less guilty than when always having to run around and be at
work (Training assistant, 90 per cent time contract, teleworks Wednesday mornings and has
Wednesday afternoons off).
The use of ICT in teleworking situations makes it possible to reconfigure the standard pace
of a typical workplace, in line with one’s personal preferences and private life pressures and/
or ways of dealing with traffic pressures. Moreover, such organizational flexibility enables
managing medical and/or administrative appointments, hence underscoring a feeling of
greater freedom in managing one’s personal time. That is to say, employees are not working
less in terms of productive time, but instead in a way that provides greater quality and
work-life balance. In addition, employees admit to be more amenable to adapt to schedule
changes or to alter their teleworking patterns to suit the team’s needs, for instance, to have
face-to-face meetings and to deal with constraints associated with traveling in and around
Paris:
I can ask to telework on an afternoon when I’ve got a 5.30 p.m. meeting at the school, which still
keeps me connected until around 5.25 p.m. [. . .] and then I’ll jump back online at 7 p.m. because I’ll
need to complete my emails or I’ll have some work to finish up by the next day [. . .]. It’s really a
win-win situation!
Besides the positive effect of well-being associated with managing one’s personal schedule,
the reliance on teleworking and physical separation of team members, because of ICT, might
offer a way of reallocating professional working time during the daily schedule. The latter
may evoke the impression that time spent at work actually goes more quickly (subjective
time):
There’s the benefit of a more relaxed and calmer employee, with fewer kilometers traveled at the
beginning of the week, and then there’s the other side of the coin, which suggests an employee’s
thinking as follows: I’ve got two days left to my work week, I’ll get into the telecenter office, enjoy
seeing my colleagues and tell myself that the end of the week is in sight, the weekend’s coming.
Moreover, at the telecenter office, those who see us arriving on Thursday mornings readily
TPM comment: “So, the week’s nearly over” [. . .]. This way, the week goes by more quickly because
we’re actually breaking up the day-to-day monotony (Customer support manager, full-time
25,1/2 contract, teleworking to a remote center three days a week).
This set-up also lays the foundation for reconfiguring social bonds with the team.
Teleworking staff members may be looking to compensate for the lack of face-to-face
contact, which ICT technologies fail to replace entirely. A longing for good-quality informal
14 and/or socialization time has been voiced: lunching more often with colleagues from the
workplace, enjoying discussions during breaks, etc.

4.2 The level of information and communication technology use and managerial and
collegial perceived proximity
Many teleworkers have noted a drop in the number of requests submitted, and contacts
initiated by the manager and the other team members, when working remotely. Several
factors may explain this tendency, including the fear of being intrusive to the remote
employee; teleworking being associated with working time that requires sustained
concentration (example of a trainer preparing teaching materials while working off-site);
notions surrounding an employee’s physical presence (if the employee is teleworking, he/she
is considered absent from the regular workplace environment); and perception of the
employee as someone who typically segments his/her professional and personal spaces.
Perceived proximity depends on the content of the particular type of work. If the team
needs extensive relationship building to achieve its objectives, then special attention should
be given to how to manage the perceived proximity in a situation wherein employees are
being and working at a distance:
I feel that solid training and a cultural shift are both necessary, whether talking about managers
or employees. I was successful at the telework center instituting an autonomous work
environment [. . .]. I had to change my stance with respect to my own management [. . .]. It
requires considerable reflection; otherwise, you’ve got your team members frequently using the
line “don’t bug me, I’m at a meeting.” On the other hand, in a teleworking context, the line
becomes ‘feel free to reach me’ as if the door was open or as if the door was closed, but the “Com”
tool message reads: “I’d like to speak to you. Can I?” “Yes, we can speak,” then a conversation is
held, time for a real dialogue, everything that needed to be aired gets said, help is provided. I
really appreciate this principle when it works to everyone’s benefit (E-manager of the teleworkers
in the telecenter, full-time contract).
However, if teamwork does not require extensive collaboration, proximity-based
expectations are completely different, and as a result, the dispersed working situation does
not produce the same effects:
I find that human relations remain relatively unchanged given our way of working. We spend a
lot of time on the phone or in meetings. We’re all working on different projects. Our professional
contact is rather limited, at least as regards the day-to-day exchanges, with my fellow team
member. [. . .]. The kinds of exchanges happening every once in a while might consist of asking a
question to someone who had encountered an identical problem to ours. So whether that would be
asked over the phone, by messaging or email, or in person, it really doesn’t matter (E-manager of
the teleworkers in the telecenter, full-time contract).
From our interviews, we encountered two different types of remote relationship
management which may correspond to the content inherent in the team’s particular sector or
their organizational practices (collaborative vs joint presence of individuals belonging to the
same team). First, managing perceived proximity relies on interpersonal confidence. More
specifically, we noticed the existence of a teleworking mode within a team composed of five
teleworkers (including the manager), where the team shares a representation of teleworking You have got a
as a means of optimizing and facilitating a parent’s schedule. This mode is characterized by friend
the lack of formalized controls for monitoring off-site activity and a trust-based approach to
achieving objectives. While granting teleworking days requires amending the labor
contract, it is not exceptional for the team to spend an afternoon “off-site” getting some work
done remotely. The atmosphere associated with a remote work environment is reputed to be
friendly, revealing the shared values of the team, and inspired from the personalities of the
leader and the team members but also their alchemy: 15
I’ve also got a relationship with my colleagues, who are used to me not showing up on-site and
who telework themselves; so we’re very familiar with the way things are and it all goes really
smoothly among us. We’ve also built this climate of trust among our colleagues. They know I’m
working away from the office, they’ll call me on my cell, they’ll send me quick messages via the
“Com” tool. I feel where everyone is, I always remain connected to group activities and I don’t lose
contact with our activities (E-manager and teleworker, full-time contract).
Second, controlling work output may provide a means for overseeing “manager-teleworker”
perceived proximity through activity monitoring, which then becomes a rite in the
relationship. The situations encountered attest to a diversity of practices or tools: for
instance, related to the job of a company trainer, customized (i.e. non-institutionalized) Excel
files for work completed off-site to be evaluated, summary documents, reports and
deliverables (e.g. training materials):
For my team supervisor, it’s true that I complete a file, a schedule of what I accomplished during
the morning. An activity monitoring calendar, a sort of control chart indicating “how I spent my
morning” (Teleworker, full-time contract, teleworks one half day per week).
The practice or tool is subsequently exchanged by email, herewith enabling the manager to
check the work output and to examine whether the objectives have been reached. With this
set-up, the issue of a remote work environment does not even make a difference in terms of
trust.

4.3 Shared identity and perceived proximity

From our outcomes, it appears that teleworkers who have the feeling of shared identity
indeed perceive more proximity. More specifically, the teleworkers and the e-leaders’
feedback on work being distant reveals a high variability concerning the shared identity. On
the one hand, teleworking is disparate in practice. Where the CEO’s intention to
operationalize teleworking is recognized by most of the employees, the execution is
contingent to the middle management positioning:
Some local business units are well acculturated to telework, in particular units positioned on
international large account. In contrast, on these historical units with traditional hierarchical
management [. . .] Teleworking is not well implemented [. . .] You can still encounter managers
who think that a woman teleworking, is at home with her children! (E-leader, teleworker, Human
Resources Department).
On the other hand, the interviewees highlighted the importance of the “pros” or “cons” that
middle management argues on the issue of teleworking:
Actually, my direct manager is really open-minded with teleworking arrangements [. . .] However,
his manager, was much more reluctant to implement teleworking. As a result, I’ve been asked to
fill out a file, month by month, on what activities I have performed in order to control whether I
have met my objectives. I filled them out for a year, explaining what I had done: 2h emails
treatment, 2h documenting stuff, writing training, meetings with so and so [. . .] One year we did
TPM this, and then we decided to stop [. . .]. Fortunately, my direct manager, at one time, thought there
was no value added and that it was unproductive time (Teleworker, full-time contract, one day
25,1/2 per week).
Thus, comparing the situations, e-leaders and the teleworkers develop a more or less strong
feeling to belong to the dispersed team. One team (from the eight teams investigated) differs
from the others with a very strong identity shared and a high proximity perceived by the
16 e-leader and the teleworkers. These team members self-categorized themselves as a “tribe”
in which the e-leader who became teleworker accompanying her team to implement
teleworking positions herself as a facilitator and as being at the heart of the team. This team
can be considered as exceptional compared to the other seven ones investigated, regarding
the team’s member identification. This identification resulted in the team to be categorized
by the human resources management as socially cohesive, cooperative, altruist and loyal. In
this team, the female manager was considered as very influent on the shared identity:
Y well understands the constraints each of us can experiment [. . .] She is a mum and it counts!
With a woman manager, who tends to balance her professional and her private life. She better
understands what we live [. . .]. We are taking the direction of an “open-minded organization,”
based on trust [. . .]. If my manager accepts teleworking, that means she recognizes my autonomy,
my needs regarding work-life balance [. . .] According to me, this is a nice recognition
(Teleworker, trainer, one day per week).
The e-leader management positioning is anchored in her three team members who were
interviewed and who highly recognized and admired their manager:
We are an atypical team, really envied. Their shared identity is even spotted by the Human
Resources management: “The teleworking organization of this team is made possible by the
professionals’ activity [. . .]. This team evolves as an ecosystem. The rules and the functioning is
particular and Y (the leader) has made a major contribution. She dares to get outside of the
framework: teleworking schedule, the team’s organization around teleworking [. . .]. A cohesive
team (Human resources director).
The shared identity of this team is thus symbolized because of a high sense of belonging
between the members of the dispersed team. The e-leader has a key role to co-build with the
team, to implement new ways to think and to design a work organization that fits.
In the other teams, we observed (that is to say seven teams) that the e-manager did not
experiment teleworking and the distant communication was mainly work-oriented with a
closely monitoring of the objectives:
He follows [. . .] He sees [. . .] because everything we do is recorded. That means if I process an
email, once I respond to the client [. . .] Everything I do is archived. Put in a box as it has been
processed, so, afterwards, I guess they have ways to look at the number of emails that have been
processed, what we did (Teleworker, support function, one day a week).
In these teams, the e-manager analyzes the work with his/her distant team members:
So, I devote a little time to what they did being distant. How it went [. . .] We discuss about what
happened, if it worked or [. . .] If it didn’t work. Then I ask them about what they could do
differently to make it work better? I try to be a “reflective” person, someone who makes them
think about what «They can do better (E-manager, support function).
Based on the results that have been reported up to now, we may categorize between two
different management modes (as already mentioned above) of e-communication mode, on the
one hand, and the more classical so-called control mode, on the other hand. The comparison
between these two modes reveals two different managerial philosophies. Following the
e-communication mode, the manager aims for the effectiveness of the work (the work is done You have got a
regardless of the time spent: it is the result that counts), while in line with the control mode, friend
the manager strives for work efficiency with a high amount of control (the work is planned
conscientiously and is subject to regular monitoring). In other words, the final output does
not differ across both situations, but the process of the work realization is impacted by the
managerial relationship:
I think he (my manager) is open-minded and he goes with the flow of time. He understands that 17
dealing with certain constraints or certain personal aspirations impacts on how to organize work
to reach objectives. It’s not because you work at home that you work less well. He understands
that and he adapts his management style. He knows that if he wants a meeting with me, he will
ask for me on a Tuesday or a Thursday (Teleworker, full-time contract, one day per week).
From our results, it appears that in e-communication, an adjustment of the traditional
managerial mode is highlighted, combatting the negative perceptions associated with the
physical distance:
My manager is smart [. . .] He isn’t confined in a straitjacket prejudice. Prejudice on teleworking
[. . .] This is terrible! For example, his manager has a very good eye for the need for someone to do
occasional teleworking, because he needs to care for his children or to welcome an artisan for a
repair to be done. Why? Because according to him, even if the person is not available for two
specific hours, she will be more broadly available than someone who poses days off (Teleworker,
full-time contract, one day per week).
Here, the way the manager behaves toward the teleworker, reflecting a higher shared
identity, goes together with the perceived proximity.
In a so-called “friendly” teleworking team, no activity tracking exists:
Everything is based on trust. I regularly have face-to-face or distant meetings with Y. Her desk is
just next to mine [. . .] We are a very unusual and enviable team [. . .]. Y is a manager who fully
understands the constraints we can have because she’s a mom herself [. . .]. She better
understands our constraints [. . .]. It is more difficult for managers of 55-60 years who have not
been bathed in this culture there, and who had a wife at home. Some managers do not trust their
team even while all goes very well. Fear of losing control (teleworker, full-time contract, one day
per week).
If the e-leader is her/himself a teleworker, then trust and communication will naturally ensue
because the leader and the team members share the same experience, acting together to
“create a climate” of developing their empathy with a collective vision of reducing isolation
risks, uncertainty or the feeling of guilt.

4.4 Intensity, frequency and interaction regarding the communication and perceived
proximity
From our interviews, we may conclude that the communication learning process is
augmenting in case leaders and team members’ experiences of exchanges are positive. The
network structure in a dispersed team seems to be strongly influenced by the way how
employees make sense of their job and how they can rely on one another being distant,
leading to new forms of regulations. As an example, if e-leaders’ roles are not clearly defined,
communication and decision-making processes can be ambiguous and opportunistic. All the
employees interviewed shared that distant communication impoverished see deteriorate the
relationship, the content and the intensity of the transmitted messages. Moreover, many
teleworkers reported fewer demands and contacts with their manager and with their
TPM colleagues, being far from the ordinary workplace. They mentioned four different types of
25,1/2 causes for this:
(1) the fear of being intrusive with distant employees;
(2) the fact that telework is associated with a working time requiring special attention
(e.g. a trainer writing his/her media);
(3) the presenteeism culture (when teleworking, the employee is considered absent
18 from the ordinary work environment); and/or
(4) the fact that the employee is perceived as someone who traditionally segments
professional and personal spheres.

Our results indicate that being physically present determines the socialization quality for
the employee:
The risk is the less you’re there, the less you participate to important discussions for your career
development [. . .] The less you’re there, the less you participate to informal discussions [. . .]
Therefore you’re less integrated into the team (Teleworker, full-time contract, teleworking two
days per week).
The distant communication structure is thus central, and for some part of the teams, we
encountered that some routines were institutionalized:
There is a steering committee for the agency every week, on Tuesday morning. This committee
meeting takes place by phone call every two weeks and by means of a physical meeting every two
weeks as well. By phone call, it takes two hours and when it is a physical meeting, it is between
9:00 to 1:00 pm, so this is the “big morning.” And when it is physical, it is the whole day. We also
wanted to give time to the steering committee to work together and exchange information on
common projects [. . .]. So we wanted to create those moments of cross-trade. So we have a phone
meeting, every 15 days for two hours; a physical meeting, every 15 days, for half a day
(E-manager of dispersed team, full-time contract).
The combination of digital tools to communicate with face-to-face meetings supports new
routines:
We can exchange by mail, we can move folders on our common directory since I have access to
everything. We also have a “Com” tool that is used immediately if you need to ask a question.
Instead of calling, we send little messages and get back to each other quickly. With my
supervisor, this is exactly the same; therefore, if we need to call, we call one another, if we need to
exchange folders, we do so [. . .]. It does not change, just the fact that we are not in the same office
(Teleworker, full-time contract, two days per week).
Managing emotions while being distant can be a challenge (to transmit enthusiasm, to
understand the nature of a message when it is not technical, to motivate a team, etc.):
If you want to federate a lot of people to reach the goals, if you want to send them the desire, the
enthusiasm. If you want this team to work collectively, it goes through physical meeting, face-to-
face interaction [. . .] to make a team alive (E-manager, full-time contract, teleworking half a day
per week and additionally if needed due to family or work deadlines).
Ultimately, the link between virtual and face-to-face communication appeared to be the key
success factor influencing the perceived proximity:
I’m angry about this “virtual community’s revolution,” about the forced use of social media, and
about the choice for this internal network to share documents. I’m not sure that it is the solution to
maintain the link with my colleagues, to feel close while being distant [. . .]. According to me,
these tools don’t increase the motivation, don’t give the desire to your colleagues to follow you
 [. . .]. We need a balance between face-to-face meetings and teleworking [. . .] And the manager You have got a
must be the guarantor to ensure the real link.
friend
The main managerial risks (loss of cohesion and conflicts) lie in the distance approach an e-
leader may prefer, at the expense of the team management and with the dilution of
responsibilities associated:
We send information, issues to the higher level [. . .] He has some difficulties to deal with,
whatever the reason. This is not our role to go digging, to deal with his own difficulties. The 19
report is done: no feedback or solution facing our issues (Teleworker, full-time contract, two days
per week).
Regardless of the manager’s role, the value of interpreting non-verbal communication in
face-to-face meetings is stressed:
When you’re face-to-face, you can immediately see what happens in the meeting. The atmosphere
[. . .] Someone who says two or three words on her/his business. In teleworking, you miss that: a
colleague who isn’t right for example (Teleworker, full-time contract, two days per week).
Our results indicate that the telecenter experience is an interesting alternative to keep the
communication effective and to maintain the desired level of perceived proximity:
I can just send a message on the internal live messenger or I can send him (the manager) an email.
We often have calls because all the managers have phones. So we are always in touch. We
exchange on the important topics in face-to-face meetings when I’m on the telecenter site. I don’t
see any differences between the two sites (ordinary and on the telecenter site). Ultimately, the
relationship is almost more intimate on the telecenter [. . .] Here we are not lost in the mass.
Thus, the e-leader’s key competencies of developing and maintaining trust is a central
insight to be taken into account in these teleworking organizations.
All in all, from our results, we found that e-managing can lead to more organizational
burden if the identification with the leader weakens. If it implies dilution of responsibilities,
by managerial delegation to a subordinate without actual delegation of decision-making, to
give but one example, the managerial authority can be questioned by the team that is, in
fact, at the risk of “on-site” failures. Under these circumstances, a so-called process of
perceived “de-proximization” and the resulting dissatisfaction may occur, in particular, in
case the manager does no longer act sufficiently as a regulator on the fieldwork, that is to
say, if the team feels distant from the management in the control mode.
The right dosage between face-to-face meetings and distant relationship interactions also
appears crucial, especially regarding the qualitative aspects of it. In other words, it is not so
much the pace or the rhythm of interactions but the perceived quality in the exchange that
matters, being highly symbolic: the meaning the members of the dispersed team share
(ideology and identity) and develop. The identification and communication processes are
therefore closely linked. The more the team member identifies and communicates easily and
qualitatively well with his/her manager and colleagues in face-to-face meetings, the more
positive relationships are brought about in dispersed teams. Conversely, in case the
manager and the team members express themselves and interact in a negative way in face-
to-face meetings, the risk of perceived managerial and collegial “de-proximization” is
stronger.

5. Discussion and conclusions

The purpose of this contribution was to answer the question: How to maintain the sense of
proximity, being teleworkers within a dispersed team? Our results corroborate empirically
TPM the theoretical model by O’Leary et al. (2014) while putting into perspective the complexity
25,1/2 to manage the inter-subjectivity that is related to distance. More specifically, our results
show that even if the ICT use leads to a new balance regarding time management for
teleworkers – increasing their quality of life perceptions, with a better organizational
flexibility – that is to say, a “win-win” configuration, the ultimate success of such a
configuration depends on sound management practices. In this sense, we propose to enrich
20 their model (Figure 3, p. 33). More extensive research will test two new moderating
variables. At first, our results put in evidence the core role of e-management
(e-communicational vs control), with a potential moderator effect on the relationship
between objective distance and shared identification, on the one hand, and communication,
on the other hand. Another result is the potential moderator effect of the ICT use on the
relationship between perceived proximity and relationship quality. The nuances we propose
support some recent studies arguing that distant communication (versus face-to-face) may
inhibit geographically distributed team performance without consideration on the way the
teams use ICT to ensure their cohesion and their performance (Malhotra and Majchrzak,
2014). These conclusions result into important management recommendations to support
dispersed teams with how to cope with challenges such as the risk of delayed
communication, possible misinterpretations, limited information richness and great conflicts
(Zuofa and Ochieng, 2017).
First, concerning the use of ICT and its relationship to time, the reduction of transport
time is associated with a more positive time management perception, coupled with
efficiency, as also stated in other scholarly work (Torten et al., 2016). Thus, teleworking
permits to redesign the working hours. For example, our results indicate that teleworkers
can stop to work to adapt their timing with their families (school excursion, family lunch,
etc.). Teleworking may be an organization that reveals the flexibility of the employer who
allows employees to regulate their own work better. This physical distance to the workplace
can help to relativize professional issues, while increasing job decision latitude (Chen and
McDonald, 2015). In this respect, the ICT use (e-mail, telephone, live internal messenger, etc.)
allows a permanent link with the workplace (with the associated risks, such as the overflow

Figure 3.
Nuances proposed on
the perceived
proximity model
and the intrusion of work on personal life) and changes time management perceptions. As You have got a
such, ICT constitutes a transitional object to stay connected to the workplace and is used by friend
employees as a mean to regulate their activity and as a mean to maintain the proximity
perceived to the manager and the team. New behavioral standards are created in the
dispersed team, leading to redesigning a new balance between co-located and dispersed
work activities to support the sense of belonging to team (Bergum, 2010).
Second, our results help to better understand the role of management practices. At first,
they confirm that the risk of uncoupling the team’s members depends on the manager’s 21
capacity to facilitate the dispersed team to share a common identity to maintain the
proximity perceived (Haas and Mortensen, 2016). Although dispersed teleworkers perceive
themselves as having more autonomy, more flexibility to improve their self-efficacy and
their productivity while reducing their stress, our results show that at the same time, they
can feel socially isolated and disconnected from their peers and supervisors, which may
negatively impact organizational identification (Milton et al., 2017) even if at the same time.
In addition, our results also show that solicitations decrease while being distant, with an
impoverishment of the communication, especially in the light of the absence of non-verbal
communication existing in face-to-face relationships. These results highlight the risk of
teleworking for the team effectiveness. More specifically, from previous literature, we
concluded that telework is associated with negative perceptions regarding team
effectiveness. In case a teleworker traditionally distinguishes between his/her professional
and personal life, the isolation perception can be reinforced, compared to a teleworker with
an integrator profile (Dumas and Ruiller, 2014). The value of ICT use is also a function of
group structure and composition (Wilson et al., 2013) and of the specific professional and
occupational background of the teleworkers (Le Douarin, 2007).
Third, we have shown that perceived proximity is linked to the amount of facilitation
that is brought along with the specific way the management role is shaped. Referring to the
fundamental Hackman’s (2002) framework on how to lead teams, Haas and Mortensen
(2016) underline the key competencies of leaders while supervising dispersed, digital and
dynamic teams:
 the compelling direction (“Do we share a common goal? Is this goal clear?”);
 the strong structure (“Do we have the right number and mix of members? Are
people responsible for tasks from beginning to end? Do we have clear norms for
acceptable conduct?);
 the supportive context (“Do we have the resources, information and training we
need? Are there appropriate rewards for success?”); and
 the shared mindset (“Do the team members have a strong common identity? Do we
readily share information with one another and understand one another’s
constraints and context?”).

With the comparison of the two distant modes, our results show that in the
e-communicational mode, the e-leader co-builds with the dispersed team the goals, the
structure and the supportive context, with a high focus on the dispersed team identity.
The e-leader is part of the team with a high “LMX,” revealing a strong shared identity
corroborating recent studies aiming at defining the e-leadership (Van Wart et al., 2016).
Fourth, our results emphasize how sharing a collective identity is a key to maintain a
sense of proximity. Even while the efficiency does not seem to be influenced by the
management style, the dispersed team climate is conducive to commitment, in case the
manager is characterized as being inspirational (Joshi et al., 2009). Our results stress
TPM the importance of leaders who personify and embody their vision by implementing new use
25,1/2 (politeness rituals, the “morning hello” to enhance the felt connection, informal discussion
via the internal live messenger). This virtual embodiness is meant to minimize the
accompanied risk. Thus, the process of identification is primarily achieved through
communication with others (Parker and Haridakis, 2008). In addition, our results also show
that the more the team member identifies her/himself to the leader, the more the
22 communication is of high quality and the more the “self-management” is effective. This
plays a crucial role, because a high frequency of communication may lead to a sense of
overload (Fonner and Roloff, 2010), whereas a high communication quality, grounded in
relevant face-to-face meetings and sound use of ITC, may lead to the development of a
shared identity and more perceived proximity. Our results also contribute to enrich the
knowledge on the “how” to feel to be part of a group that shares a common identity,
herewith rethinking the team boundaries (Haas and Mortensen, 2016) and reflecting on the
role of the e-leader (Savolainen, 2014). Finally, we show that trust is central in the success of
the phenomenon of teleworking from a cultural, social and experiential perspective,
highlighting that the ability perceived, benevolence and integrity are also essential (Politis,
2014). Therefore, the e-leaderhip should ideally be coupled with the members’ socialization
management and with their employability (Taskin and Tremblay, 2010).
Fifth, two managerial modes are highlighted (Table II, page 41) and specified in terms of
collective skills by the rules shared within the distant team (“the dispersed team style”), the
teleworking experience of the team (“the experiential share”) and the common repository of
the team. The first mode can be described as “e-communicational” regarding the perceived
amount of shared identity associated with teleworking (Henttonen et al., 2014), which is
based on interpersonal trust. The second one refers to a classical control mode aiming to

E-communicational mode Control mode

Shared identity
Dispersed team style Flexibility with regards to the Strict compliance with the terms and
framework agreements to the contract conditions set out in the con tractual
agreement: integration of work/family agreement on teleworking
life balance issues
Experiential share The manager is also teleworker. The The manager is not a teleworker. She/
team co-constructs practices to increase He manages teleworkers
the salience of proximity perceived
Common repository To achieve the work objectives with the Objectives tracking with tools (ERP,
awareness of the teleworker risks Excel documents)
(isolation, distancing to the team). Risk
management shared by the team
Communication
Dispersed team style E-communicative and distributed e- Focus on work activity.
communication: conveying enthusiasm, Institutionalized by programed
motivating with distance meetings articulating remote and face-
to-face communication
Experiential share Uses of specialized tools: professional Formalized exhange (mail) and activity
Table II.
messenger for the informal exhanges, tracking by genre of files (excel)
The distant telephone call to take stock of the work
management modes, activity
“e-communicational” Common repository Co-built articulation of face-to-face Structured around work objectives
and “control” communication and e-communication
impose and evaluate the required work objectives. The first “e-communicational” mode You have got a
corresponds to a teleworking organization shared between the manager and his/her team, in friend
which time management is flexible to reach the work objectives and which is supported by
all of the team members, taking into account “professional-personal” life balance issues of all
parties involved. This mode is characterized by friendly communication, with the specific
use of ICT (messenger made available by the company for informal exchanges and the
telephone use for work objectives) and by the co-construction of face-to-face collegial times 23
and e-communication. The second so-called “control” mode corresponds to strict compliance
with the Telecom contract rules, which is closely monitored in the same way as the extent to
which one reaches the required work objectives (tracked on excel files). In this control
configuration, the e-manager does not telework and his/her e-communication is mainly
work-centered.
The e-communicational mode appears to positively influence the identification
process, highlighting the manager’s ability to e-socially act while sharing the
organization’s framework of strategic objectives, with the objective of trust building
(Savolainen, 2014). The “e-leader” should be able to individually and collectively
recognize the efforts and reward while being distant. He or she should be able to
“interpret electronic silences,” differentiating acceptance (objectives, standards, etc.)
from indifference or inattention. In this regard, Malhotra et al. (2007) described six key
abilities for the successful e-leader:
(1) to develop and to maintain trust with the ICT use;
(2) to ensure that work objectives are understood by the dispersed team;
(3) to manage work “non-work cycles” (to arrange meetings);
(4) to monitor the progress regarding the appropriation and the use of ICT by team
members;
(5) to promote the visibility of the dispersed team organization; and
(6) to encourage the sharing of inter-staff experiences.

Our results confirm that new behavioral standards will therefore be created, with the risk of
a loss of interaction and communication quality, possibly leading to social isolation or
loneliness felt (Kraut et al., 1998). Recent key findings argue the importance of socio-
emotional skills that e-leaders need to develop to insure the success of the dispersed team.
These socio-emotional skills can be categorized in three types:
(1) Social skills: These include open communication, listening and assertiveness.
(2) Technical skills: These include use of facilities/ICT.
(3) Authenticity: This includes showing trustworthiness/openness, honesty and
integrity (Savolainen, 2014).

With the comparison of the two distant modes, i.e. e-communication versus control, our
results show the major role of the e-leader and her/his responsibility regarding the
prevention of “de-proximity” risks. The less the employee identifies with his e-manager,
the less dense and qualitative the communication is. In the control mode, teleworkers,
being at home, do not project themselves to more than one day teleworking in
comparison to the e-communicational mode in which the teleworking rhythm does not
seem to be an issue. In summary, our results show that a sound use of ICT leads to
maintain the sense of proximity in dispersed teams, while putting into perspective the
TPM need to redesign the face-to-face[6] exchanges to ensure the shared identity of the
25,1/2 team’s members.
Our study has some limitations which may for the basis for future research
perspectives. First, our methodology does not take into account the longitudinal nature
of the process that comes along with establishing more perceived proximity. Example
is the value of research over time to better understand the symbolic dimension of the
24 exchanges content in the dispersed team (O’Leary et al., 2014) or teams’ micro
processes, opening up the black box of collective competences (i.e. the group’s ability to
work together toward a common goal and results in the creation of a collective outcome)
(Chédotel et al., 2015; Melkonian and Picq, 2010; Ruuska and Teigland, 2009). An
ongoing research perspective is to apprehend the process of individual development of
the
e-leader skills while, at the same time, investigating the development of the collective
competences for the dispersed team.
Second, the influence of teleworking contexts was not captured in our single case
study. Multi-level research might be a good endeavor to investigate the relationship
between:
 the teleworking CEO’s project;
 the organizational arrangements proposed to the employees; and
 the local regulations between the managers and teleworkers (using an “LMX”
perspective) in a thorough dispersed teams’ analysis.

Finally, the specific missions and resulting activities of the employee certainly impact the
interpersonal relations within a dispersed team. A job design analysis of the dispersed team
members’ jobs would be a fruitful entrance for future work. The investigation of the
predictive value of human resource management practices, for the teleworkers themselves
and as means to facilitate e-leaders (helping to reinforce teleworking), would also be
relevant.
Finally, this research is based on three specific types of teleworking within one
single case study only (Gibbert et al., 2008; Gibbert and Ruigrok, 2010). Although this
specific study does not allow us to generalize the results, this research opens up new
perspectives. In particular, future research can build upon our study by comparing
types of teleworking in different case approaches to understand how the context
(organizational identity, ideology and culture; organizational configuration; and ICT
use) determines the specific management role that is most valid to foster identification
in dispersed teams.

Notes
1. Article 2 of the European Framework Agreement on Telework of 2002. Available at: www.
eurofound.europa.eu/fr/observatories/eurwork/comparative-information/telework-in-the-
european-union
2. http://archives.strategie.gouv.fr/cas/content/rapport-le-developpement-du-teletravail-dans-
la-societe-numerique-de-demain.html
3. DATAR. Two agreements were concluded in 2005.
4. www.eurofound.europa.eu/fr/observatories/eurwork/comparative-information/telework-in-
the-european-union; www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/tele-work-growth
 5. www.eurofound.europa.eu/fr/observatories/eurwork/comparative-information/telework-in- You have got a
the-european-union; www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/tele-work-growth friend
The LMX and TMX concepts are conceptually related. Leaders and members exchange
behaviors and develop mutual expectations about future behaviors (Gabarro, 1987).
6. According to the “3 V” (Mehrabian, 1967), 7 per cent of the communication is verbal (words
meaning), 38 per cent of the communication is vocal (intonation and sound of the voice) and 55
per cent is visual (facial expressions and body language). 25

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Further reading
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Corresponding author
Caroline Ruiller can be contacted at: [email protected]

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