Telework and the triple bottom line

This chapter focuses on a case study of one service, telework, to determine whether broader generalisations are supportable and appropriate. Telework has been chosen because it is a familiar concept to most people, and, compared with other services such as e-commerce, has been studied for some time. The most cited environmental benefit of telework is that associated with telecommuting, which eliminates the daily commute and thus saves energy, reduces emissions contributing to global climate change and the production of photochemical smog and air pollution and reduces traffic congestion. Telework appears to be a practice that aligns well with the triple bottom line and its three dimensions: economic, environmental and social. Technologies facilitating telework, such as broad-band telecommunications pipes to the home, are rapidly being deployed, so the platforms for telework are increasingly robust. Telework supports the creation of new e-businesses and consulting firms, generating high-paying, high-technology jobs and infrastructure which are critical to continued evolution of modern, knowledge-based economies.