Remodeling the Electronic Cottage – Reponse

Response to an article from the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Inc.

What’s interesting about the use of the “cottage” terminology is it, to me, references “cottage industry” where people work independently to bring their “goods” to market. I suspect that for many people, who are comfortable with their niche in a larger organization, they are likely to feel alienated in a primarily telecommuting environment. However, I believe the author misses a key opportunity.

If employees acclimate themselves to working from home, it seems likely to me that those that are successful at it will expand their productivity to include other processes, new initiatives and new methods.

Perhaps the greatest potential outcome is that these individuals begin to offer their services to other individuals in addition to their employer, or completely evolve and specialize their niche service to offer it entirely as their own product, branded or unbranded. This can then lead to them needing additional persons to meet demand, and their “electronic cottage” becomes a “electronic cottage industry”.