IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/transp/v48y2021i5d10.1007_s11116-020-10136-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Working at home and elsewhere: daily work location, telework, and travel among United States knowledge workers

Author

Listed:
  • Jonathan Stiles

    (The Ohio State University)

  • Michael J. Smart

    (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

Abstract

The mediation of work practices by information and communication technologies enables knowledge workers to telework from remote non-office locations such as their homes, or to work nomadically from multiple locations in a day. This paper uses data from the American Time Use Survey to explore the relationship between daily work locations and travel in the United States from 2003 to 2017. Outcome variables include travel duration and travel during peak periods. Home is by far the most common non-office work location, but working from other people’s homes, cafés/libraries, vehicles, and combinations of multiple locations are also measured. Findings show that working from home only on a day (full-day telework) decreases daily travel duration and increases the likelihood of avoiding peak hour travel for both work and non-work related travel. However, for homeworkers who also conduct work from their workplace on the same day (part-day telework), there is no reduction in daily travel time, and avoiding peak hour travel is limited to work-related travel. Working from other locations such as cafés/libraries or vehicles increases the likelihood of not traveling at peak hours. Findings also indicate that morning peak periods are more affected by work location decisions than evening peak periods. A survival analysis of daily departure times for both full-day and part-day homeworkers provides insight into this mechanism. We conclude on the basis of these findings that demand management policies and peak avoidance incentives would be more effective if they encourage both temporal and spatial flexibility for employees when partnering with regional employers.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Stiles & Michael J. Smart, 2021. "Working at home and elsewhere: daily work location, telework, and travel among United States knowledge workers," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(5), pages 2461-2491, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:48:y:2021:i:5:d:10.1007_s11116-020-10136-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11116-020-10136-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11116-020-10136-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11116-020-10136-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Golob, Thomas F. & McNally, Michael G., 1997. "A Model of Activity Participation Between Household Heads," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt4dj8f1gg, University of California Transportation Center.
    2. Helen Couclelis, 2004. "Pizza over the Internet: e-commerce, the fragmentation of activity and the tyranny of the region," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 41-54, January.
    3. Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Salomon, Ilan, 1997. "Modeling the desire to telecommute: The importance of attitudinal factors in behavioral models," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 35-50, January.
    4. Lu, Xuedong & Pas, Eric I., 1999. "Socio-demographics, activity participation and travel behavior," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 1-18, January.
    5. Toshiyuki Yamamoto & Ryuichi Kitamura, 1999. "An analysis of time allocation to in-home and out-of-home discretionary activities across working days and non- working days," Transportation, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 231-250, May.
    6. Alexander, Bayarma & Ettema, Dick & Dijst, Martin, 2010. "Fragmentation of work activity as a multi-dimensional construct and its association with ICT, employment and sociodemographic characteristics," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 55-64.
    7. Tim Schwanen & Martin Dijst & Mei‐Po Kwan, 2008. "Icts And The Decoupling Of Everyday Activities, Space And Time: Introduction," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 99(5), pages 519-527, December.
    8. Michel Beuthe & Veli Himanen & Aura Reggiani & Luca Zamparini (ed.), 2004. "Transport Developments and Innovations in an Evolving World," Advances in Spatial Science, Springer, number 978-3-540-24827-9, Fall.
    9. Sangho Choo & Patricia Mokhtarian & Ilan Salomon, 2005. "Does telecommuting reduce vehicle-miles traveled? An aggregate time series analysis for the U.S," Transportation, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 37-64, January.
    10. Schwanen, Tim & Dijst, Martin, 2002. "Travel-time ratios for visits to the workplace: the relationship between commuting time and work duration," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 573-592, August.
    11. Caton, C.L.M. & Dominguez, B. & Schanzer, B. & Hasin, D.S. & Shrout, P.E. & Felix, A. & McQuistion, H. & Opler, L.A. & Hsu, E., 2005. "Risk factors for long-term homelessness: Findings from a longitudinal study of first-time homeless single adults," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(10), pages 1753-1759.
    12. Patricia L. Mokhtarian, 2002. "Telecommunications and Travel: The Case for Complementarity," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 6(2), pages 43-57, April.
    13. Golob, Thomas F. & McNally, Michael G., 1997. "A model of activity participation and travel interactions between household heads," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 177-194, June.
    14. Martin Dijst, 2004. "ICTs and Accessibility: An Action Space Perspective on the Impact of New Information and Communication Technologies," Advances in Spatial Science, in: Michel Beuthe & Veli Himanen & Aura Reggiani & Luca Zamparini (ed.), Transport Developments and Innovations in an Evolving World, chapter 3, pages 27-46, Springer.
    15. Haddad, Hebba & Lyons, Glenn & Chatterjee, Kiron, 2009. "An examination of determinants influencing the desire for and frequency of part-day and whole-day homeworking," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 124-133.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Monica Aureliana Petcu & Maria Iulia Sobolevschi-David & Adrian Anica-Popa & Stefania Cristina Curea & Catalina Motofei & Ana-Maria Popescu, 2021. "Multidimensional Assessment of Job Satisfaction in Telework Conditions. Case Study: Romania in the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-16, August.
    2. Matthias Sweet & Darren M Scott, 2024. "What might working from home mean for the geography of work and commuting in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Canada?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 61(3), pages 567-588, February.
    3. Gisele Blak Bernat & Eduardo Linhares Qualharini & Marcela Souto Castro, 2023. "Enhancing Sustainability in Project Management: The Role of Stakeholder Engagement and Knowledge Management in Virtual Team Environments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-26, March.
    4. Gisele Blak Bernat & Eduardo Linhares Qualharini & Marcela Souto Castro & André Baptista Barcaui & Raquel Reis Soares, 2023. "Sustainability in Project Management and Project Success with Virtual Teams: A Quantitative Analysis Considering Stakeholder Engagement and Knowledge Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-38, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Iragaël Joly & Stéphanie Vincent-Geslin, 2016. "Intensive travel time: an obligation or a choice?," Post-Print halshs-01309467, HAL.
    2. Ren, Fang & Kwan, Mei-Po, 2009. "The impact of the Internet on human activity–travel patterns: analysis of gender differences using multi-group structural equation models," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 440-450.
    3. Aguiléra, Anne & Guillot, Caroline & Rallet, Alain, 2012. "Mobile ICTs and physical mobility: Review and research agenda," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 664-672.
    4. Chen, Cynthia & Mokhtarian, Patricia L, 2005. "An Exploratory Study Using an AIDS Model For Tradeoffs Between Time Allocations to Maintenance Activities/Travel and Discretionary Activities/Travel," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt2wr907nc, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    5. Joly, I., 2011. "Test of the relation between travel and activities times : different representations of a demand derived from activity participation," Working Papers 201103, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).
    6. Becky P. Y. Loo & Bo Wang, 2018. "Factors associated with home-based e-working and e-shopping in Nanjing, China," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 365-384, March.
    7. Iragaël Joly, 2006. "The role of travel time budgets – Representation of a demand derived from activity participation," Post-Print halshs-00181431, HAL.
    8. Ruiz, Tomás & Habib, Khandker Nurul, 2016. "Scheduling decision styles on leisure and social activities," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 304-317.
    9. Jahun Koo & Jiyoon Kim & Sungtaek Choi & Sangho Choo, 2022. "Identifying the Causal Relationship between Travel and Activity Times: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, April.
    10. Lee, Yuhwa & Hickman, Mark & Washington, Simon, 2007. "Household type and structure, time-use pattern, and trip-chaining behavior," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(10), pages 1004-1020, December.
    11. Akar, Gulsah & Clifton, Kelly J. & Doherty, Sean T., 2012. "Redefining activity types: Who participates in which leisure activity?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(8), pages 1194-1204.
    12. Gulsah Akar & Kelly Clifton & Sean Doherty, 2011. "Discretionary activity location choice: in-home or out-of-home?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 101-122, January.
    13. Kang, Hejun & Scott, Darren M., 2010. "Exploring day-to-day variability in time use for household members," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 44(8), pages 609-619, October.
    14. Pellegrini, Andrea & Pinjari, Abdul Rawoof & Maggi, Rico, 2021. "A multiple discrete continuous model of time use that accommodates non-additively separable utility functions along with time and monetary budget constraints," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 37-53.
    15. Chen, Jie & Shaw, Shih-Lung & Yu, Hongbo & Lu, Feng & Chai, Yanwei & Jia, Qinglei, 2011. "Exploratory data analysis of activity diary data: a space–time GIS approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 394-404.
    16. Lee, Richard J. & Sener, Ipek N. & Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Handy, Susan L., 2017. "Relationships between the online and in-store shopping frequency of Davis, California residents," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 40-52.
    17. Lin, Tao & Wang, Donggen & Zhou, Meng, 2018. "Residential relocation and changes in travel behavior: what is the role of social context change?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 360-374.
    18. Chen, Cynthia & Mokhtarian, Patricia, 2008. "A Review and Discussion of the Literature on Travel Time and Money Expenditures," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt51d696jh, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    19. Schwanen, Tim & Dijst, Martin, 2002. "Travel-time ratios for visits to the workplace: the relationship between commuting time and work duration," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 573-592, August.
    20. Ben-Elia, Eran & Alexander, Bayarma & Hubers, Christa & Ettema, Dick, 2014. "Activity fragmentation, ICT and travel: An exploratory Path Analysis of spatiotemporal interrelationships," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 56-74.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:48:y:2021:i:5:d:10.1007_s11116-020-10136-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.