Disrupted work: home‐based teleworking (HbTW) in the aftermath of a natural disaster

• Date: 01 March 2015
• Author: Noelle Donnelly,Sarah B. Proctor‐Thomson
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12040
• Published date: 01 March 2015

Disrupted work: home-based teleworking

(HbTW) in the aftermath of a

natural disaster

Noelle Donnelly and Sarah B. Proctor-Thomson

Natural disasters disrupt the nature of work, promoting an

urgent review of where work is performed. Home-based

telework (HbTW), a common form of telework, is increasingly

promoted as a means to ensure continuity of operations in an

emergency situation. While widely advocated, little is known

of the challenges and outcomes of HbTW when employed in

disaster situations. This article explores the organisational

and employee experiences of HbTW in the aftermath of a dis-

aster, drawing on data from over 240 public sector workers and

their managers who worked from home following a series of

earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. Findings point to

critical factors shaping the experiences and outcomes of HbTW

in disaster situations. Significant variation in the experiences

and perceptions of HbTW for team leaders highlights their

pivotal role and heightened pressures to maintain control in

complex disaster situations.

Keywords: natural disasters, disrupted work, home-based

telework (HbTW), team leaders, New Zealand, public sector.

Introduction

Natural disasters are sudden events with widespread disruptive consequences. The

rising incidence of tsunamis, hurricanes, typhoons and earthquakes are constant

reminders of the unpredicted and destructive nature of natural disasters (Guha-Sapir

et al., 2013). However, while extensive media coverage may have raised collective

‘consciousness of catastrophes’ and roused academic and practitioner interest, such

accounts rarely examine the impact of disasters on people’s working lives (Brunsma

and Picou, 2008: 983). Amidst growing attention to disaster preparedness in organisa-

tions, little attention has focused on the dynamics of working in disaster situations. As

a result, calls have been made for the consideration of worker concerns alongside

organisational issues in post-disaster contexts (e.g. Savage, 2002; Gill, 2006). The aim of

this research is to explore the organisational and employee experiences of work fol-

lowing a natural disaster.

Noelle Donnelly (noelle.donnelly@vuw.ac.nz) is a researcher at the Centre for Labour, Employment

and Work (CLEW) and a Senior Lecturer in Human ResourceManagement and Industrial Relations at

the School of Management,Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.Sarah B. Proctor-Thomson

(sarah.proctor-thomson@vuw.ac.nz) is a researcher at the Centre for Labour, Employment and Work

(CLEW) and a Senior Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour at the School of Management, Victoria

University of Wellington, New Zealand.

New Technology, Work and Employment 30:1

ISSN 0268-1072

© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Home-based teleworking in disasters 47