Assessing Telecommuting Readiness: An Ecosystem for Higher Education Institutions

ABSTRACT The onset of the Covid‐19 pandemic triggered a global political, economic, and social re‐calibration, with several companies worldwide opting to retain employees through online work for critical activities. Uganda, just like the rest of the world, implemented restrictions on human movement, necessitating the decongestion of workspaces and the adoption of social distancing measures in various organizations. Telecommuting enables employees to work remotely through online systems. Makerere University, in collaboration with Gulu University, was chosen as the case study. The aim of the study was to assess readiness for telecommuting and develop an Ecosystem for telecommuting (ECOSYSTEL) to enable business continuity at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Assessing the readiness of telecommuting involved evaluating multiple factors to determine if the institution is prepared to implement and sustain telecommuting effectively. A mixed methods study design was adopted, and both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from staff and students. The findings highlighted the flexibility in work schedules as one of the prominent advantages of telecommuting. Various tools, such as learning management systems, communication platforms, human resource systems, and attendance and scheduling systems, were identified as supportive aids for telecommuting. The results also indicated a notable increase in productivity during telecommuting while revealing a lack of awareness of telecommuting and its policies. These findings served as the requirements for developing the ECOSYSTEL platform that integrates systems and tracks telecommuting. The platform was tested at the two participating universities. The study recommends continuous sensitization of the ECOSYSTEL platform to increase its usage, thereby reducing interruptions in higher education workflows, since the platform is customizable according to the respective work processes.