Choice, Frequency, and Engagement: Framework for Telecommuting Behavior Analysis and Modeling

This paper presents a multistage approach to the examination of telecommuting behavior to establish a better framework for prediction of the likelihood and frequency of telecommuting. The approach took into account three main aspects of telecommuting behavior: (a) telecommuting choice, which considered whether the respondents telecommuted on a regular basis; (b) telecommuting frequency, which measured the intensity of telecommuting on the basis of the number of hours that respondents telecommuted weekly; and (c) telecommuting engagement, which focused on individuals’ daily behavior. The hypothesis was that decisions on telecommuting frequency were made as part of the household mobility arrangement beyond the daily choice framework and that once the frequency was known, the choice to engage in telecommuting could be estimated with greater accuracy. A general framework was developed to reflect the various telecommuting arrangements. Cluster analysis was applied to the data to identify proper frequency categories. Probit models were developed to estimate individuals’ choices at the three stages. The model also considered the actual behavior of nonregular telecommuters on a random day. This paper contributes to the literature by not only providing a comprehensive analysis of the factors contributing to telecommuting choices at various stages but also exploring the relationships between telecommuting frequency as a lifestyle arrangement and engagement in telecommuting as a short-term daily choice.