The Effects of Race on Telecommuting Motivators: Implications for the Recruitment of Minorities into Open Information Technology Positions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between American racial groups in terms of what motivates them to telecommute and then to discuss any implications these differences may have for the recruitment of minorities into open IT positions. To collect data for this investigation, a 25-question survey was developed and distributed to 250 IT professionals in a wide variety of industries. One hundred thirty-two surveys were returned. When controlling for race, we found that members of different racial groups are indeed motivated to telecommute by different factors. These factors relate to safety, control, fairness, respect, and technology.