This paper reviews research on and
 explores the links between aspects of new ways of working and sustainability. The basic question asked 
is whether new ways of working can contribute to a more sustainable way of working and a more
 sustainable world – and if so, how?

Member Judith Heerwagen has contributed a paper on building sustainability: Green Buildings, Organizational Success and Occupant Productivity.
The paper examines these questions: What are the key green building features and attributes? How do these physical elements affect the physiological, psychological, cognitive, and social functioning of building occupants? Can green buildings affect high-level organizational outcomes, such as profitability, customer satisfaction, and innovation? If so, what are the linkages?

June Langhoff investigates the latest research on productivity and virtual teams in this March 2006 NewWOW white paper. She finds conflicting reports on the productivity of remote virtual teams. Some researchers have witnessed design breakthroughs of startling proportions, such as the jet engine design project at Dassault Aviation. Others maintain that it is impossible to achieve real innovation in a culture of distributed teams. Which interpretation is correct? Are virtual teams the final answer to organizational creativity and economic growth? Are they another management fad? Or are they an economic necessity in an era of global off-shoring to reduce cost, but with few or even negative impacts on creativity and little or no proof to back up enthusiastic claims?

This paper, a chapter in an upcoming book about virtual teams, explores how data of various kinds can be applied using a decision process to determine when and how distributed work can benefit organizations, teams, and individuals, and describes the data-driven methods used successfully at Sun Microsystems, Inc. to make business-focused decisions about distributed work options. It is based on the experience of the authors, Anita Kamouri and Eric Richert, at Sun Microsystems.

Dr. Suvi Nenonen, Research Manager, Workplace Management, Facilities Services Research Group, Construction Economics and Management, Helsinki University of Technology
 made a presentation on the productivity of knowledge work at Symposium III.

Sun's Scott Ekman sent us their new white paper on business continuity. The paper details some of disasters a business may have to face and lists ten steps companies can take to insulate their business from the effects of an unforeseen disaster. In addition to the steps, the paper provides practical advice on how to implement those steps.

Authors Judith Heerwagen and Kevin Kampschroer, describe a new program initiated by the US General Services Administration that aims to understand better the linkages between the workplace and organizational effectiveness. This program was motivated by the desire to bring the federal workplace into better alignment with the technological, organizational and demographic shifts that characterize work today.