Flexible Work Practices and Communication Technology

Flexible Work Practices and Communication Technology

FLEXCOT

January 1998 ? February 2000

Final report of project SOE1-CT97-1064 Funded under the Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programme (TSER)

Directorate General for Science, Research and Development EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Patricia Vendramin, G?rard Valenduc, Isabelle Rolland Fondation Travail-Universit?, Namur (B)

Ranald Richardson, Andrew Gillespie, Vicki Belt CURDS, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (UK) Dominique Carr?, Salvatore Maug?ri, Yolande Comb?s

LABSIC, Universit? de Paris Nord (F) Anna Ponzellini, Roberto Pedersini, Stefano Neri

Fondazione Pietro Seveso, Milano (I)

Co-ordinator of project G?rard Valenduc

Fondation Travail-Universit? Rue de l'Arsenal 5, B-5000 Namur (Belgium)

gvalenduc@

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FLEXCOT ? Final report

FLEXCOT ? Final report

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Preface

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FLEXCOT ? Final report

Partners of the FLEXCOT project

Fondation Travail-Universit? (FTU) ? co-ordinator Work & Technology Research Unit Rue de l'arsenal, 5 B-5000 Namur, BELGIUM Tel: +32-81-725122, fax: +32-81-725128 Project manager: Patricia Vendramin (pvendramin@)

Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS) University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU UNITED KINGDOM Tel. +44-191-222-7731/8004, fax: +44-191-232-9259 Project manager: Ranald Richardson (ranald.richardson@ncl.ac.uk)

Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Information et de la Communication (Lab.SIC) Universit? de Paris Nord Avenue Jean-Baptiste Cl?ment F-93430 Villetaneuse - FRANCE Tel: 33-1-49403728, fax: 33-1-49403820 Project manager: Dominique Carr? (d-carre@sic.univ-paris13.fr)

Fondazione Pietro Seveso Viale Vittorio Veneto, 24 I-20124 Milano - ITALY Tel. +39-02-29013198, fax. +39-02-29013262 Project manager: Anna Ponzellini (ponzmi@tin.it)

Subcontractors

Rasmus Enemark, Anders Henten Telecommunications Research Group Building 371 Technical University of Denmark DK-2800 Lingby - DENMARK Project manager: Anders Henten (henten@cti.dtu.dk)

Amat Sanchez, Josep Banyuls, Ernest Cano, Alexandre Pe?alver, Josep Picher, Fernando Rocha Fundaci? d'estudis i iniciatives sociolaborals (E) Pla?a N?pols i Sicil?a, 5, 3a E-46003 Val?ncia - ESPANA Project manager: Amat Sanchez (Amat.Sanchez@uv.es)

FLEXCOT ? Final report

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Contents

Abstract........................................................................................................................................ 7 Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 9

Part I :Scientific Description of the Project Results and Methodology Chapter I : Conceptual Analysis.............................................................................................. 25

1. The Concept of Flexible Organisation.......................................................................... 25 2. Flexibility in the Informational Economy .................................................................... 29 3. New Flexible Forms of Working .................................................................................. 31 4. Social Impacts of New Flexible Work Practices .......................................................... 35 Chapter II : Empirical Analysis .............................................................................................. 41 1. Presentation of the Empirical Case Studies .................................................................. 41 2. Transversal Analysis..................................................................................................... 44 Chapter III : Dynamics and Trends in ICT-related Flexible Working ............................... 59 1. Flexible Working Time................................................................................................. 60 2. Flexible Work Contracts............................................................................................... 64 3. Locational Flexibility.................................................................................................... 66 4. Outsourcing. ................................................................................................................. 69 5. Functional Flexibility.................................................................................................... 71 6. Concluding Observations.............................................................................................. 75

Part II : Conclusions and Policy Implications Chapter IV : Conclusions and Challenges for the Future of Work .................................... 77

1. ICTs and Locational flexibility..................................................................................... 77 2. ICTs and the Changing Timing and Rhythms of Work ................................................ 81 3. Flexible Work, Skills, Competencies and Adaptability................................................ 85 4. ICTs, Flexibility and Employment ............................................................................... 89 5. Work Status................................................................................................................... 92 6. Drivers for Changes: ICTs and others .......................................................................... 95 7. Industrial Relations and Regulation of Work Relations ............................................... 98 8. Towards two models of flexibility.............................................................................. 102 Chapter V : Policy Implications ........................................................................................... 107 1. ICTs "potential", Managerial Attitudes and the Role of Institutions ......................... 107 2. Policy Implications and Recommendations................................................................ 111 References ................................................................................................................................ 115 Annexes : Summaries of the Case Studies ............................................................................ 129 Table of Contents .................................................................................................................... 161

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