Promoting sociology in Australia
Facilitating sociology teaching and research
Enhancing the professional development of TASA members
Promoting sociology in Australia
Facilitating sociology teaching and research
Enhancing the professional development of TASA members
The conventional workplace will be a thing of the past as more and more Australians
are expected to follow the increasing trend of a home-based workforce.
Home-based employment opportunities are tipped to be one of this century’s
most influential changes to the traditional office-working environment. The
phenomenon, yet to be formally measured world-wide, is a rapidly increasing
trend resulting from the increased use of information technology.
Professor Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay from the University of Quebec, conducted
research into this trend in Canada last year and found an aggressive ‘teleworking’
increase of 2% over a twelve-month period.
"A teleworker can be defined as any person who carries out paid work from
their personal residence, mainly via computer," Professor Tremblay said.
"Working from home has become more accessible since technology became
the backbone of small and large-scale companies, and the trend will only increase
as more organisations embrace this opportunity," she said.
According to Tremblay, the two primary reasons for the shift to working from
home include access to a flexible working schedule and the ability to avoid
the increasingly long travel times that have become common in most cities of
the world.
"The demands on an employee’s time do not revolve around the workplace,
and employers are being forced to provide flexibility to retain a skilled workforce.
"In the last ten years, there has been a marked increase in women returning
to the workforce after having children, and this again has pressured employers
and employees to find alternative working arrangements," Professor Tremblay
said.
Tremblay’s research has also identified a number of benefits available to organisations
employing a home-based workforce including the reduced need for office space,
increased geographical presence, and the ability to retain knowledgeable employees
by offering them more flexible working arrangements.
"If managed correctly, a home-based employment arrangement can be mutually
beneficial to the employer and employee," Professor Tremblay said.
"A risk exists that a home-based employee may suffer from a lack of colleague
support or isolation, but my studies have shown that employees consider these
only minor concerns compared to the benefits of working from home," she
said.
Professor Tremblay will join a host of international sociologists and researchers
presenting the latest findings on socio-economic issues at the XV World Congress
of Sociology being held in Brisbane from 7-13 July 2002.
For further information please visit the official website at www.sociology2002.com.
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