TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

1     INTRODUCTION

2     GENERAL PROBLEM OF TELEWORKING

2.1        Definitions

2.1.1            Tele-activities

2.1.2            The two forms of tele-activity

2.1.3            Teleworking

2.1.4            Teleservice

2.2        The various forms of teleworking

2.2.1            Classification according to degree of formalisation

2.2.2            Basic configurations for teleworking

2.2.3            Forms derived from basic configurations

3     BRIEF HISTORY

3.1        Birth of the "telework" concept

3.2        The start of a Utopia

3.3        1990s: the revival

3.3.1            Structural factors

3.3.2            Economy-based factors

3.3.3            Technological change

3.3.4            Geographical imbalance

3.3.5            Teleworking as a re-location tool

4     GENERIC TOOLS FOR COMMUNICATION AND DISTANCE-WORKING

4.1        Typical workstation

4.2        Basic functions

5     NUMBER OF TELEWORKERS IN EUROPE IN 2000

5.1        Upsurge of teleworking in Europe

5.2        Wide variations in percentages according to country

6     CURRENT OBSTACLES TO GROWTH

6.1        First obstacle: a feeling of loss of control

6.2        A changing view of obstacles over the years

7     THE ISSUES INVOLVED

7.1        Advantages for the firm

7.1.1            Making savings

7.1.2            Enhancing competitive edge

7.2        Advantages for personnel

7.2.1            Better living conditions

7.2.2            Better working conditions

7.3        Advantages for the society

7.3.1            Facilitating territorial planning

7.3.2            Improving environmental protection

7.4        The risks for the company

7.5        The risks for the individual

7.5.1            The danger of the "all-screen"practice

7.5.2            The negative effects of autonomy

7.5.3            Specific dangers of home-based teleworking

7.5.4            Specific risks of mobile teleworking

7.6        Risks for the societty

7.6.1            The beneficial effect on the environment may be relatively insignificant

7.6.2            The risks of offshore relocation

7.6.3            Technology does not solve everything

7.6.4            The dangers of total flexibility

7.6.5            The Internet and the notion of total accident

8     CASE STUDIES

8.1        Home-based teleworking in Germany

8.1.1            Teleworking at Dresdner Bank S.A. [MAR 96]

8.1.2            Teleworking in the Würtemburg insurance group [MAR 96]

8.1.3            Teleworking within Allianzlebensversicherung (Allianz-Life Insurance) [MAR 96]

8.2        Mobile teleworking in France

8.2.1            GESTSOFT, a management software developer

8.2.2            CARBUR, fuel distributor

8.2.3            CIX : Industrial service provider

8.3        A particular type of telecentre [MAR 96]

8.3.1            The telecottage or CTSC concept

8.3.2            CTSCs in the Nordic countries

8.4*        Examples of EU-CIS telework in business

8.4.1            Nicotech and Cinimex

8.4.2            First period. Elements of telework. Traditional means of telecommunications.

8.4.3            Second period. Low-speed Internet communications. Offline teleworking.

8.4.4            Current period. Online teleworking via high-speed Internet connection.

9     INTRODUCING TELEWORKING INTO AN ORGANISATION

9.1        The five phases of introduction

9.2        Players involved

9.3        When should they be brought in?

9.4        Basic principles

9.4.1            Ensure that the project is of strategic interest

9.4.2            Ensure proper willingness of interested parties

9.4.3            First involve the executives

9.4.4            Establish a suitable management method

9.4.5            Bear in mind that the project is subject to change or withdrawal

10     Are you ready for teleworking?

10.1        How to carry out the test

10.1.1            Place yourself in a category

10.1.2            How to answer the questions

10.1.3            Diagnosis

10.2        Self-evaluation: Project Manager / Company

10.3        Self-evaluation: office-based employee

10.4        Self-evaluation: Executive charged with managing teleworkers

10.5        Self-evaluation: Aptitude of a self-employed person for teleworking

11     BIBLIOGRAPHY

12     EUROPEAN TELEWORK SITES

12.1        Around European projects

12.2        Telework Association Sites

12.3        Other Country Specific or Local Language Sites

12.4        General Telework Sites

12.5        International Sites

 

*Chapter 8.4 is based on the materials prepared by S.Smaguine