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The Prevalence and Consequences of Distributed Work in Europe

The Prevalence and Consequences of Distributed Work in Europe. Satu Ojala & Pasi Pyöriä. IS1202 Training School on Virtual Work , 16–20 September, University of Malta. Spatial Dispersion of Work - SPACE. The Aim of the Project:

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The Prevalence and Consequences of Distributed Work in Europe

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  1. The Prevalence and Consequences of Distributed Work in Europe Satu Ojala & Pasi Pyöriä IS1202 Training School on Virtual Work, 16–20 September, University of Malta

  2. Spatial Dispersion of Work - SPACE • The Aim of the Project: • To analyze the prevalence and consequences of mobile work arrangements, e.g. working at home • Funded by the Academy Finland (2010–2013) • The data: • Statistics (European Working Conditions Survey EWCS and representative stats from Finland: Finnish Quality of Working Life Survey & Use of Time Survey) • Case study material (20 interviews collected from two Finnish public sector organizations)

  3. Distributed Work – An Alternative to Working at the Traditional Office • Satellite & neighborhood work centers • Flexible work arrangements (e.g. flexi-time) • Generic offices (hoteling) • Telework (usually home) and mobile work (vehicles, customers’ premises, cafes etc.) • 25 % of European employees and entrepreneurs are “e-nomads”, working sometimes on the road, at their homes or at customers’ premises, using information technology. In Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands the proportion of e-nomads is over 40 %. (Eurofound 2012).

  4. The Main Dimensions of Telework • Time • Space • Technology • Agreement European Framework Agreement on Telework: Telework is a form of organizing and / or performing work, using information technology, in the context of an employment contract / relationship, where work, which could also be performed at the employer’s premises, is carried out away from those premises on a regular basis.

  5. EuropeanWorkingConditionsSurvey 2010 • 44 countries • At about 1000 respondents per country • 90–95 % employees • 5–10 % self-employed / entrepreneurs per country • Collectedbythe European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, www.eurofound.europa.eu • Ourselection of respondents: • 27 countries: EU + Norway • Allemployedwage-earners • Small entrepreneurs: allself-employedwithoutemployees + self-employed with 1–3 employees

  6. EuropeanWorkingConditionsSurvey 2010 • Measures for distributedwork: • Where is your main place of work? • My employers / My own business premises • Clients’ premises • A caroranothervehicle • An outside site • My own home • Other • Haveyouworked in anyotherlocation in the past 3 months 1.-6. Equalalternatives  respondentcanchooseseverallocations

  7. HIGHLY EDUCATED EMPLOYEESMAIN PLACE OF WORK OTHER THAN EMPLOYERS’ PREMISES

  8. LESS EDUCATED EMPLOYEESMAIN PLACE OF WORK OTHER THAN EMPLOYERS’ PREMISES

  9. HIGHLY EDUCATED SMALL ENTRE-PRENEURSMAIN PLACE OF WORK OTHER THAN OWN BUSINESS PREMISES

  10. LESS EDUCATED SMALL ENTRE-PRENEURSMAIN PLACE OF WORK OTHER THAN OWN BUSINESS PREMISES

  11. HIGHLY EDUCATED EMPLOYEESAMOUNT OF SECONDARY PLACES IN WORK IN 3 MONTHS

  12. LESS EDUCATED EMPLOYEESAMOUNT OF SECONDARY PLACES IN WORK IN 3 MONTHS

  13. SMALL ENTRE-PRENEURS (ALL EDUCATIONAL LEVELS DUE TO LOW FREQUENCIES)AMOUNT OF SECONDARY PLACES IN WORK IN 3 MONTHS

  14. Whendoesthisworktakeplace? • FinnishUse of Time Survey 2010 byStatistics Finland • Time diaries: • 10 minute-episodesthroughout 24 hours • 2 days / eachrespondent • Containsdetails on: • What is the respondentdoing • Bothmainly & secondarily • With whom • Where is she/he • Next: when and wheredoemployees and smallentrepreneurswork in a workday? • Workdays with a minimum of 10 minuteswork per thatday

  15. Allemployees, a regularweekday(% of employeesworking at a certain 10-minute episode)

  16. White-collars, a weekday

  17. Nature of work at home(Quality of Work Life Survey 2003 & 2008, Finland)

  18. Entrepreneursare the mostdistributed(allworkdays)

  19. Agricultural entrepreneurswork the most

  20. How work at multiplelocations (1 or 2–6 secondarylocations) is related with certainconsequences? (EWCS 2010) • Speedof work: • Work at veryhighspeed AND to tightdeadlines • 1 Never …. 7 All of the time • Work in freetime to meetworkdemands: • 1 Never … 5 Nearlyeveryday • Workfit with family: • Working hours fit family and/or social commitments • 1 Very well ... 4 Not at all well • MultivariateGLM-modelthatcontrols for gender, age, country, education, beingan employee & being a smallentrepreneur • Interactiontermsbetweenworking at secondarylocations & gender; education; smallentrepreneurs (; country) • N=36.457 (28 countries)

  21. Work fit with family 1 Very well ... 4 Not at all well • Means: • 0 secondarylocations: 1.85 • 1: 1.85 • 2+: 1.93 • Means for highlyeducated: • 0: 1.81 • 1: 1.81 • 2+: 1.94

  22. Work in freetime to meetworkdemands: • 1 Never … 5 Nearlyeveryday • 0: 2.2 • 1: 2.6 • 2+:2.9 • For highlyeducated with 2+: 3.1

  23. Work at veryhighspeedand to tightdeadlines • 1 Never …. 7 All of the time • Work at severallocationsstronglyincreasessense of haste • Means: • 0: 3.2 • 1 : 3.3 • 2+: 3.6

  24. Take Home Lessons • Although distributed work is on the increase, the majority of employees still carry out most of their work at their employers’ premises during “normal” working hours • Homeworking is often informal overtime without extra compensation: • There is no consensus on how to measure distributed work arrangements BUT the aspect of agreement should be taken into account (telework vs. overtime at home) • An agreement would benefit both employer and employee • Work combining main work place + 1 additional location may increase sense of control / balance for work and family (e.g.) • More distribution of work increases negative outcomes for employee & family • In virtual environments, work process may become fragmented and information overload may increase – increased work in free time • Distributed work only at reasonable levels! • E.g. 1–3 days per week outside of an office appears to be optimal for most teleworkers

  25. THANK YOU! Followourwork on www.researchgate.net

  26. References • Eurofound (2012) Fifth European Working Conditions Survey. • Nätti, Jouko & Tammelin, Mia & Anttila, Timo & Ojala, Satu (2011) Work at Home and Time Use in Finland. New Technology, Work and Employment 26(1): 68–77. • Ojala, Satu(2011) Supplemental Work at Home among Finnish Wage Earners: Involuntary Overtime or Taking the Advantage of Flexibility? Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies 1(2): 77–97. • Ojala, Satu & Nätti, Jouko & Anttila, Timo (2014) Informal Overtime at Home instead of Telework: Increase in Negative Work-Family Interface, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, (3) 2014. • Pyöriä, Pasi(2003) Knowledge Work in Distributed Environments: Issues and Illusions. New Technology, Work and Employment 18(3): 166–180. • Pyöriä, Pasi (2009) Virtual Collaboration in Knowledge Work: From Vision to Reality. Team Performance Management: An International Journal 15(7–8): 366–381. • Pyöriä, Pasi (2011) Managing Telework: Risks, Fears and Rules. Management Research Review 34(4): 386–399. • Vartiainen, M. & Hakonen, M., Koivisto, S. & Mannonen, P. & Nieminen, M.P. & Ruohomäki, V. & Vartola, A. (2007) Distributed and Mobile Work. Places, People and Technology. Helsinki: Otatieto.

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