Telework: Penetration, Potential and Practice in Europe

The information society facilitates new and flexible forms of working. Public awareness has been increasing steadily and the small office and/or home office SOHO is seen as a major growth area for suppliers of hardware and software. A major contributor to flexible working and the changing nature of work environments is the possibility of teleworking - in all its different forms. It includes new potential for regional development and interworking among groups of small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe and world-wide. This work covers representative European surveys on telework penetration, interest in, potential of and obstacles to telework, along with European case studies on telework practice, and an analysis of the conditions for telework development in EC Member States. The report contributes significantly to the analysis of current and future impact, examining state-of-the-art, growth trends and major areas of impact for a range of key decision makers and users.

'This book is a very important contribution to our understanding of how telework is perceived and understood, and how it has spread across a variety of European settings. It is by far one of the most valuable products I've seen from the extensive funding by the EC. (...) doing an excellent job of helping explain with clarity what is actually happening with telework in Europe today.' - Gil Gordon Telecommuting Review, December 1996