Information and Communications Technology: Teleworking

Information and Communications Technology - the case of teleworking.

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Developments in information and communications technologies are having

profound effects on employment in rural areas and also possibly on the

competitive advantage of rural areas. This latter point will depend on

the extent to which rural areas are able to 'capture a higher share of

information and knowledge related work than has been the case in the

past.' (Bryden, 1997). Bryden sees 'information' as a cash commodity,

which is able to empower and to improve democracy, with great

potential for development of rural areas which have hitherto seen less

of the expansion in teleworking than have urban or semi urban areas.

ICT, while opening up new opportunities for rural areas, in cutting

through the barriers of distance and the problems in accessing

markets, can also pose dangers in job losses associated with automated

banking, remote monitoring etc. However, Bryden points out that rather

than focusing on direct employment creation through tele-defined

businesses, more important for the future of rural areas is "the

impact of telecommunications infrastructure on the competitiveness of

rural firms in general, and the impact on employment in these firms if

a positive strategy on telecommunications is not adopted."

(Bryden,1997)

Bryden also argues that the huge potential for the ICT revolution to

be realised in rural areas can only be enabled through strategic

planning in the public and voluntary spheres, rather than being left

to the private sector. Without access to high speed, low cost digital

communications networks, remote rural areas will be unable to realise

the benefits of ICT work. Crucial to employers' decisions to locate in

rural areas is the availability of skilled labour, relatively low

labour costs, access to government grants and the quality of

telecommunications. There are certainly examples of significant ICT

related businesses in rural Scotland - e.g. the Forres Telework

Centre, Thurso Call Centre and the ICT Advisory Service in the Western

Isles, but further investment in ICT would significantly improve the

competitive advantage of rural areas.

Such investment has shown results in the Western Isles - one of the

most peripheral areas of the British Isles. Initial develop...

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...ies for both skilled and less skilled workers.

Teleworking broadens the economic base of the Western Isles and

appears to integrate well into the existing social and economic

structure of the communities in which it has made most impact

(Smith,1998). The success of WIICTAS also illustrates the benefits to

employers in outsourcing their work to teleworkers in remote

locations. "The advanced digital telecoms network enables the Hebrides

to provide high-level services to clients anywhere in the world…We are

currently reversing a certain spatio-temporal conception of work:

instead of people having to go to work, the work is coming to the

people." (LEADER Local Action Group member).

References

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Bryden, J. (1997) Rural Employment and the Information Highway. In

Bollman, R and Bryden, J (eds) (1997) Rural Employment: An

International Perspective. CAB International.

LEADER Magazine No. 19, Winter 1998-1999.

Rural-Europe website.

Smith, M. (1998) The European ICT Revolution - A Case Study on the

Rural Economy of the Western Isles of Scotland. Paper given at Nordic-

Scottish University Network conference, Riistina, Finland.

Work-global.com website