"For some time now the working world has been becoming more heavily characterised by information processing. Ever more people in the labour force are employed in sectors dominated by it. Occupations are becoming more widespread in which information processing prevails, requiring the application of increasingly more information technology working tools. Whereas in the rudimentary early phases information processing greatly regulated work flow and allowed little potential for communication, today the comfortable information systems, known as 'multimedia', are in use. These systems allow not only numerical information to be stored and processed, but also video clips and sound. Hence, comfort as well as potential applications are on the increase. There are high hopes for multimedia generating a large number of new jobs; gigantic investments are expected, which could lead to additional jobs. It is still unclear where these jobs will be found and over period of time this development will proceed. However, it is almost completely certain that multimedia will encourage internationalisation and will make the competition between working systems clearer. Open and flexible work forms are also arising independently of multimedia. They are the result, on the one hand, of new job contents and structures; on the other hand, employees are no longer satisfied with rigid work structures and are demanding more independence and flexibility. Employers are also dealing with unstable markets and in turn expect increasing adaptibility from their employees. Multimedia and open work forms merge in the work form known as telework. This topic has been under discussion for over ten years now. Here it became clear that a number of variations exist, which must be differently assessed. Today, owing to new technological infrastructures, better functionality and changed cost structures, some telework models can be more easily implemented and possibly also more economically operated. Nonetheless, the problems that were discussed earlier in regard to this work form, still in the experimentation phase, continue to exist. This is also the reason for the hesitant realization of telework within the current constraints of an employment structure." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
