October 19th, 2009 by Bruce

The early 1990’s saw the explosion, at least theoretically and academically, in the flexible working proposition. The thought being that due to the developments in technology anyone could Work From Home. Over the last ten or fifteen years the technology and the commercial reality of Internet Business has got better to the point it is now, not only feasible to Work From Home but in some sectors almost obligatory labelled their business persona’s as nomadic (in general sales) or semi-nomadic (typically management, sales and team leader jobs). These job descriptions found it feasible to exist between the capability to Work From Home and flexible areas in the office or offices inside which they still had a base. Higher up the management chain superior managers and executives found the capacity to be effectual anywhere, in particular in the case of those dealing with National and International groups and time differences.

The mid 1990’s on the other hand, saw another group of flexible worker starting to appear. The surge in Internet Business shaped a different profile. These staff are not part of a corporate machine running their jobs within the framework of touchdown and virtual meetings but rather what would have been a small organization outlet on the high street. They are small service providers and sellers now making money because they can work from home without the high operating cost of property.

On the back of this second wave comes another group, those involved in online jobs. These employees and entrepreneurs in reality make their living by offering services to help the growing virtual market place. In doing so their communication with clients is predominantly via the electronic work media. This new business model alters the idea of flexible working since not only can these organisations be run by people who work from home they can also be staffed by people with the same working patterns.

Is this a chiefly new occurance? Or a return to the pre – industrial revolution patterns of occupation. Are what we now see as new age Online Jobs just a paradigm shift from the requirement to be co-located, brought about by the mechanisation of labour and the process essential for high output, to the skilfulhighly skilled, craft based model of the cottage industries.

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