1. Smart Work (telework)
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in rural areas
Alise Vitola
Hamburg, 2012 Riga Technical University
Latvia
2. Smart Work -
working independently of time and place with
the help of ICT
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3. Why Smart Work?
Personal reasons:
• Time economy
• Flexible work arrangements
• Work/life balance
• Residing outside cities Economic reasons:
• Increase in productivity
• Reduction of costs (transport,
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real estate etc.)
• Recruitment and retention of
staff
• The image / reputation
4. An example
Microsoft
Netherlands
• New building in 2008
• No assigned desks - work anywhere in the building
• Layout of the building - to maximize communication
and collaboration
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• Encouraged to work more from home & allowed to
work anytime
• A weekly 1:1 with their manager - a physical or virtual
meeting
5. Measurable improvements
• Increased productivity by 25%
• Won “Great Place to Work” award in 2009, 2010 and
2011
• Employee satisfaction rose from 5/10 in 2008, to 8/10
in 2011
• Sick leave days are down to 1,5% from 2,5%
• Increased market reputation PRESENTATION
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• Increased Employees’ mobility
• Reduced real estate costs by 30%
6. An example
• Flexible staffing firm in US – 100% virtual work force
• Established in 2005 by Allison O’Kelly, Harward Business
School graduate and a mother of 3 sons
• Grown to 17 franchises
• > 50 000 candidates
• Industries: accounting, legal, marketing, HR, finance,
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• Several awards since 2006: Moving into the Future Award
(2007), Entrepreneurial Success story in Atlanta (2009) etc.
7. Smart work &
regional
development
• Notable share of global GDP consists of immaterial (digital)
content
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• ICT allow to work anytime and anywhere
• The “geographic paradox” - investments in digital economy
tend to be located in large urban centres
8. Main challenges
• Tacit knowledge & face-to-face communication
• Infrastructure, skills and knowledge
• The rigidness of labor market in
rural areas
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• The adaptation of behaviour
9. Smart Work Centre -
special premises for smart workers considerably
near the person’s living place
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10. An example
Berwick Workspace,
UK
• Rural area with ~12 000 inhabitants
• Developed by the local municipality, opened in 2010
• 31 work places available, ~100 users, >80% occupancy
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• High speed internet (co-financed by the local municipality)
• Business incubation services
11. An example
Portes du Morvan,
France
• Town with ~1300 inhabitants
• Opened in 2008 following a request from a potential smart
worker
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Organised around a public ICT hub managed by an NGO
• 8 individual offices, 100% occupancy
• 6 new offices planned in 2013
12. An example
Kõnnu SWC, Estonia
• Village (70 inhabitants) 40 km from the
capital city Tallinn
• Established by 5 local women, now 12
women working
• Women share their knowledge, jobs and
childcare duties
• A unit in the labourTITRE DE LA PRESENTATION
market
• Communication and social life – events,
projects, courses for children etc.
13. To conclude
• A wider use of smart work might increase an in-
migration of high-skilled professionals to rural areas
• Smart work centres may act as facilitators of
socioeconomic activity, especialy when providing
training and business incubation services
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• A need for explanatory and encouraging measures
(subsidies, coordination of job opportunities etc.)
