Abstract

Against the background of structural change from an industrial society towards an information society, traditional production factors lose importance and are increasingly substituted by goods like knowledge and information. A characteristic feature of the present day work environment is an increase of activities which are independent of location and time, as well as further outsourcing efforts, especially those of big enterprises. New Information and Communication Technologies are an acceleration factor in this process. To create sustainable work places, the establishment of new enterprises is seen as an initiator to tap into the development of innovation and occupation potentials. New Self-Employment on the Net¹ is discussed as one form of setting up business. It offers many people the possibility to work flexibly in regard to time and location and, to accept more responsibility for their workplace. When compared to the typical foundation of an enterprise, the financial costs involved are lower for professional information and communication equipment; this promotes the business activities of New Self-Employed persons on the Net¹. Defined as new Self-Employed persons on the net are those founders of new businesses and persons who are self-employed or work freelance. Besides telephone and fax machine they use at least one other interactive service (i. e. internet, video-conference) on a regular basis to communicate with customers, co-operate with business partners, manufacture products or to make their services available.¹ Offered services of Self-Employed persons on the Net focus primarily on the field of information and multimedia services as well as the whole diversity of enterprise-oriented services. The results of this study, which was supported by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (project no. 01 HG 9922) show that New Self-Employed persons on the Net need comprehensive supportive services to establish their services successfully on the market. It was also shown that self-employed and flexible workforms comply to a large extent with the professional and personal objectives of many employees.

Autor*innen

Oertel, Britta; Joest, Edda; Richter, Matthias; Rosdale, Ray-Mary; Scheermesser, Mandy; Wölk, Michaela

Forschungsfelder

Technikfolgenabschätzung und Partizipation, Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden, Kommunikation und Öffentlichkeit