European Regional Science Association
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European Regional Science Association
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The abstract for paper number 227:
Nina Mustikkamäki, University of Tampere,
Research Unit for Urban and Regional Development Studies, University of Tampere, Finland
Distribution of Work in the Network Society - Intra-organisational networks and regional development in Finland
Recent development has shown that population, economic activities and firms are heavily concentrated on metropolitan areas and other cities. A wide gap has developed between the successful and regressive regions. The unequal development and also the disadvantages (social, economic, ecological, etc.) caused by the rapid growth of the cities have raised questions about the possibilities to even out regional development. Individually based subjects like telework, e-work etc. have been brought up and high expectations have been placed on new technologies. In theory mobile phones, e-mail, videoconferencing technology, etc. are changing the traditional ideas about time and place and will enable global economic activities from a single location. In practice, in parallel with the technological development, the importance of physical proximity and personal interaction as a firm?s competitive factor has increased. The meaning of knowledge, know-how and learning in the new economy has emphasised the meaning of local milieu. Therefore, contrary to interpretations in many contexts, information and communication technology does not directly diminish the meaning of time and place and thereby create new opportunities to work outside the central business districts, but there is a different kind of logic and factors behind the geographical distribution of work and the labour force.
In this paper the geographical distribution of work is approached from the point of view of the firm. The term distribution of work is understood as the ways in which firms reorganise their activities as a different kinds of intra-organisational networks (e.g. cross functional networks and virtual teams). From the geographical point of view the distribution of work is considered as processes by which firms from core regions seek new locations in remote regions and also how firms from remote regions are able to have access to core markets. The objective of the paper is firstly to analyse the patterns of structural reorganisation of business activities in the ICT sector and to identify the factors affecting the organisational process. Secondly the objective is to consider the distribution of work from the perspective of regional development.
In this paper the main questions are: 1) Why do some firms use geographically dispersed teams and innovate new types of team working, where groups work together across space and time using IT? 2) Why do firms want to be physically present in certain regions? What benefits do they reach? (opportunities for personal interaction with customers and partners, need for access to core markets, need to reach labour force with different kind of educational backgrounds, need to engage key employees, need to cut costs, lack of space in the central business districts, etc.) 3) What is the geography of dispersed teams in the ICT sector in Finland and what is the role of the dispersed units in the regions. This paper answers these questions by analysing statistical data on the location of firms using geographically dispersed teams and by case studies on eleven ICT firms.
Unfortunately full paper has not been submitted.