Digital Divide: Mobile Elite emerges as Ruling Class in Business

The UK may be ahead of most of Europe when it comes to the universal provision of flexible working, but still barely a fifth (22%) of companies have made provisions for all of their employees to work flexibly on a daily basis. This is an ever-increasing risk in a country where nearly a third (31%) of employees say they would definitely change jobs to get access to flexible working conditions, all other factors remaining equal.

The findings come from a new independent research report commissioned by Avaya. “Flexible Working in Europe and Russia” reflects the attitudes of more than 3,000 workers across France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the UK.

On average across Europe, only 17 percent of companies make flexible working options available to all. According to this new Avaya data, European businesses risk missing out not only on huge competitive advantage but on fulfilled and productive employees as they unconsciously create a digital divide within their workforces that alienates the non-privileged majority. In fact, more than three-quarters (78%) of Europe’s workforce would consider changing companies in exchange for flexible working practices and technologies, and 94 percent said they want their employer to provide them.

It’s not just family men and women that want the advantages of flexible working either: 78 percent of those surveyed indicated they would be prepared to work on for their employer after retirement if the flexible option were open to them. This could potentially create a vast, extremely knowledgeable potential workforce to help plug the “skills gap” and more effectively manage the business issue of the ageing workforce.

"The digital divide used to be constructed of those who had access to technology and those who did not,” said Nick Roullier, UK Country Manager for Avaya. "What this report shows is a new digital divide: those companies that have unlocked the ability to truly gain workforce productivity and efficiency while retaining their best workers – and those who are putting their businesses at risk because they don’t have the technology to support what their workers are asking for.”

Other findings of the report include:
• 30 percent of senior managers think flexible working policies and technologies would allow their companies to compete more successfully on the global stage
• SMEs are considerably less likely (57%) to offer flexible working conditions than larger companies (74%)
• Nearly half (44%) of employees think a company that lacks flexible working options betrays out-of-date working policies
• More than a third (35%) of those who work in companies that do not offer flexible working believe their employer has the technology to do so but has chosen not to use it

“Simple, scalable unified communications solutions can help companies deal with their workers’ expectations swiftly and cost-effectively, while increasing overall business productivity. It’s a win-win for everyone – and when British companies implement this, it’s a win for UK Plc,” concluded Roullier.

Associated Link: Avaya

All change at the top for System Concepts
Source: System Concepts Ltd, 3 July 2009
 
Leslie Fountain has been promoted to joint Managing Director of leading usability consultancy System Concepts.

Life in UCD immortalised in fiction: you couldn't make it up
Source: UN, 2 July 2009
 
Sarah Herman's fictitious book on life in a user-centred design company has hit the shelves and The Guardian's book pages...

Interfaces Magazine - Issue 79: The Education Issue
Source: Interaction Group, 1 July 2009
 
The latest issue of Interfaces is now available as a free download from the Interaction Website.

Two new Behavioural research Tools from Noldus
Source: UN, 30 June 2009
 
Tool updates make on-site behavioural data collection easier.

Cell Phones that Listen and Learn
Source: MIT Technology Review, 29 June 2009
 
New software tracks a user's behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.

Top Six Don’ts for Usability Testing
Source: FutureNow Inc., 27 June 2009
 
Six tips for creating quality usability tests to ensure useful feedback from testers.

Usability: ‘Lovely software. But I can’t work it’
Source: FT.com, 26 June 2009
 
In a recent survey by Global Graphics, 77 per cent of office workers estimate they lose up to one hour a week because business software is difficult to use.

And what do you do?
Source: Dexo Design, 25 June 2009
 
How do you describe your job role? Here are the results of a recent 'Preferred UX/UI Title' Poll.

Most Doctors cite Usability as critical to Electronic Health Record Adoption
Source: TMCNet, 24 June 2009
 
It's all about 'meaningful use'.

Glossy monitors look good but can hurt
Source: QUT, 23 June 2009
 
A new advisory cites research which suggests high gloss monitors make users sit awkwardly.