Even as the economy recovery gathers strength, the drive to reduce fixed costs, improve prodctivity, increase flexibility and improve quality of services will continue to dictate corporate decisions on employment. Restructuring and use of flexible working patterns have become imperatives for large employers.

Under increasing economic pressure new company structures are emerging. Companies are adapting their structures to become more competitive. They tend to be more and more organised as a network of processes and to be decentralised, distributed, collaborative (vital functions are outsourced to competitors, to their mutual benefit) and adaptive (shifting from products to services).

In offering new and efficient communication facilities, the information society can only speed up these developments.