The flexible firm and the flexible coworker

Authors: Anell, Barbro I; Wilson, Timothy L

Source: The Journal of Workplace Learning, Volume 12, Number 4, 2000 , pp. 165-170(6)

Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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Abstract:

In the discourse on modern management, the concept of flexibility is often mentioned as a desirable characteristic of firms and employees. Flexible organizations exhibit an ability to change in response to market changes. It should be clear, however, that a range of possibilities exist between "rigid" organizations and truly flexible ones. This range is discussed. Further, a firm's ability to demonstrate flexibility depends to a large degree on the flexibility exhibited by its employees. Firms exhibiting different degrees of flexibility have different demands on the flexibility of their coworkers, which means that a matching between supply and demand exists. Employee flexibility has several dimensions, which are also discussed as well as some conditions for a flexible work- cum lifestyle. The starting point for the discussion is the assumption that neither the firms themselves nor the surrounding society are especially adapted to a lifestyle of flexible work. Some measures to alleviate these conditions are proposed.

Keywords: Employees; Flexibility; Human Resource Management; Organizations

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13665620010332831

Publication date: 2000-04-01