Homebased work: a review of research into themes, directions and implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to systematically summarise and evaluate recent articles on modern homebased work (2000‐2009). In identifying the key recurrent themes and commonalities in the existing research, it brings order to the variety of contributions to provide future directions for inquiry and knowledge production.Design/methodology/approach – Papers are identified through systematic keyword searches of multi‐disciplinary databases. The aim is to identify papers that explore the social/organisational embeddedness of homebased work, rather than framing it as a technology related phenomena/problem.Findings – The review highlights some contradictory evidence about the potential for change entailed in homeworking practices and an absence of studies which focus on “less visible” workers engaged in homebased production. It also argues that few longitudinal studies exist which could address the question of the ability of homebased work to initiate change.Practical implications – The paper provide...

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