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Reviewer: Fjodor J. Ruzic

The term “Telework” in this book refers to cooperative work of dispersed organizational units using modern information technology primarily based on microcomputers and open telecommunications networks. The various aspects of this term are mentioned, but they are not reviewed systematically and consistently. Some of these aspects, which range from technological to social issues, are treated in more depth than others. Teleworks objective is to organize work activities, and it lies within the field of organization science. The authors focus on that in the text covering the Empirica Telework Survey II (pages 96 –150). If the whole text had been organized like this section, the book would have been a successful contribution to the organization and information sciences community. The book is divided into 13 chapters: Introduction: What Is Telework Telework in the General Context of Office Automation The Organization and Management of Telework The Economics of Telework Telework and the Law How It Feels: The Human Aspects of Telework The Tasks Involved in Telework The Empirica Telework Survey I: Telework in 14 European Companies The Empirica Telework Survey II: Results of the Survey The Demand for Telework: An Empirica Survey of Decision Makers in Europe The Supply of Telework: An Empirica Survey of Employees in Europe Forecasting Future Developments Telework and Social and Economic Change The book also includes seven appendices with the documentation base of the surveys whose results are described in the text. The text begins with a basic definition of Telework, discusses its organization and management, then addresses economic and social aspects. These ideas make up the first half of the book; the second half is devoted to the description of demand inspection, future projections, and implementation of the information technology–based work organization. Thus, the book is well suited to readers in management and work organization fields as well as those interested in information technology and the electronic office. As a comprehensive tutorial in a relatively new field, I would recommend it as a supplementary textbook for students in colleges that have courseware in management and information science, and for business-oriented high schools.