Professional workers @ work: importance of work activities for electronic and face-to-face communications in the Netherlands

Abstract

We are living in a time of accelerating technological development, which affects us all in our professional and social lives. Using data obtained from a 2-day activity-travel-communication diary survey in the Utrecht–Amersfoort–Hilversum region in the Netherlands, we enhance insight into the use of Information and Communication Technologies by professionals of different types. The multivariate analyses show that one quarter of the sample has traditional work arrangements with continuous work at one location and shows a relatively low use of electronic communication modes. Half the professionals are telecommuters-car commuters and have short face-to-face and email contacts or are telecommuters-public transport commuters who in contrast rely on emails and face-to-face contacts. The final quarter of the sample shows a highly fragmented temporal work pattern with intensive face-to-face and electronic contacts.