eWork in regional Australia

New information and communications technologies increasingly allow a wide range of business services to be delivered electronically from distant offices, a practice known as eWork. Noting that the increasing use of eWork in a globalising economy may have significant implications for employment in regional and rural Australia as existing jobs are lost and new opportunities created, this research reports on the extent of eWork in regional Australia, the factors encouraging managers to use eWorkers in regional areas, and the consequences of this new form of work for local communities, workers and governments. The authors examined these issues through a literature survey, a telephone survey of over 1000 employers, case studies of managerial decision-making, and interviews with regional development officers around Australia.