The Skills of the Digicom Worker

Virtual Presentation

During the past decades, new information and communication technologies(ICT) have increasingly gained foothold in the world of work. As far as workingindividuals are concerned, this introduces new challenges as well asopportunities.

Research results illustrate that the workforce requires new skills, inorder to both seize the opportunities and meet the challenges of a mediatizedworking environment. In the course of the study 'Mediatization of Work', an online survey was carried out and 20 interviews withso-called 'digicom workers' were conducted. These are individuals whose professionaloccupations mainly involve performing activities in the realm of communicationand information, primarily through the use of digital technology. To a certainextent, their tasks are organized virtually, which means that they can work independentlyof space and time.

A central finding revealed that media and technology literacy representan essential prerequisite for many professions today. Moreover, flexibleworking conditions without defined boundaries require competencies in themanagement of time and space, as well as the ability to manage borders. Themobile office in particular, which may take the form of e-mail access via smartphone, laptop or tablet PC, requires a greater balancing effort in relation tothe border between work and non-work. All in all, based on the example of digicom work, the results illustrate how the ubiquitoususe of ICT is influencing our way of life.