Smart systems and addressing the complex problem of work and employment in remote and rural areas: the case of Scotland

Work and employment is a complex problem in remote and rural areas, as economic, social and technological change act together to create serious challenges to community sustainability while also enabling positive change. On the supply side smart systems can be the infrastructure and availability of new work and employment, yet the demand side of vision and expectations about new work and employment based on smart systems in remote and rural areas is lagging behind. The challenge is to inspire and share in change and growth through new work enabled by smart systems, and opportunity is the chance to imagine new potential and capabilities around work which help sustain and grow communities in remote and rural areas. This paper considers the case of the Scotland, as the national initiative ‘Digital Scotland’ is rolled out, showing the challenge and focussing on the opportunity.

In Scotland four main themes have been identified . These are connectivity, the digital economy, digital participation and digital public services. The presence of work and employment is seen explicitly in the theme of connectivity, with specific reference to flexible working. It is also seen explicitly in the ‘economy’ theme with relation to changing skills needs. Digital participation is more general, though this includes economic aspects of participation in employment. Digital public services implies an HRM agenda as this is by far the largest sector of employment in Scotland, so change here will impact on digital HRM for the workforce. These will all be reviewed with regard to remote and rural areas use of smart systems to secure new work and employment.

The conclusion is that there is a big gap between plans for providing basic infrastructure and the true potential if the ‘demand side’ of new work and employment is more dynamically imagined with higher aspirations and goals. New work and employment merits a stronger presence and role in how key strategic themes around the digital economy are framed. Otherwise the presence or role for new work and employment, despite the potential, will continue to be unrealised in the future of remote and rural areas. The reasons for this and implications of this are considered. In general take up and demand side options, including digital HRM are not well understood or researched at present. National digital dialogues would benefit from more imaginative thinking on the potential and adoption demands, beyond replicating forms and sites work and employment that currently exist more flexibly. In the organizational work and employment context we need to address rather than subsume smart systems potential in the promotion of ERP and encourage, empower and enable new work and employment as part of dynamic change and more fully realised and augmented smart system futures.