In a reflective article, management writer Charles Handy examines the current trends towards self-employment, contract work and multiple employers as individuals rather than companies are made to become increasingly responsible for their own futures.
Pointing to the obvious isolation and competitiveness inherent in such situations, Handy refers his readers to historical models of ‘community’ work and shared work in which individuals retain their autonomy but collaborate on projects and initiatives which are larger than the work of any individual. He sees examples of such ‘togetherness’ in the voluntary sector, the arts, education and health services (where money is less of a motivator) and ponders on how individuals and businesses might learn from this alternative model for organising our work.
