Promised Land or Utopia:is flexibility at work an achieveable dream?

The move towards greater flexibility in working practices, catalysed by the introduction of new technology, has for a long time promised women a better deal in the workforce, including offering an opportunity to combine employment with family responsibilities and personal interests. But what is the reality behind the shift to new work practices? Following Jane Phillips' discussion of part‐time working in the last issue, Dr Michael Cross, Fellow of the City University Business School and until recently a Principal Research Fellow at the Technical Change Centre, looks at contemporary approaches to flexible working in the UK and the forces bearing on their progress.