THE RISE OF HOME-BASED EMPLOYMENT: ITS APPEAL AND IMPACTS

Abstract

With the invention of the internet and its widespread use in the 1990s, it allows information to be sent from and to any part of the world, with just a computer and a modem. With advanced communication and transportation system, human lifestyle has changed. From one which has to rely on traveling to one which can be totally accessed from the home, with the transfer of bits and bytes from the home personal computers to cables to links all over the world. The intention is to construct a grounded and critically aware discussion of people engaged in home-based employment whose housing locational preference and lifestyle may differ from the average office worker and its relationship with their housing locational preferences so that the government and policy makers can better fulfill the demands of this increasingly expanding working population. Using a self-administered questionnaire, respondents over the age of 21 were surveyed on the lifestyle segment they belong to, their housing location preference and their changed lifestyle in Singapore as a result of their home-based employment. Data obtained were processed with SPSS statistical software as well as Microsoft Excel. Key findings show that home-based employment appeals to all categories, especially "Professionals" and "Family-Oriented". Commuting considerations are less emphasized in home locational preferences of people engaged in home-based employment and people's lifestyle patterns do change based on their job nature.