Internet use and the workplace: The Australian Experience

The e-commerce world is now pervasive and individuals without Internet access are at a severe disadvantage with respect to information and access to products and services. The nature and extent of the disadvantage will vary but it will generally involve additional cost and inconvenience. For example, much of the information and services available from government Web sites would be difficult if not impossible to access in any other way. In the business area simply booking a hotel room or an airline flight over the phone is often more expensive than doing the same transaction via the Internet. Although Internet use in Australia is quite high there still remains a significant minority of generally disadvantaged people without access and this work goes some way to identifying this group and pointing to possible reasons for their lack of access. Although there will be some people who have no desire to use the Internet they are in the minority and most people, given the knowledge of how it would benefit them and the opportunity, would take up the option.