THE RETURN OF THE FREELANCER
IN THE ECONOMY
© J.A. van den Born
THE FREELANCER IS OLDER THAN THE WAY TO ROME
IN THE MIDDLE AGES ENTREPRENEURS STARTED ORGANIZING THEMSELVES IN GUILDS
TO ENSURE QUALITY CONTROL, INNOVATION AND EDUCATION
BUT IN THE 16TH CENTURY ECONOMIES OF SCALE
STARTED TO KICK IN
LEADING TO LESS SELF-EMPLOYMENT
WITH INDUSTRIALISATION MOST PEOPLE LOST THEIR CRAFT AND THEIR SKILLS
AND POWER WENT TO THE CAPITALIST
LABORERS STARTED UNIONS IN THE
BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY
ECONOMIES OF SCALE LED TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE MODERN ORGANIZATION
NEW COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES EMERGED
AND FREELANCERS AND OTHER SELF EMPLOYED PROFESSIONALS SLOWLY DISAPPEARED IN THE ECONOMY
SINCE THE EARLY ’90S THE NUMBER OF
FREELANCERS IS GROWING AGAIN (AND FAST)
BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY THE FREELANCER
DISAPPEARED, AND BECAUSE OF
TECHNOLOGY THE FREELANCER WILL
REEMERGE
INTERNET AND MODERN COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY HAVE FACILITATED THE SEARCHING
AND FINDING OF THE RIGHT PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
THIS ALL HAPPENED IN THE LAST 20
YEARS
AND THE ARRIVAL OF E-COMMUNITIES IS
JUST STARTING TO HAPPEN
THE ARRIVAL OF STANDARDTECHNOLOGIES
MAKES IT EASIER TO SWITCH BETWEEN
EMPLOYERS
TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE VERY HEART OF THE ECONOMY
NEW PROFESSIONS EMERGE IN WHICH INNOVATION AND
CREATIVITY ARE KEY
BUT WORK IS PERFORMED BY TEMPORARY TEAMS
WORKING TOGETHER IN PROJECTS
... THE PROFESSIONAL IS BECOMING MORE
IMPORTANT THAN THE MANAGER
BECAUSE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE IS RAPIDLY
BECOMING THE SOURCE OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE BECOMING SMALLER AGAIN
BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF ECONOMIES OF SCALE IN THE
KNOWLEDGE BASED SERVICE ECONOMY
FREELANCERS ARE HAPPIER THAN
EMPLOYEES
MORE AGILE AND FLEXIBLE
THE VARIETY OF ALL THOSE SMALL
ENTREPRENEURS
IS ALSO MUCH MORE INTERRESTING THAN ALL THOSE
LARGE CORPORATIONS
AS INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IS THE ULTIMATE YARDSTICK IN
THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
WHETHER YOU ARE AN FREELANCER OR AN EMPLOYEE
AND BECAUSE EMPLOYERS ARE SWITCHING FROM OLD
HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURES...
...THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND
FREELANCERS IS ALSO DISAPPEARING
...TO NEW AND FLEXIBLE NETWORK STRUCTURES...
LEADING TO ONE UNIFIED NETWORKECONOMY
WITH PLENTY OF LOOSE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ACTORS WHO
COOPERATE ON A PROJECT BY PROJECT BASIS
AND EVERYONE IN THIS NETWORK IS AN
ENTREPRENEUR
FREELANCERS HAVE MORE STRESS
THE AVERAGE INCOME OF FREELANCERS IS LOWER THAN
THAT OF EMPLOYEES
MANY FREELANCERS ARE NOT INSURED
AND BARELY SAVE FOR RETIREMENT
AND THE FREE MARKET IS NOT ALWAYS THE OPTIMAL
SOLUTION
MANAGERS STILL MAKE MORE MONEY THAN
PROFESSIONALS
HOW CAN THIS ALL BE TRUE?
THE FREELANCER HAS TO MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS
IN A COMPLEX WORLD
MARKETS WITH PLENTY OF SUPPLY AND LITTLE DEMAND
ARE NOT HEALTHY
AND PROFESSIONAL FEES IN THESE MARKETS ARE VERY LOW
IN SOME MARKETS THERE IS ONE LARGE PLAYER
WHICH LEADS TO MONOPOLY ABUSE
INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED SKILLS WILL FIND IT HARD
TO EARN A LIVING
SOME FREELANCERS ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN
EARNING FAST MONEY
CAPITAL REMAINS AN IMPORTANT
PRODUCTION FACTOR
THE WORLD IS BECOMING LESS STRAITFORWARD
THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY NEEDS SPACE
AND VULNARABLE GROUPS NEED PROTECTION
THESE ARE NOT
CONFLICTING
GOALS
BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE CREATION NEEDS COOPERATION
AND A SENSE OF TRUST AND MUTUAL
UNDERSTANDING
PARADOX: IN THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
INDIVIDUALS NEED TO OPERATE TOGETHER
DO NOT JUDGE THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY ON THE
NUMBER OF LARGE COMPANIES
...BUT ON THE SIZE AND INNOVATION POWER OF NETWORKS
FOSTER
DIVERSITY,
INNOVATION &
CREATIVITY
INVEST IN KNOWLEDGE