ABSTRACT
As discussed above, intensification involves people undertaking their existing jobs at a faster rate. However, increases in productivity are also associated with changes in the types of work that staff undertake. Such changes have often been noted in studies of the private sector where they are termed functional flexibility-the capacity of firms to deploy the skills of their employees to match the changing tasks required by variations in workload (IMS, 1986). It has been argued that because of increased market volatility and the gathering pace of technological change, shifts in workload are becoming more frequent and intense. This means that functional flexibility is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring the survival of firms. Such flexibility involves firms extending the range of skills of their workers and may involve breaking down the barriers between different occupations.
