Neither the dark side, nor the bright: IT professionals and telework in Argentina

Abstract

Because of digitalization, telework has become increasingly important in many developing coun-tries. This includes the information and telecommunication (IT) sector. The existing literature hasuncovered downsides such as overwork and unsocial work hours, no social security and strongdownward pressure on salaries. This article calls the scepticism on IT telework into question,demonstrating that participation in a globalized labour market has much to offer, at least tosome professionals. It presents an open heuristic of benefits and drawbacks of telework, which isapplied to IT professionals in Argentina. Against the backdrop of a series of semi-structuredinterviews, challenges are explained, but also many advantages of telework. Telework meanshigher salaries paid in hard currency and represents a step ahead in the career of IT professionals.They remain part of Argentina’s IT ecosystem, instead of emigrating. In addition to rebalancing thepessimism that marks the literature on remote IT work, the empirical findings contradict the verynegative assessment of this sector in Argentina from a perspective of national development,without ignoring its shortcomings.