Work (Un)Interrupted: How Non-territorial Space Shapes Worker Control over Social Interaction

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Gonsalves, Leroy

Abstract: Organizational research has long emphasized the importance of physical space in ... Expand

Abstract: Organizational research has long emphasized the importance of physical space in structuring opportunities for social interaction among workers. Using 14 months of field research during an office redesign at a large team-based sales company, I find that the adoption of non-territorial space—a change from assigned cubicles to an unassigned mix of spaces—substantially increased worker control over social interaction. Whereas the old territorial space rendered workers constantly accessible to others, the new non-territorial space altered information about workers’ location and availability preferences, enabling new strategies for hiding in the space and signaling availability to others through workspace selection. This led to greater reliance on virtual or asynchronous communication technologies, and less unwanted interruption in the new non-territorial space. The findings identify how the non-territorial dimension of office space affects worker control over social interaction. They also reveal the social practices through which individuals actively use material and symbolic resources in the physical environment to avoid cognitive and temporal costs of unwanted interruption. The study complements dominant structural accounts with a richer theorization of individual agency—while physical spaces certainly structure opportunities for social interaction, they also structure the strategies that individuals can use to actively manage social interaction. Collapse

Topics: remote work IT supported collaboration privacy collaborative work personalization

Methods: survey qualitative interview field study theory development regression analysis method

Working Remotely, But Not Remotely Stress-Free: Identifying Technostressors in and Design Principles for Collaboration Systems

2022 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Reinelt, Annika; Benlian, Alexander

Abstract: Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, remote e-working has become commonplace f ... Expand

Abstract: Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, remote e-working has become commonplace for knowledge workers around the world. This has spurred an immense uptick in employees' use of collaboration systems (e.g., communications platforms, videoconferencing tools), raising the question how effective collaboration systems should be designed. To explore this, we interview 19 knowledge workers of various backgrounds (e.g., from chemicals, industrial, and consumer goods companies) and draw on the theoretical lens of the duality of technostress and the challenge-hindrance stressor framework to identify technology-driven challenge and hindrance stressors manifested in collaboration systems. Based on this understanding of the opportunities and threats represented by collaboration systems use, we follow a design science approach to propose general design requirements for such systems and derive tentative design principles to address identified stressor facets. We conclude by providing an outlook on next steps in the design science approach and drawing implications for researchers, designers, organizations, and users. Collapse

Topics: IT supported collaboration knowledge work information system use systems design pandemic

Methods: qualitative interview design requirement design principle personal interview design science

Theories: socio technical theory

How Do Mobile ICTs Enable Organizational Fluidity: Toward a Theoretical Framework

2017 | Information & Management | Citations: 18

Authors: Chatterjee, Sutirtha; Sarker, Suprateek; Siponen, Mikko

Abstract: The focus of this theoretical paper is to investigate how mobile information and ... Expand

Abstract: The focus of this theoretical paper is to investigate how mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) give rise to the notion of organizational fluidity. Drawing upon previous literature, five affordances of mobile ICTs − mobility, connectedness, interoperability, identifiability, and personalization − are discussed. Delving into the concept of organizational fluidity, the paper captures three dimensions of organizational fluidity, namely, team fluidity, task fluidity, and control fluidity. The paper then develops propositions on how different combinations of the mobile ICT affordances influence each of the dimensions of organizational fluidity. The contributions and implications of the paper are discussed. Collapse

Topics: mobile system affordance remote work IT supported collaboration user experience

Methods: theory development literature study theoretical contribution conceptual modelling

Theories: theory of affordance

Capturing the Complexity of Malleable It Use: Adaptive Structuration Theory for Individuals

2016 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 137

Authors: Schmitz, Kurt W.; Teng, James T. C.; Webb, Kimberly J.

Abstract: The article discusses adaptive structuration theory (AST) in relation to individ ... Expand

Abstract: The article discusses adaptive structuration theory (AST) in relation to individual level adaptation behaviors in light of workplace information technology (IT) innovation. Topics include the relation of adaptation behavior to individual performance, research on AST in information systems, and the notion of task adaptation. Collapse

Topics: smartphone self efficacy mobile phone innovation management missing data

Methods: survey partial least squares regression theory development survey design statistical hypothesis test

Theories: structuration theory big five model theory of affordance adaptive structuration theory

Task-technology fit for mobile information systems

2010 | Journal of Information Technology | Citations: 1

Authors: Gebauer, Judith; Shaw, Michael J.; Gribbins, Michele L.

Abstract: Mobile information technology (IT) holds great promise to support managerial pro ... Expand

Abstract: Mobile information technology (IT) holds great promise to support managerial processes; however, clear guidelines of how to design effective mobile information systems (IS) for use by managers are still lacking. Building on earlier research studies of task-technology fit (TTF) and other areas of IS, this article presents a three-step conceptual model to establish fit between managerial tasks, mobile IT, and the mobile use context, assuming that a good fit positively impacts task performance. We find that use situations characterized by high distraction and poor quality of network connection are particularly challenging for the design of mobile IS, and that the user interface requires particular attention. Our model contributes to IS research by joining disparate streams of research in an effort to help advance our understanding about the development and utilization of mobile IS. From a practical perspective, we contribute to the success of mobile IS and to the effectiveness of mobile work as it becomes increasingly prevalent in our modern world. Collapse

Topics: mobile system task productivity usability user interface task interdependence

Methods: conceptual modelling design guideline

Theories: theory of task technology fit

User appropriation of mobile technologies: Motives, conditions and design properties

2007 | Information and Organization | Citations: 17

Authors: Wiredu, Gamel O.

Abstract: The mobility of human activities entails intrinsic parameters such as the mobili ... Expand

Abstract: The mobility of human activities entails intrinsic parameters such as the mobility of tasks and technologies, as well as changing conditions underlying mobile computing. The interactions between these parameters bear directly on the appropriation of mobile technologies deployed in these activities. In this paper, I analyze the appropriation of mobile technologies as a function of motives, conditions of use, and technology design properties. The analysis explains the flexibility of mobile computing as a direct function of the appropriation process. The paper contributes to understanding mobile technology use and improving user acceptance by extending existing conceptualizations of technology use. Technology personalization and use in non-organizational contexts are the essentials of the extension, suggesting that mobile computing is a function of use for serving both organizationally-sanctioned and personal motives. Implications for researching mobile technology use and for designing mobile technologies are drawn. Collapse

Topics: information system use mobile system user acceptance systems design user satisfaction

Methods: theory development conceptual modelling personal interview action research

Theories: activity theory