“Sent from my Blackberry ® Wireless Device”

Co-constructing knowing via ‘smart’ mobile devices.

Katrina Pritchard and Gillian Symon

Dept of Organizational Psychology, Birkbeck, University of London

OLKC 2011,12-14 April

Research funded by British Academy SG-54143

Blackberry functions

Mobile Phone(text, voice)

Camera

Calendar

GPS Mapping

Mobile Email

Internet access

IM (via Blackberry

PIN service)

Blackberry functions

Mobile Phone(text, voice)

Camera

Calendar

GPS Mapping

Mobile Email

Internet access

IM (via Blackberry

PIN service)

RIM’s marketing messages:

‘act on inspiration’ ‘do more, faster’

‘carry your friends in your pocket’ ‘master your every day’

(source: http://uk.blackberry.com/devices).

Existing research Computer mediated communication

media richness theory

Mobile communication overload, interruption, absence-presence

Blackberries & work-life balance

Knowledge management capability and functionality of

smartphones especially in distributed work environments

Research ContextOffice & Corporate Mgr Professional background HQ-based Automatic issue of BB

because of seniority & mobility

Local/Immediate Line Mgrs Operations background Local offices Automatic issue of BB

because of geography

Technical Specialists Professional background HQ-based but mobile

work Make business case for

BB issue

Mobile Operations Engineers Operations background Mobile work (rapid

response) Automatic issue of BB

because of mobile work

Research Context Incident resolution involves office,

mobile and shift work

Work is distributed but also embedded in specific locations

Resolving incidents involves both manual (engineering) and managerial work processes

Time is a key performance measure (the clock starts ticking after 3 minutes)

Themes

Responding to incidents

Knowing about incidents

Getting advice quickly

Extended opportunities for knowledge sharing

Responding to incidents

Use of BB’s camera to establish ‘facts’, emailed direct from BB

Photos replacing a MOE’s assessment of the incident

BUT also saves time, MOE’s can get on with ‘real’ engineering work

MOE’s also use photos to challenge management:

Knowing about incidents

24/7 organization: knowledge about incidents constantly circulating

Upward escalation has been replaced by management investigation

BBs used to demonstrate knowledge

Getting advice quickly Audit trail differences between email, text and

phone use from BB

Issues related to media capability (especially attachments) and skim reading

Responsiveness as effectiveness

Extending opportunities

“it allows people who don’t prepare and don’t plan to impact on other people”

Mixed reactions to use in meetings: distraction vs. tool to enable instant access to

information to support discussions

Ability to make use of travel time increases ‘presence’ in the office:

Discussion Challenges to conceptions of engineering

knowledge

Importance of being in the know and the risks of not knowing

Visibility of both seeking and giving advice Audit trails and ‘reply alls’

Presence and distraction Both in relation to ‘real’ engineering work and ‘real’

management

Discussion Returning to RIM’s marketing messages:

‘act on inspiration’ ‘do more, faster’: but also exacerbates tensions between responsiveness and thoughtfulness

‘carry your friends in your pocket’ ‘master your every day’: raises issues with respect to control and power relations