Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Smartphone Paradoxes in Working Mothers’ Pursuit of Work-Life Balance

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Locally Relevant ICT Research (IDIA 2018)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 933))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

Technology has led to the intertwining of work and life, with persistent debates as to whether they facilitate better Work-Life Balance (WLB) practices or not. It is argued that while smartphones may provide capabilities that foster WLB, they may also contribute to negative outcomes that challenge the very pursuit and intention of WLB. The research adopts an interpretive, qualitative approach, using the paradoxes of technology to understand what conflicts the use of smartphones present to working mothers in their pursuit of WLB. A total of 15 participants were selected, through convenience sampling, to study a variety of experiences and views regarding smartphones, as experienced by working mothers. The sample differed in terms of age, marital status, type of employment, industry and income level. We used semi-structured interviews to collect data. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results indicate that though smartphones provide capabilities that potentially support WLB, their very use results in paradoxical experiences for mothers that challenge their very quest of WLB.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Jarvenpaa, S.L., Lang, K.R.: Managing the paradoxes of mobile technology. Inf. Syst. Manag. 22(4), 7–23 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Zainudeen, A., Galpaya, H.: Mobile Phones, Internet, and Gender in Myanmar. GSMA, London (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Asongu, S.A.: Conditional determinants of mobile phones penetration and mobile banking in sub-Saharan Africa. J. Knowl. Econ. 9(1), 81–135 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. James, J.: Mobile phone use in Africa: implications for inequality and the digital divide. In: James, J. (ed.) The Impact of Mobile Phones on Poverty and Inequality in Developing Countries, pp. 89–93. Springer, Cham (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27368-6_7

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  5. Porter, G., et al.: Mobile phones and education in sub-Saharan Africa: from youth practice to public policy. J. Int. Dev. 28(1), 22–39 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Wajcman, J., Bittman, M., Brown, J.E.: Intimate connections: the impact of the mobile phone on work/life boundaries (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Duxbury, L., Higgins, C., Smart, R., Stevenson, M.: Mobile technology and boundary permeability. Br. J. Manag. 25(3), 570–588 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Middleton, C.A., Cukier, W.: Is mobile email functional or dysfunctional? Two perspectives on mobile email usage. Eur. J. Inf. Syst. 15(3), 252–260 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Mick, D.G., Fournier, S.: Paradoxes of technology: consumer cognizance, emotions, and coping strategies. J. Consum. Res. 25(2), 123–143 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hoeven, C.L.T., van Zoonen, W., Fonner, K.L.: The practical paradox of technology: the influence of communication technology use on employee burnout and engagement. Commun. Monogr. 83(2), 239–263 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mazmanian, M., Orlikowski, W.J., Yates, J.: The autonomy paradox: the implications of mobile email devices for knowledge professionals. Organ. Sci. 24(5), 1337–1357 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Arnold, M.: On the phenomenology of technology: the “Janus-faces” of mobile phones. Inf. Organ. 13(4), 231–256 (2003)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Smith, W., Erez, M., Jarvenpaa, S., Lewis, M., Tracey, P.: Adding complexity to theories of paradox, tensions, and dualities of innovation and change: introduction to organization studies special issue on paradox, tensions, and dualities of innovation and change. Organ. Stud. 38, 303–317 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Guest, D.E.: Perspectives on the study of work-life balance. Soc. Sci. Inf. 41(2), 255–279 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Chesley, N.: Blurring boundaries? Linking technology use, spillover, individual distress, and family satisfaction. J. Marriage Family 67(5), 1237–1248 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Poduval, J., Poduval, M.: Working mothers: how much working, how much mothers, and where is the womanhood? Mens Sana Monogr. 7(1), 63 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Mpazanje, F., Chigona, W.: How the mobile phone saved properness: the case of professional women in Malawi. In: 2012 e-Leadership Conference on Sustainable e-Government and e-Business Innovations (E-LEADERSHIP), pp. 1–7. IEEE (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Lim, P.L., Yazdanifard, R.: Does gender play a role in online consumer behavior? Global J. Manag. Bus. Res. 14, 7 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  19. England, K.: Who Will Mind the Baby? Geographies of Child Care and Working Mothers. Psychology Press, London (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Fapohunda, E.R.: The child-care dilemma of working mothers in African cities: the case of Lagos, Nigeria. Westview Special Studies on Africa, p. 277 (1982)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Patel, C.J., Govender, V., Paruk, Z., Ramgoon, S.: Working mothers: family-work conflict, job performance and family/work variables. SA J. Ind. Psychol. 32(2), 39–45 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Rakow, L.F., Navarro, V.: Remote mothering and the parallel shift: women meet the cellular telephone. Crit. Stud. Media Commun. 10(2), 144–157 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Lim, S.S., Soon, C.: The influence of social and cultural factors on mothers’ domestication of household ICTs–Experiences of Chinese and Korean women. Telematics Inform. 27(3), 205–216 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Towers, I., Duxbury, L., Higgins, C., Thomas, J.: Time thieves and space invaders: technology, work and the organization. J. Organ. Change Manag. 19(5), 593–618 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Crowe, R., Middleton, C.: Women, smartphones and the workplace: pragmatic realities and performative identities. Fem. Media Stud. 12(4), 560–569 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Gregory, A., Milner, S.: Work–life balance: a matter of choice? Gender Work Organ. 16(1), 1–13 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Fortunati, L.: Gender and the mobile phone. In: Mobile Technologies, pp. 38–49. Routledge, London (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  28. McDaniel, B.T., Coyne, S.M.: Technoference”: the interference of technology in couple relationships and implications for women’s personal and relational well-being. Psychol. Popular Media Cult. 5(1), 85 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Lapierre, M.A., Lewis, M.N.: Should it stay or should it go now? Smartphones and relational health. Psychol. Popul. Media Cult. 7(3), 384–398 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Frizzo-Barker, J., Chow-White, P.A.: “There’s an App for That” mediating mobile moms and connected careerists through smartphones and networked individualism. Fem. Media Stud. 12(4), 580–589 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Madge, C., O’Connor, H.: Parenting gone wired: empowerment of new mothers on the internet? Soc. Cult. Geogr. 7(2), 199–220 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Oulasvirta, A., Rattenbury, T., Ma, L., Raita, E.: Habits make smartphone use more pervasive. Pers. Ubiquit. Comput. 16(1), 105–114 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Thomée, S., Härenstam, A., Hagberg, M.: Mobile phone use and stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression among young adults - a prospective cohort study. BMC Public Health 11(1), 66 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Lee, Y.-K., Chang, C.-T., Lin, Y., Cheng, Z.-H.: The dark side of smartphone usage: psychological traits, compulsive behavior and technostress. Comput. Hum. Behav. 31, 373–383 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Harris, T.R.: The Impact of Smartphones on Work-Life Balance. Middle Tennessee State University (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Pauleen, D., Campbell, J., Harmer, B., Intezari, A.: Making sense of mobile technology: the integration of work and private life. SAGE Open 5(2) (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Systems, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Karen Sowon, Olga Sikhwari, Mphatso Nyemba-Mudenda & Wallace Chigona

Authors
  1. Karen Sowon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Olga Sikhwari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mphatso Nyemba-Mudenda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wallace Chigona
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen Sowon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Kirstin Krauss

  2. University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

    Marita Turpin

  3. University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Filistea Naude

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Sowon, K., Sikhwari, O., Nyemba-Mudenda, M., Chigona, W. (2019). Smartphone Paradoxes in Working Mothers’ Pursuit of Work-Life Balance. In: Krauss, K., Turpin, M., Naude, F. (eds) Locally Relevant ICT Research. IDIA 2018. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 933. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11235-6_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11235-6_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-11234-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-11235-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation