research-article

The product of availability: understanding the economic underpinnings of constant connectivity

Authors:

Melissa Mazmanian,

Ingrid EricksonAuthors Info & Claims

CHI '14: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Pages 763 - 772

https://doi.org/10.1145/2556288.2557381

Published: 26 April 2014 Publication History

Abstract

Constant connectivity and total availability to clients is the rule rather than the exception in many contemporary workplaces. Enabled by developments in information and communication technologies (ICTs), total availability of employees is possible and presumed. Scholars have explored how new technological affordances, cultural shifts, individual personality traits, and/or the development of social expectations that reinforce norms of constant connectivity have led to this state of affairs. We argue that a key factor has been overlooked in current scholarship about stress, intensive work, and constant connectivity. That is, current economic conditions are creating a marketplace in which firms increasing sell the availability of their employees as part of the services offered by the firm. In this paper we use qualitative data to illustrate how total availability is an integral aspect of the 'product' offered by professional service firms and is becoming increasingly prevalent in other service industries. We conclude with a discussion of how the HCI community might address this situation as a design challenge. Drawing on the work of Goffman and Perlow, we suggest that designers attend to the ways in which organizations might maintain front stage impressions of total availability while collectively managing individual time to restrict total availability behind the scenes.

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Index Terms

The product of availability: understanding the economic underpinnings of constant connectivity
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing and business

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cover image ACM Conferences

CHI '14: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

April 2014

4206 pages

ISBN:9781450324731

DOI:10.1145/2556288

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Matt Jones
Swansea University, Wales, UK
,
Philippe Palanque
Université Paul Sabatier, France
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Albrecht Schmidt
University of Stuttgart, Germany
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Tovi Grossman
Autodesk Research, Canada

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Published: 26 April 2014

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Leppäkumpu JSivunen A(2024)Navigating connectivity expectations and work–life boundaries through sensemaking in global teamsJournal of Applied Communication Research10.1080/00909882.2024.240405052:6(722-742)Online publication date: 17-Sep-2024
https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2024.2404050
Waizenegger LRemus UMaier RKolb D(2023)Did you get my Email?!—Leveraging boundary work tactics to safeguard connectivity boundariesJournal of Information Technology10.1177/0268396223117592439:1(123-148)Online publication date: 6-Jun-2023
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