Spatial and temporal expansion of the object as a challenge for reorganizing work.

In theories of postmodernity, the notion of compression of time and space has become widely accepted. As Harvey (1989: 240) put it, “space appears to shrink to a ‘global village’ of telecommunications” and “time horizons shorten to the point where the present is all there is.” In his account of changes in work organizations, Sennett (1999: 22–27) continues the compression argument and declares that today’s work settings operate on the principle of “no long term.” According to Sennett (1999: 25), this “short-term capitalism” corrodes the character: “‘No long term’ means keep moving, don’t commit yourself, and don’t sacrifice.” While there is plenty of evidence for compression in our everyday experience, authors such as May and Thrift (2001) have good reason to warn for underdeveloped analyses behind claims that only see compression and shrinkage in our spatio-temporal worlds.

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