Managing Mobile Technology: The Shift from Mobility to Connectivity

Almost every manager now carries at least one mobile device, which means there are increased organizational expectations for connectivity to work anywhere, anytime. For many, it is hard to imagine life without the convenience and efficiencies of mobile technology. However, mobile technologies also change the traditional spatial and temporal boundaries between work and non-work, resulting in more permeable boundaries in which work is completed during personal time and non-work is conducted on-line during working hours. The demand for an increasingly networked and connected workforce also has the disadvantage of managers experiencing the stress of always being connected to the workplace and being unable to " escape. " Added to this demand are the addictive properties associated with the allure of simply being connected. chapter, co-written by the authors of this article, discusses the effects of mobile connectivity. Although it is entirely different from this article, it uses some of the data from phase one of this study but compares two global banks (one based in the U.S. and one based in Paris) to examine the impact of BlackBerry usage on employee stress. Some of these findings inform this article. Smartphone usage by executives is evolving from an emphasis on mobility and toward connectivity, and supporting connectivity requires appropriate technology capabilities, effective organizational policies and workplace norms. We propose a framework of four connectivity states, which provides insights into how employees can manage their own connectivity and leads to recommendations for CIOs on managing mobile technologies.