Executives and Smartphones: An ambiguous and paradoxical relationship.

Based on theoretical approaches concerning the existence of paradoxes associated with the use of technological appliances, this article seeks to identify the existence of ambiguities in the day-to-day use of smartphones by Brazilian executives. The single representative case study method was applied...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gonçalves, Ana Paula Borges, Joia, Luiz Antonio
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:Brasil
Institución:Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA)
Repositorio:Organizações & Sociedade (Online)
Idioma:portugués
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.periodicos.ufba.br:article/9127
Acceso en línea:https://periodicos.ufba.br/index.php/revistaoes/article/view/9127
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:smartphone. paradoxes. mobile technology
smartphones. paradoxos. tecnologia móvel.
Descripción
Sumario:Based on theoretical approaches concerning the existence of paradoxes associated with the use of technological appliances, this article seeks to identify the existence of ambiguities in the day-to-day use of smartphones by Brazilian executives. The single representative case study method was applied, by analysing a Brazilian company within the pharmaceutical sector, which has a policy of providing smartphones to its senior executives. Data were collected from: questionnaires filled out by fourteen executives of the company in question; in-depth interviews conducted with five of these executives and e-mails sent by them via smartphones over a given period of time. After consolidation and analysis of the data obtained, it was seen that two paradoxes were strongly related to the use of smartphones by the executives in question, namely: continuity vs. asynchronicity and autonomy vs. addiction. Furthermore, three other paradoxes were moderately associated with the use of smartphones by the executives in question, namely freedom vs. enslavement, dependence vs. independence, and planning vs. improvisation. Lastly, the implications and limitations of the research are set forth.