Modern Times, Modern Spaces: Interaction Genres and Multiminding in Network-Based Work

Dawna I. BallardUniversity of Texas at Austin, Moody College of Communication

Chronemics...

study of time as it is bound to human communication

Time talks. Space speaks. Hall,1959, 1966, 1983

The Silent Language

basic underlying cultural assumption

deepest level of culture that contains taken-for-granted and institutionalized beliefs and valuesseldom rise to the conscious level for examination and discussion

Task vs Relational

distractions, privacy, inclusion in work life

  DOMINANT CULTURAL PATTERNS

 

INSTITUTIONAL AND TECHNICAL

ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS 

COMMUNICATION

STRUCTURES

Activity 

Coordination 

 

Workplace Technologies 

 

Feedback  

Cycles 

 

DIMENSIONS OF

TEMPORAL EXPERIENCE  

ENACTMENTS

Flexibility Linearity 

Pace

Punctuality Delay 

Scheduling Separation

 CONSTRUALS

Scarcity Urgency

Past Time Focus Present Time Focus

Future Time Focus

SYSTEM

CHARACTERISTICS

Industry Norms 

Occupational

Norms

Organizational

Culture

Work Group

Norms

INDIVIDUAL

CHARACTERISTICS

 Social Identity

 

Home‐Work Conflicts  

Personality 

Demographics 

 

 

 

OUTCOMES  

Communication Load

Interdepartmental

Relationships

Job Satisfaction

 

 = influences 

‐‐  = moderates 

12 dimensions

Separation…availability of attentional resources in time and space

small time scales (e.g., hourly, daily)

Proxemics...

study of space as it is bound to human communication

Then things changed…globally.

Interaction work (McKinsey, 2012)relies upon complex communication and coordination with others, yet requires independent judgment

CHRONEM

ICS

PROXEMICS

Synchronous

Asynchronous

ConnectingCommuting

Remote

ContemplatingChoosing

culling

same time

different time

our time

my time

my space

Colocated

our spacesame spacedifferent space

Interaction Genres, circa 2008 (Austin, TX)

Separation (2x2) = 4 interaction genresSpace = Co-located versus Remote Time = Synchronous versus Asynchronous

“socially recognized type of communicative actions…that are habitually enacted by members of a community to realize particular social purposes…” (Orlikowski & Yates, 1994)

Then things changed more…circa 2012, globally

Interaction work (McKinsey, 2012)relies upon complex communication and coordination with others, yet requires independent judgment

Minding (circa 2008, Silicon Valley CA)

attention management strategy

considers broader time scales (e.g., from hourly to annually)

beyond tasking (central to industrial work)

Hall, 1959 (anthropology) vs. Thompson, 1967 (historian)

CHRONEM

ICS

PROXEMICS

Synchronous

Asynchronous

ConnectingCommuting

Remote

ContemplatingChoosing

culling

same time

different time

our time

my time

my space

Colocated

our spacesame spacedifferent space

Interaction Genres, circa 2008 (Austin, TX)

Separation (2x2) = 4 interaction genresSpace = Co-located versus Remote Time = Synchronous versus Asynchronous

“socially recognized type of communicative actions…that are habitually enacted by members of a community to realize particular social purposes…” (Orlikowski & Yates, 1994)

CHRONEM

ICS

PROXEMICS

Synchronous

Asynchronous

ConnectingCommuting

Remote

ContemplatingChoosing

culling

same time

different time

our time

my time

my space

Colocated

our spacesame spacedifferent space

Interaction Genres, circa 2014

Together

across spacespace of flows

Continuous

over timetimeless time

Separation (2x2) = 4 interaction genresSpace = Co-located versus Remote Time = Synchronous versus Asynchronous

“socially recognized type of communicative actions…that are habitually enacted by members of a community to realize particular social purposes…” (Orlikowski & Yates, 1994)

Contemplating Spatially = Co-locatedTemporally = Asynchronous

Choosing Spatially = Remote Temporally = Asynchronous

Commuting Spatially = Remote Temporally = Synchronous

Coworking Spatially = Co-locatedTemporally = Synchronous

(Multi)Minding Spatially = TogetherTemporally = Continuous

to mind (v.)

1. to bring (an object or idea) to mind; remember 2. a. to become aware of; notice b. to have in mind as a goal or purpose; intend 3. to attend to 4. to be careful about 5. to care about; be concerned about 6. to take care or charge of; look after