Abstract
Constant connectivity, which is the phenomenon of being connected anytime and anywhere has been drawing increasing attention among researchers. Existing research almost exclusively focus on specif-ic devices or applications. In addition, there is only little research, which considers that different types of users react differently to the phenomenon of constant connectivity and develop very different cop-ing strategies. In other words, there is little understanding how knowledge workers deal with constant connectivity and how their connectivity behaviour differ from each other. To close these gaps we con-ducted a Q methodological study among IT consultants and developed a typology of different individ-uals. Our results reveal four types, which are the pragmatist, bricoleur, maniac, and passenger. The types differ significantly in terms of key aspects of constant connectivity, such as responsiveness and autonomy; they cover a complexity of various dimensions and are dynamic in nature. We compare these types against typologies from the literature and identify similarities and differences. Our study’s main contribution lies in establishing connectivity types that address constant connectivity as a whole and are well suited to describe and explain connectivity related behaviour in the real world.
Recommended Citation
Geiger, Manfred; Waizenegger, Lena; Remus, Ulrich; and Wingreen, Stephen C., "FROM PRAGMATIST TO PASSENGER – A Q METHODOLOGICAL STUDY OF CONNECTIVITY TYPES" (2016). Research Papers. 125.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2016_rp/125