CfP JCSCW Special Issue: Work Practices, Nomadicity and the Mediational Role of Technology

We have extended the submission deadline to the special issue we are preparing for the CSCW Journal as part of the NWL Project.

Full Call for papers is below!

CSCW Journal Special Issue: Work Practices, Nomadicity and the Mediational Role of Technology

Special issue editors:
Luigina Ciolfi (Interaction Design Centre, University of Limerick, Luigina.Ciolfi@ul.ie)
Ap. Fabiano Pinatti de Carvalho (Interaction Design Centre, University of Limerick, Fabiano.Pinatti@ul.ie)

 

Important dates (EXTENDED):

• Submission deadline : September 30th 2012
• Feedback to Authors due: January 2013
• Revised version due: March 2013

 

Format:

Submissions should be 6000-8000 words and MUST adhere to the journal’s formatting and editorial standards, available at http://www.springer.com/computer/journal/10606 (please refer to the Instructions for Authors located in the menu For Authors and Editors on the right).

Submission:

Submissions must be made via the Springer Editorial Manager (http://www.editorialmanager.com/cosu/)

For updates see: http://nwl.ul.ie/

 

CALL FOR PAPERS

Over the past few years new forms of work have emerged and developed. One of the key characteristics of current forms of work, and particularly information work, is the potential for nomadic practices, since workers mainly deal with something that can be easily represented digitally and taken to or accessed from different locations. In other words, it can be said that work activities can be easily detached from the office premises and can be performed anytime or anywhere that suits the workers’ needs (Davis, 2002). In fact, increasing attention is being paid to what is here called modern nomadicity – an approach to work that involves engaging with work activities across different locations depending on the availability of the resources that are necessary for accomplishing them (de Carvalho et al., 2011). In so doing, several studies have approached issues related to nomadic work practices and the design of technologies to support those involved with them (Bartolucci, 2007; Chen & Nath, 2005; Ciolfi et al., 2005; Cousins & Robey, 2005; Kleinrock, 1996; Kristensen, 2002; La Porta et al., 1996; Lyytinen & Yoo, 2002; Rossitto & Eklundh, 2007; Su & Mark, 2008).

Despite the increasing number of research studies in the topic, there are still open issues that should be explored in order to better understand it. Some of those issues are to do with:

• the nature of nomadic work practices among different groups of workers, which encompasses understanding the meanings associated with nomadicity, investigating how it unfolds in different work settings, identifying the attributes that make a specific work activity potentially nomadic, comprehending the reasons that lead people to approach it nomadically, and exploring the impact that nomadicity may have upon collaborative activities;
• the meditational role that technologies can play in the making of nomadic work, which concerns investigating how the technological means are appropriated and used in nomadic contexts, identifying in which situations they act as a support or a hindrance to nomadic work practices and exploring how technologies (tools, platforms and services) can be designed to better support nomadic work;
• the blurring of work and life boundaries that seems to be happening in the lives of those involved with nomadicity, which comprises examining to what extent nomadic work practices have been contributing towards the blurring of the divide between the work and the private dimensions of people’s lives, identifying what are the pros and cons stemming from it, and comprehending how people negotiate and manage this blurring.

Therefore, the invited contributions should answer foundational questions such as those listed below:

• What is the nature of nomadic work practices?
• What is the role of computer technologies in the making of nomadic work?
• What kinds of resources do people assemble when they mobilise their work activities?
• What are the impacts of nomadicity in collaborative work?
• How are nomadic work practices affecting the work/life boundaries?
• What are the social and organisational implications of nomadic work?
• What opportunities and constraints are linked to being nomadic?
• What are the reasons for people to choose a place over another place to develop their work activities?

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Empirical research
• Collaborative work
• Mobilisation work
• Design of technologies
• Nomadic strategies
• Social implications of nomadicity
• Access anytime/anywhere
• Place-making
• Social networks
• Work and enjoyment
• Organisational aspects of nomadic work
• Social aspects of nomadic work

All enquiries can be emailed to nwl.project@gmail.com.