Smartphones Enabling Mobile Collaboration

Mobilization of the work-force is demanding new mobile and wireless technologies to facilitate contact between the growing number of mobile eWorkers and organizations. Smartphones incorporating mobile e-mail functionality enable instant access to e-mail boxes and company resources without complex synchronization. A study amongst sixteen German companies was conducted to elicit the influence of mobile e-mail on work-processes and communication. The empirical results indicate that mobile e-mail impacts on performance, whereas attitude towards technology influences perceived performance gains. According to our findings smartphones have the potential to improve and accelerate work processes through timely provision of information, enhanced reachability and the simplification of coordination processes. This study treats a present organizational issue related to increasing the productivity of the mobile workforce. The research expands the mobile e-mail literature by assessing the impact of mobile e-mail on performance and highlights the importance of attitude towards IT as an influencing variable.