Information context and socio-technical practice of digital nomads
| Pages | 431-450 |
| Date | 01 July 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-10-2018-0082 |
| Published date | 01 July 2019 |
| Author | Nehad Ali Al-Hadi,Ali Saif Al-Aufi |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information in society,Information literacy,Library & information services |
Information context and
socio-technical practice of
digital nomads
Nehad Ali Al-Hadi
The Main Library of SQU, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman, and
Ali Saif Al-Aufi
Department of Information Studies, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
Abstract
Purpose –Inspired by a task-basedapproach, this study aims to investigate the transformabilityof digital
nomadic workers’information practices by capturing the related social and technical perspectives. It
concentrates on conducting an exploration of the characteristics of nomadic work from two standpoints:
mobile social practicesadopted by nomadic workers in their unsteady work activities andthe used technical
approaches.
Design/methodology/approach –The paper provides a clear understandingand basic insights about
nomadic working trends by interviewing 21 Omani digital nomads workingin large organisations or small-
and medium-sized enterprises, corporation workers, creative freelancers and workers who have a multi-
functionalset of competencies.
Findings –Although nomadic work is still in the early stages in Oman, the study results indicate that
digital nomads are able to create transient work strategies that allow them to establish their own
efficient workplaces. They also have the essential abilities to take advantage of technology to support
their work achievement. The findings from such research could be used to develop general thinking
among workers and organisations about the role of mobile work in improving work performance and
investing in modern computing and information technology applications to facilitate successful remote
working.
Practical implications –The study finding can help decisionmakers to address socio-technical matters
by ensuring that cafes, airport lounges, public places and co-working spaces can meet the particular
requirements of digitalnomadic workers. Additionally, the study provides programmerswith useful context
on workers’behaviour in relation to distance work, which could encourage them to develop new and local
applicationsand potentially boost nomadic work.
Originality/value –There have been no empirical studies existthat cover key issues related to nomadic
workers in the region. This studyis the first attempt to provide primary indications that describeand define
the nature of nomadic work in Oman by exploring the workers’information practices in the nomadic
environment.The study determines the information context of nomadic work, mainlyfocussing on how these
dynamic contextsframe their information practices.
Keywords Information technology, Oman, Information behaviour, Information practice,
Digital nomads, Nomadic work
Paper type Research paper
The authors would like to thank Professor David Bawden from University City of London, who has
provided valuable feedback and guidance. The authors also would like to thank AlRudha Oman for
helping and providing with a place to conduct the interviews. Furthermore, the authors are grateful
to all participants for giving their time to complete data collection.
Practice of
digital nomads
431
Received9 October 2018
Revised22 December 2018
Accepted20 February 2019
GlobalKnowledge, Memory and
Communication
Vol.68 No. 4/5, 2019
pp. 431-450
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9342
DOI 10.1108/GKMC-10-2018-0082
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2514-9342.htm
Introduction
In the past few years, nomadic or mobile work, drivenby the mobile technology, has grown
tremendously among the workforce around the world. This mode of work helps to free
workers from spatial and temporal work limitations. The workers’orientations towards
building their own personal working space, understanding the value of cooperation,
accessing high internet speed, acquiring new experiences and looking for appropriate
resources and a motivational environment appear to be the essentialfactors that encourage
this trend. Because most of these features are not available in the old-fashioned
organisational type of workplace, mobile working has commonly associated with workers
who work in creative sectors and who depend mainly on social relationships and informal
dialogues with othersas major resources for inspirational ideas.
However, due to recent technological and industrial innovations, currently, this trend is
clearly spreading to incorporate largenumber of workers in all sectors. The cost of renting
fixed offices has driven many to workremotely as means of reining in estate costs. This can
in particular provide a long-term solution for small businesses. For instance, in Oman, the
number of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had increased to 28,900 by 2017
(Riyada, 2017) and not all of them have a stablework space or can cover the cost of rent and
facilities at a fixed office. Therefore, the Omani government currently provides start-up
companies with shared workspaces, such as Zubair Small Enterprises Centre, Riyada,
Alraffd Fund, SAS mobile,SAS virtual reality and SAS incubator, for businessdevelopment
and to encourage them to workdistantly.
Inspired by “a task-based approach”(Byström and Lloyd, 2012), this study investigates
the transformability of digital nomadic workers’information practices by capturing the
related social and technical perspectives. It intends to offer insights into the above-
mentioned concerns by interviewing some nomadic workers in Oman who have been
working in different nomadic settings, such as large organisations and SMEs, corporation
workers, creative freelancers and workers who have a multi-functional set of competencies
rather than a single professionalspecialism.
To understand the potential information practices and context of nomadic workers in
Oman, this paper concentrates on conducting an exploration of the characteristics of
nomadic work from two standpoints. These comprise mobile social practices adopted by
nomadic workers in their unsteadywork activities and the used technical approaches. This
involves taking a complete view of how varied information sources and tools mesh with
nomadic workers practices and recognising the dilemmas that are likely to appear in this
work. Considering these factors in combination identifies how the nomadic work context
could shape and modify the workers’practices.The main research question of this study is,
stated as the following:
RQ1. What are the characteristics of digital nomadic workers based on their social-
technical informationpractices?
Digital nomads
Nomadic working is a new kind of mobile working practice that has become increasingly
prevalent over the past few years, driven forward by the growth of the mobile workforce.
Relevant studies have identified the basic elements of this concept from different points of
view. Meanwhile, various related expressions have emerged, such as “fluid work”,“mobile
telework”,“flexiworkers”,“mobile work”and “hot-deskers”(Ciolfiand de Carvalho, 2014,
p. 120). Richman et al. (2002) claimed that nomads are people who “change workplaces”
(often across national borders),no matter whether they “return home”or not. Also, they are
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