Mobility Reconsidered: Topological Aspects of Interaction

The emergence and convergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as the mobile phone and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) along with radical changes in work practices the fundamental issue of mobility. Current debates on mobility almost exclusively focus on human mobility freed from geographical constraints with support of ICTs. However, mobility should not only be linked to human corporeal travel but also to the interaction people perform. The aim of this paper is to reconsider the concept of mobility. In order to appreciate the topological nature of human interaction, three interrelated dimensions of mobility are discussed: spatial, temporal, and contextual. A fluid metaphor is proposed and addressed for capturing the topology of mobile interaction. Based on these sociological discussions, we suggest applying the concept of Ba as a way of understanding the nature of mobile interaction in particular organisational contexts.