Unintended consequences of a strategically ambiguous organizational policy selectively restricting mobile device use at work

Abstract

Mobile devices have permeated organizations creating diverse communication opportunities and new organizational challenges. This case study examines one of those challenges: creating a strategically ambiguous mobile device use policy to combat misuse in an organization. We use focus group data collection and a subsequent constant comparative analysis to examine a U.S. company with an organizational policy selectively restricting mobile device access for nonmanagerial workers. The findings and resulting theoretical model reflect the tension employees face when interpreting a restrictive mobile device use policy within the context of mobile use as “taken for granted.” This tension is manifest through four unintended consequences of the strategically ambiguous policy: (a) declining productivity, (b) supervisors burdened by overwhelming tasks, (c) decreased professional mobility, and (d) fleeting organizational identification. This research offers an organizational contribution to the current work on mobiles and it provides insight into how nonmanagerial workers interpret and act when a mobile use policy is strategically ambiguous.