Collaboration using Mobile Technologies (MCTs): When is it essential?

Abstract

With the growing popularity of mobile technologies and the increasing use of groups within organizations (with members often distributed globally, and constantly "on-the-go"), question remains as to whether mobile collaboration technologies (MCTs) provide any additional benefits (over face-to-face and conventional CMC technologies) to such collaborations. We attempt to address this specific question by comparing features of MCTs with those of F2F and CMC technologies, and creating a typology of group collaboration that would benefit (or need) MCTs. Overall, the paper hopes to highlight the benefits of MCTs, and the contexts in which it will be most beneficial (perhaps even essential).