"Am I Disturbing You?": A Research Model for Investigating the Use of Mobile Phones in Social Settings

Mobile business is conducted extensively through mobile phones, which, unlike wired e-commerce client computers, can be used anywhere and anytime, and consequently are often used in social settings such as while walking on a sidewalk, eating in a restaurant, driving a car, and waiting for an airplane. Use of mobile phones in these situations affects not only the user but also co-located people who can be bothered by ringing phones, overheard conversations, and clicking keys. The purpose of this paper is to present a research model that we are using to investigate the acceptable use of mobile phones in social situations. The model examines both voice and text use of mobile phones in various social settings, and incorporates the location and time of use. The paper also introduces an empirical research study we are conducting in which we have obtained data from over 1000 people in five countries.