1. Does Space have a Place in IS Research? Carsten Østerlund School of Information Studies Syracuse University

3. IS Research: Implicit Notions of Space Virtual teams Distributed work Global networks Outsourcing Mobil workforce Ubiquitous information environments

4. Notable Exceptions in IS Research Space versus place & time-space compression –(–(Schultze & Boland, 2000; Sahay, 1998) Time geography –(–(Nandhakumar, 2002) Spacing & timing –(–(Jones, McLean & Quattrone, 2004) Conceptual space –(–(Boland, 2001)

5. Example: Indoor Positioning Systems Tracking of people and artifacts Hospitals has been particularly open to this technology What do hospitals do with these systems: –Track patients –Track doctors, nurses and other staff members –Track artifacts (charts, portable equipment, supplies) –Track relations among people or people and artifacts –Track flows of people and artifacts past and present –Efficiency studies

6. Space & Existing Record Systems Patient records, flowsheets, whiteboards, etc serve as more than documentation of care Use paper-based and electronic records to: –Track patients’ and staffs’ moves within and across departments and institutions –Demarcate spaces for interactions with different constituencies of collaborators –Create itineraries for their collaborative work Staff meetings typically focus on how to refine the tracking and mapping capabilities of existing information systems

7. Spatial Concerns Not an issue of time-space compression Question: How do people use indoor positioning systems and text based IS to articulate the spacing and timing of their activities? –Articulate a particular type of knowledge about people and artifacts in time and space –Zoning and Mobility: A way to interlace spacing and timing of interactions –Hybrid places – people carve out their own places for interaction by mixing physical and technologically mediated spaces

8. Emergency Department Whiteboard Expect Bin, etc Non-Urgent Desk Waiting Room Exam Room Charting Room Library Exam Room Entrance Triage Desk Trauma Rooms Triage Exam Rooms Ambulance Entrance Procedure Room Gray Rack Registration Back Door to Wards Surgical Isolation Orthopedic Expect Bin etc. Expect Bin, Computers, Forms, Desks, etc. Bin Exam Room Medication Room Exam Room Dental, Nursing Break Room, Social/Psych Desk, Family Waiting Room, etc. Bins