Business practitioners’ Perspective on Value of Mobile Technology.

Abstract

No existing research maps and discusses holistically values deriving from mobile technology use capturing both strategic and operational opportunities which are best to emerge in the B2B context. This empirical paper addresses this gap. Adapted grounded theory approach is applied to collect and analyse in-depth interviews with 28 B2B practitioners from advertising and marketing firms. Whether mobile technology is a simple mean to advanced communication with no physical boundaries of time and location or a business tool to boost creative thinking, this study concludes that mobile technology represents a novel and unique category of technology because of its core distinctive feature, ‘being mobile’. B2B practitioners argue that the true nature of mobile technology lies in seeing it as a source of value that derives from using mobile technology. B2B practitioners view mobile technology not only as a purely technical tool (functional value) enabling effective communication (social value) but as a strategic tool driving balanced and flexible ways in managing business (emotional value) and enabling creative thinking (creative value).