Page 50 - WHERE WE WORK - Schlegelmilch

Moving between places
field notes that we collected. The interviews provided us with insights into our respondents' background stories, their mobility, challenges, and coping strategies. The observations complemented the interview data by shedding light on the actual use of places and the affordances of the places. We analyzed the data in an iterative manner, which meant that the two processes of data collection and analysis were interwoven and informed each other, thereby being guided by well-established techniques of inductive research (Gehman et al., 2017; Gioia et al., 2013). In our initial rounds of data analysis, we coded our data in an open manner with a focus on mobility and emerging challenges. From this, we determined a set of first-order codes, and through constant comparison, we reduced the number of first-order codes and created a more concise list. After developing the initial set of first-order codes, specific streams of the literature became relevant (place-making, mobile knowledge workers). As we were contemplating the relationships between the different first-order categories to create second-order categories, we applied the theory of affordances (Gibson, 1979) to make sense of our data. Through this process, Atlas.ti facilitated us in organizing our data as well as the analysis process. And lastly, we used pseudonyms to refer to our respondents, and we reduced identifiable information as much as possible while preserving the integrity of the findings.
2.4 Findings
We found that places, such as co-working spaces, cafés, and housing, afford nomadic workers to enact three affordances – malleability, privacy, and instant sociality. We define malleability as the possibility to shape place temporarily for work; privacy as the possibility to control incoming distractions; and instant sociality as the ability to develop instant connections with others. These three affordances are the nomadic worker's way to cope with the challenges arising from continuous travel in nomadic work (working across places, conducting focused work, and embedding socially). To support our findings, we provide evidence throughout the
48