Motivations for records management in mobile work

Abstract

Purpose

All organisations may not have the same motivations for investing in records management. For some organisations the benefits of records management are more important than for others. It can be hypothesised that an organisation with a “natural” motivation for records management controls records processes more thoroughly than an organisation without a similar motivation. However, it is not understood how organisational context affects records management. In this paper the aim is to examine what motivations there are for an organisation to invest in records management especially in a mobile working environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Aspects explored were ISO standards, and record users in three different organisations. The empirical data were gathered by interviews with 25 respondents and qualitative analysis of the ISO 15489 standard content. Results from the interviews were compared with the ISO standard. For this purpose, quantitative analysis was used to identify and categorise motivations given in the standard.

Findings

Respondents highlighted information‐based and work‐process related ISO motivations. In general, internal motivations were emphasised and cultural‐societal goals were practically not mentioned at all. For mobile users records management is a tool to manage information and support their own and colleagues' work processes. The organisation's function affects the nature of the records produced, and this has an impact on users' attitude towards and knowledge of records management.

Originality/value

Analysis of motivations in the ISO 15489‐1 standard gives a new perspective to organisational records management. The motivations complement the picture given by studies of records usage in organisations.

Citation

Mäkinen, S. and Henttonen, P. (2011), "Motivations for records management in mobile work", Records Management Journal, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 188-204. https://doi.org/10.1108/09565691111186867