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Ict And Temporal Fragmentation Of Activities: An Analytical Framework And Initial Empirical Findings

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  • CHRISTA HUBERS
  • TIM SCHWANEN
  • MARTIN DIJST

Abstract

It is commonly believed that the widespread use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) facilitates the fragmentation of daily activities across times and spaces. However, a clear conceptualisation of what fragmentation is and how it can be measured empirically has been lacking. As a consequence, hardly any empirical evidence has been provided for these notions. The goal of this paper is twofold: (1) to propose a theoretical and methodological framework for identifying and measuring activity fragmentation; and (2) to assess temporal fragmentation empirically and consider its associations with ICT usage while controlling for sociodemographic variables, residential context, day of the week, activity pattern characteristics and some attitudinal variables. Activity fragmentation is defined as a process whereby a certain activity is divided into several smaller pieces, which are performed at different times and/or locations. The proposed theoretical and methodological framework covers three main dimensions of fragmentation: the number of fragments; the distribution of the sizes of fragments; and the temporal configuration of fragments. Based on travel diary data from the Netherlands the analytical results are insightful and promising. The framework is not only capable of detecting temporal activity fragmentation for various trip purposes, but there are also indications of a positive relation between ICT usage and temporal fragmentation.

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  • Christa Hubers & Tim Schwanen & Martin Dijst, 2008. "Ict And Temporal Fragmentation Of Activities: An Analytical Framework And Initial Empirical Findings," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 99(5), pages 528-546, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:99:y:2008:i:5:p:528-546
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2008.00490.x
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    Cited by:

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    2. Ben-Elia, Eran & Alexander, Bayarma & Hubers, Christa & Ettema, Dick, 2014. "Activity fragmentation, ICT and travel: An exploratory Path Analysis of spatiotemporal interrelationships," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 56-74.
    3. Zamani, Efpraxia D. & Spanaki, Konstantina, 2023. "Affective temporal experiences and new work modalities: The role of Information and Communication Technologies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    4. Yaxuan Zhang & Chunjiang Li & Ying Song & Yanwei Chai & Yingling Fan, 2024. "Personalizing the dichotomy of fixed and flexible activities in everyday life: deriving prism anchors from GPS-enabled survey data," Transportation, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 1063-1088, June.
    5. Shi, Hui & Su, Rongxiang & Xiao, Jingyi & Goulias, Konstadinos G., 2022. "Spatiotemporal analysis of activity-travel fragmentation based on spatial clustering and sequence analysis," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    6. Tri Basuki Joewono & Ari K. M. Tarigan & Muhamad Rizki, 2019. "Segmentation, Classification, and Determinants of In-Store Shopping Activity and Travel Behaviour in the Digitalisation Era: The Context of a Developing Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-23, March.
    7. Pascal Pochet & Patricia Lejoux & Minming Chen, 2017. "Les actifs à mobilité atypique pour le travail à travers l’Enquête déplacements régionale Rhône-Alpes 2012-2015 [Les actifs à mobilité atypique pour le travail à travers l'Enquête déplacements régi," Working Papers halshs-01702558, HAL.
    8. Cao, Xinyu (Jason), 2012. "The relationships between e-shopping and store shopping in the shopping process of search goods," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(7), pages 993-1002.
    9. Lídia Montero & Lucía Mejía-Dorantes & Jaume Barceló, 2023. "Applying Data Analytics to Analyze Activity Sequences for an Assessment of Fragmentation in Daily Travel Patterns: A Case Study of the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-22, September.
    10. Arranz-López, Aldo & Soria-Lara, Julio A., 2022. "ICT use and spatial fragmentation of activity participation in post-COVID-19 urban societies," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    11. Lee, Ji-Hye & Jo, Junghyo & Kim, Jong Won & Lee, Keumsook & Choi, M.Y., 2022. "Spatial distributions of restaurants emerging from pedestrian behavior and online information sharing," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 597(C).
    12. Mattias Gripsrud & Randi Hjorthol, 2012. "Working on the train: from ‘dead time’ to productive and vital time," Transportation, Springer, vol. 39(5), pages 941-956, September.
    13. Shen, Yue & Chai, Yanwei & Kwan, Mei-Po, 2015. "Space–time fixity and flexibility of daily activities and the built environment: A case study of different types of communities in Beijing suburbs," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 90-99.
    14. Alexander, Bayarma & Ettema, Dick & Dijst, Martin, 2010. "Fragmentation of work activity as a multi-dimensional construct and its association with ICT, employment and sociodemographic characteristics," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 55-64.
    15. Bayarma Alexander & Christa Hubers & Tim Schwanen & Martin Dijst & Dick Ettema, 2011. "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime? Developing Indicators to Assess the Spatial and Temporal Fragmentation of Activities," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 38(4), pages 678-705, August.
    16. Bayarma Alexander & Martin Dijst, 2012. "Professional workers @ work: importance of work activities for electronic and face-to-face communications in the Netherlands," Transportation, Springer, vol. 39(5), pages 919-940, September.
    17. Aguiléra, Anne & Guillot, Caroline & Rallet, Alain, 2012. "Mobile ICTs and physical mobility: Review and research agenda," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 664-672.
    18. Helen Couclelis, 2009. "Rethinking Time Geography in the Information Age," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 41(7), pages 1556-1575, July.

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