This study reconsiders the meaning and implications of reflexivity for the theory of routines. Due to their mundane nature, routines tend to be considered unambiguous phenomena that everyone can readily understand. The performative theory of routines has challenged this view by suggesting there is no guarantee that participants have the same understanding of a routine. Nonetheless, this theory has yet to explain how routines are possible in relation to divergent understandings. Through empirical analyses of customer-provider interactions videotaped at sushi bars, this study shows how participants themselves exhibit and use their understandings of routines within the routine performance. That is to say, understandings of a routine are a reflexive part of the routine performance. It is not necessary to assume that divergent understandings are reconciled prior to the routine performance. Reflexivity helps clarify how routines are possible without a priori shared understanding.

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Open-source software, usually created by volunteer programmers dispersed worldwide, now competes with that developed by software firms. This achievement is particularly impressive as open-source programmers rarely meet. They rely heavily on electronic media, which preclude the benefits of face-to-face contact that programmers enjoy within firms. In this paper, we describe findings that address this paradox based on observation, interviews and quantitative analyses of two open-source projects. The findings suggest that spontaneous work coordinated afterward is effective, rational organizational culture helps achieve agreement among members and communications media moderately support spontaneous work. These findings can imply a new model of dispersed collaboration.

Recent advances in ubiquitous technology have greatly changed the way people stay connected. We conducted an in-depth video shadowing study to observe how close-knit groups use all the technology at their disposal to stay in touch and share their lives. We observed a pattern of related behaviors that we call channel blending, the integration of interactions and content over multiple channels into one coherent conversation, often including both local and remote participants. Channel blending is the opposite of multitasking in that it involves merging many lines of focus into one, rather than switching attention between them. We discuss ways technology could better support this emerging style of multichannel content-sharing and communication.

Amphiphilic and heterotactic‐rich poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) macromonomer, that is, PVA having a phenyl or phenoxyethyl methacrylate unit as the polymerizable end group, was synthesized via the aldol‐type group‐transfer polymerization (aldol‐GTP) technique. Aldol‐GTPs of vinyloxytriethylsilane (VOTES) were carried out in dichloromethane with 4‐methacryloylbenzaldehyde and 4‐(2‐methacryloylethoxy)benzaldehyde as the initiators with various Lewis acids. The polymerizations proceeded smoothly to give silylated PVA macromonomers (number‐average molecular weights: 1.3 × 103–1.96 × 104). Poly(VOTES) was easily desilylated to give heterotactic‐rich PVA macromonomer in good yield. The critical micelle concentration of the PVA macromonomer was determined by surface‐tension measurement. Micellar polymerization of the amphiphilic macromonomer gave comb‐shaped (graft) polymer having PVA side chains effectively (conversion: 80–82%), whereas polymerization in dimethyl sulfoxide (homogeneous state) did not. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4477–4484, 2002