ABSTRACT
This chapter explores that conventional ethnographic methods are more relevant and valuable than ever to understand contemporary work contexts. As virtual technologies and virtual work become an ever-present part of our daily work lives, it continues to witness the adjustment of conventional ethnographic methods to the requirements of research in both online and physical settings. Business clients and practitioners raise three primary challenges to the value of conventional ethnography: convergence in the way we work globally, sophisticated virtual technologies that enable rich communication, and the abundance of digital data and data-mining tools. The chapter demonstrates how conventional on-the-ground ethnographic methods are not only still valid, but also indispensable in helping us describe, understand, and explain the world of work, even online. It presents the argument that conventional ethnographic methods continue to be relevant and to create value in a work world enabled by powerful technology-based ways of working and doing research about work.
