If You Build It Will They Come?
Adoption of Online Counseling of Overseas
Migrant Workers
Ma. Regina M. Hechanova, PhD
Ateneo de Manila University
• OFWs comprise 10% of the Philippine Population
– Advantage: Remittances fuel economy; Upward mobility
– Disadvantage: Negative effects on the OFW and their
families
• Online Counseling
– Despite distances, psychosocial interventions/ counseling
can be done via internet-mediated communications
• Rationale for Study
– There are theories that explain migrant adjustment, helpseeking behavior and technology adoption
– Dearth of literature on adoption of online counseling
among migrant workers
Research Objectives
ADJUSTMENT THEORY
How does the profile of OFW users in terms
of issues raised, occupation and host
country influence adoption of online
counseling?
HELP-SEEKING THEORY:
How do help-seeking
factors influence the
adoption of online
counseling?
ADOPTION OF
ONLINE
COUNSELING
TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION:
How do technologyrelated factors influence
the adoption of online
counseling?
• OFWOnline launched in July 2009 to provide online
counseling via chat to OFWs and their families
• Project of Ateneo Center for Organization Research and
Development (Ateneo CORD), Ateneo Department of
Psychology, Ateneo Department of Information &
Computer Science with support from Singapore Internet
Research Development Center and other partners
• Service is provided to OFWs and their families for FREE
• Users register and communicate with counselors via chat
http://www.ofwonline.net/index.php?option=com_jumi&filei
d=3
Methodology
• Secondary Data
– profile of OFWs that made use of the
website, the demographic variables of 191
OFWs site users
– analysis of counseling transcriptions (average
time is 60.44 minutes; 7,199 lines of text
derived from 40 counseling sessions - 36
text-based chat, 4 email)
• Interviews
– perceptions and attitudes of non-users about
online counselling, 30 individuals (10 OFWs,
10 spouses, 10 children)
SITE USER PROFILE:
•Average of 14 site user/mo
•User traffic is variable (weekdays and office hours and after media
promotion)
•OFWs (85%), family members(15%)
•Mostly male (75%)
•78% white collar professionals
•Majority of sessions are 1-time with a maximum of 18 session
Issues of OFWs and their Families
•
•
•
•
•
Family, marital relationship issues (65%)
Work related issues (23%)
Homesickness/Loneliness (15%)
Cross-cultural adjustment (15%)
Financial (10%
HELP-SEEKING ATTITUDES
Users
Non-Users
Counselors as Experts,
Listeners, and/or
Agents of Action
Lack of Clarity/Stigma
A positive experience /
potentially positive
experience
For those with
big problems
For those with
No social support
Technology-Related Issues
DRIVERS
•Access
•Ease with technology
•Computer Norms
among peers
BARRIERS
•Lack of access
•Lack of computer skills
•Technology &
connectivity problems
PROPOSED MODEL FOR ADOPTION OF
ONLINE COUNSELING
TECHNOLOGY
ADOPTION
NATURE OF ISSUES
HELP-SEEKING
ATTITUDES
Problems & their
Severity
Existence of Social
Support
Openness to
Counseling
ADOPTION OF
ONLINE
COUNSELING
Location, Occupation, Gender
Perceived Need
Attitudes
Help-Seeing
Behavior
Implications
APPLICATION
• Need for Media
promotion/awareness
• Changes in counseling
model (inclusion of email,
counseling by appointment,
Facebook)
• Need to expand technology
(mobile counseling)
• Need for training of
counselors on online
counseling
• Sustainability issues
POLICY
• Currently this service is
being run in partnership
with private organizations
• Need for stronger privatepublic partnership