Module 7: Social Context of
Computing
Introduction
The Digital Divide
ICT in the Workplace
Employee Monitoring
Workplace Employee Health and
Productivity
Ergonomics
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In the last fifty years we have witnessed
an invasion of the workplace, homes, and
mostly schools by computers and
computer related equipment.
Playing this double role as an utility and
entertainment tool, the computer has
become an integral part of our social fabric
Ever since the beginning of the industrial
age when technology started entering the
workplace and homes, the aim has been
to utilize it and help make us wiser and
more productive
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We spend more time in the workplace
Domesticated technology to improve workplace
Since the industrial age, the workplace has been in
the forefront of technological innovation
The fears that technology will replace workers,
which have been the main force behind the
resistance to workplace modernization have not
materialized
Every new technology brings new workers in the
workspace
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The Digital Divide
Communication technological inequalities among
peoples in one country and between countries,
commonly known as the digital divide, sprung out of the
1994 landmark U.S Commerce Department’s study
The debate has centered on a number of key critical
issues including:
– whether there is such a thing as a digital divide,
– indicators that should be used to measure such a divide if it
exists, and
– the best ways to close such a divide.
In general, the study of the digital divide involves the
study of the impact on society’s social, economic,
political, and cultural institutions by communication
technologies such as : radio, television, the press, post
offices, fixed and cellular telephones, fax machines,
airports, computers, and connectivity to the Internet
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There are five indicators of the digital
divide namely: access, technology,
humanware (human capacity),
infrastructure, and enabling environment.
Access – Presents obstacles which can
broadly be grouped into five categories:
– geography,
– income,
– ethnicity,
– age, and
– education.
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Technology -The computer-driven technological
revolution has brought the countries of the world
ever closer together but it also divided countries
Technologies like faxes, cellular phones,
computers and Internet connections registered
almost zero growth per thousand people in
developing countries in comparison to their
counterparts in the developed countries during
the same period.
A good technological base depends a great deal
on relevant inputs:
– investment capital,
– infrastructure, and
– humanware(human capacity).
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Humanware (Human Capacity ) - The
availability and easy access to ICT does
not always solve the digital divide
problem.
– lack of humanware, in developing counties to
maintain the equipment - shortage of
teachers, technicians and institutes to train
them.
– challenge to ensure that people can
gainfully use ICT to add value to local inputs.
People will take ICT seriously when it meets
and serves their own local
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Human capacity development is a complex
multifaceted endeavor consisting of many parts
including:
– creating awareness of the potential for ICT to meet
one's needs
– creating, developing, and strengthening capacity to
use information and ICT effectively using local inputs.
– Building capacity to produce and package information
so that it adds value to local inputs.
– Ensuring ongoing technical capacity development,
and developing a format for knowledge and
information sharing.
– Preventing the local capacity from being drained to
other, usually, developed countries.
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Infrastructure -As noted by many, the digital divide infrastructure
is related to access in many ways. They both present obstacles to
gaining access to ICT.
Fixed communication structures. In those countries with good
fixed communication structures like electricity, telephones, good
roads, and airports, ICT development is a lot faster. Lack of such
resources hinders the development of ICT
Enabling Environments - there are many countries with similar
levels of per capita incomes and economic structures exhibiting
widely varying ICT performances. There are no good
explanations for this except that of enabling environments or lack
of. An ICT enabling environment is an environment in which ICT
can thrive. There are several things that can bring about such an
environment, including politics and public policy and
management styles.
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Politics - ICT thrives in a good political environment that ensures: a
climate of democratic rights and civil liberties conducive to ICT
adaptation
respect for the rule of law and security of property rights
investment in human capacity, and
low level of government distortions
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Public Policy and Management Styles Governments must put in place
streamlined regulatory policies for
importation and licensing of ICT
technologies. Laws must be enacted and
uniformly enforced so that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and
other organizations interested in investing
in ICT economic activities do so with ease
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The Changing Workplace
The workplace can be anywhere where one
performs tasks:
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A place away from home
In a car/plane/train
Home
Virtual office
In the home office:
– Categories of workers have been changing
– Company benefits are mixed
– Not everyone benefits from home-based work
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The Changing Workplace…
There are company fears arising from homebased work:
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Trade secrets
Supervision
Productivity
Liability
Unstudied social and Ethical effects:
– Psychological
– Social
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Employee Monitoring
The purpose of workspace monitoring
Types of monitoring:
– Electronic
– Video
Benefits of monitoring:
– Good management, performance evaluation,
management control, accurate assessment,
immediate feedback and, flexible work assignments.
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Workplace Privacy and
Surveillance…
Effects of electronic monitoring:
Reduced task variety
Lack of individual initiatives
Reduced or no peer social support
Lack of self-esteem
Lack of interest in the job
Lack of trust among workers, between workers
and supervisors, and between supervisors and
management
Alienation
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Computer-related Risks
Employee safety
Reliability
System safety and security
Individual privacy.
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Employee Health and
Productivity
Ergonomics- an applied science
concerned with the human-machine
interactions that offer and maintain the
safety, comfort, health, and habitable
environment.
Ergonomic injuries result when demand on
an employee to perform far exceeds that
person’s working capacity
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Employee Health and
Productivity…
Ergonomic-related musculosketal disorder such
as:
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Back pain
Neck and shoulder pains
Repetitive strain injuries (RSI)
Stress
Productivity of workers depends on their health
Companies are getting the message and are
forming health clubs, day-care centers on
company premises, and offering extended
maternity leaves
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