Differential Older Workers’ Experience with Technology-related Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18291/njwls.145236Keywords:
Health, Working Environment & Wellbeing, Learning & Competencies, Gender, Ethnicity, Age and Diversity, Organization & ManagementAbstract
Many workers, including older ones, experienced changes at work during the COVID-19 pandemic, among which was a sudden increase in the use of digital technologies. This paper aims at understanding older workers’ satisfaction with digital technology-related changes at work during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Nordics. Based on novel survey data collected in Sweden in 2020– 2021, we analyzed the experience with digital technology-related changes at work and modeled the (dis)satisfaction with such changes among older workers (aged 50+). Our findings show that groups of older, less educated, reporting concurrent workload changes and digital technology-related difficulties had an increased likelihood of being dissatisfied with digital technology-related changes at work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results have implications for the theoretical understanding of late working life and for the redefinition of working life policies and age management strategies in times of work digitalization of work.
Author Biographies
Arianna Poli, Linköping University
Postdoc researcher, Division Ageing and Social Change. Email: arianna.poli@liu.se
Annika Heuer, Linköping University
PhD student, Division Ageing and Social Change
Andreas Motel-Klingebiel, Linköping University
Professor, Division Ageing and Social Change
References
• Abelsen, S. N., Vatne, S.-H., Mikalef, P., & Choudrie, J. (2021). Digital working during the COVID-19 pandemic: how task–technology fit improves work performance and lessens feelings of loneliness. Information Technology & People [Epub ahead of print]. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-12-2020-0870
• Allemann, H., & Poli, A. (2020). Designing and evaluating information and communication technology-based interventions? Be aware of the needs of older people. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 19(5), 370-372. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474515119897398
• Bolli, T., & Pusterla, F. (2022). Decomposing the effects of digitalization on workers’ job satisfaction. International Review of Economics, 69(2), 263-300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12232-022-00392-6
• Bourdieu, P., & Passeron, J. C. (1990). Reproduction in Education, Society and Culture (Vol. 4). Sage Publications, London.
• Dodel, M., & Mesch, G. S. (2020). Perceptions about the impact of automation in the workplace. Information, Communication & Society, 23(5), 665-680. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1716043
• Dropkin, J., Moline, J., Kim, H., & Gold, J. E. (2016). Blended work as a bridge between traditional workplace employment and retirement: a conceptual review. Work, Aging and Retirement, 2(4), 373-383. https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/waw017
• Eccles, A. (2020). Remote care technologies, older people and the social care crisis in the United Kingdom: a Multiple Streams Approach to understanding the ‘silver bullet’ of telecare policy. Ageing and Society, 41(8), 1726-1747. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X19001776
• Eurofound. (2017). Sixth European working conditions survey – Overview report (2017 update). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
• Eurofound. (2020). Living, working and COVID-19. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
• European Commission. (2022). Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) - Sweden. Available at: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/desi-sweden
• EUROSTAT. (2022). The EU Labour Force Survey. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
• Falck, O., Lindlacher, V., & Wiederhold, S. (2022). Elderly Left Behind? How Older Workers Can Participate in the Modern Labor Market. Paper presented at the CESifo Forum.
• Fleischmann, M., & Koster, F. (2018). Older workers and employer-provided training in the Netherlands: a vignette study. Ageing and Society, 38(10), 1995-2018. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X17000356
• Francis, J., Ball, C., Kadylak, T., & Cotten, S. R. (2019). Aging in the digital age: conceptualizing technology adoption and digital inequalities. In B. B. Neves & F. Vetere (Eds.), Ageing and Digital Technology (pp. 35-49). Springer Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
• Ghimire, R., Skinner, J., & Carnathan, M. (2020). Who perceived automation as a threat to their jobs in metro Atlanta: results from the 2019 Metro Atlanta Speaks survey. Technology in Society, 63, 101368. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101368
• Hargittai, E., Piper, A. M., & Morris, M. R. (2019). From internet access to internet skills: digital inequality among older adults. Universal Access in the Information Society, 18(4), 881-890. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-018-0617-5
• ILO. (2020). Teleworking during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: A Practical Guide. Geneva: International Labour Organisation.
• Karpinska, K., Henkens, K., Schippers, J., & Wang, M. (2015). Training opportunities for older workers in the Netherlands: a vignette study. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 41, 105-114. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2015.03.002
• Komp-Leukkunen, K., Poli, A., Hellevik, T., Herlofson, K., Heuer, A., Norum, R., Solem, P. E., Khan, J., Rantanen, V., & Motel-Klingebiel, A. (2022). Older workers in digitalizing workplaces: a systematic literature review. The Journal of Aging and Social Change 12 (2), 37-59. https://doi.org/10.18848/2576-5310/CGP/v12i02/37-59
• Kortmann, L. K., Simonson, J., Vogel, C., & Huxhold, O. (2021). Digitalisation and employees’ subjective job quality in the second half of working life in Germany. Social Indicators Research. 162, 577–597. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-021-02854-w
• Lazazzara, A., Karpinska, K., & Henkens, K. (2013). What factors influence training opportunities for older workers? Three factorial surveys exploring the attitudes of HR professionals. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(11), 2154-2172. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2012.725077
• Lissitsa, S., Chachashvili-Bolotin, S., & Bokek-Cohen, Y. A. (2017). Digital skills and extrinsic rewards in late career. Technology in Society, 51, 46-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2017.07.006
• Lössbroek, J., & Radl, J. (2019). Teaching older workers new tricks: workplace practices and gender training differences in nine European countries. Ageing and Society, 39(10), 2170-2193. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X1800079X
• Mark, G., Kun, A. L., Rintel, S., & Sellen, A. (2022). Introduction to this special issue: the future of remote work: responses to the pandemic. Human–Computer Interaction, 37(5), 397-403. https://doi.org/10.1080/07370024.2022.2038170
• Martin, J. P. (2018). Live longer, work longer: The changing nature of the labour market for older workers in OECD countries. IZA Discussion Papers 11510, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• Nagel, L. (2020). The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the digital transformation of work. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 40(9/10), 861-875. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-07-2020-0323
• Neves, B. B., & Mead, G. (2020). Digital technology and older people: towards a sociological approach to technology adoption in later life. Sociology, 55(5), 888-905. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038520975587
• OECD. (2018). OECD Reviews of Digital Transformation: Going Digital in Sweden. OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264302259-en
• OECD. (2021). The Digital Transformation of SMEs. OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/20780990
• OECD (2015). Pensions at a Glance 2015: OECD and G20 Indicators. OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/pension_glance-2015-en.
• Ogg, J., & Rašticová, M. (2020). Introduction: key issues and policies for extending working life. In Á. Ní Léime, J. Ogg, M. Rašticová, D. Street, C. Krekula, M. Bédiová, & I. Madero-Cabib (Eds.), Extended Working Life Policies: International Gender and Health Perspectives (pp. 3-27). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
• Oksa, R., Saari, T., Kaakinen, M., & Oksanen, A. (2021). The motivations for and well-being implications of social media use at work among millennials and members of former generations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 803.
• Phillipson, C. (2019). ‘Fuller’ or ‘extended’ working lives? Critical perspectives on changing transitions from work to retirement. Ageing and Society, 39(3), 629-650. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X18000016
• Poli, A., Kelfve, S., Berg, K., & Motel-Klingebiel, A. (2021). Old-age diversity is underrepresented in digital health research: findings from the evaluation of a mobile phone system for post-operative progress monitoring in Sweden. Ageing and Society, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X21001641
• Poli, A., Kostakis, I., & Barbabella, F. (2021). Receiving care through digital health technologies: drivers and implications of old-age digital health exclusion. Social Exclusion in Later Life, 169.
• Ragnedda, M. (2018). Conceptualizing digital capital. Telematics and Informatics, 35(8), 2366-2375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2018.10.006
• Ragnedda, M., Ruiu, M. L., & Addeo, F. (2020). Measuring digital capital: an empirical investigation. New Media & Society, 22(5), 793-816. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819869604
• Schuster, A. M., & Cotten, S. R. (2022). Differences between employed and retired older adults in information and communication technology use and attitudes. Work, Aging and Retirement, waac025.
• Shambi, J. (2021). Redefining employee experience during the pandemic. Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, 9(3), 434-438.
• Shamsi, M., Iakovleva, T., Olsen, E., & Bagozzi, R. P. (2021). Employees’ work-related well-being during COVID-19 pandemic: an integrated perspective of technology acceptance model and JD-R theory. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22), 11888. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/22/11888
• Shirmohammadi, M., Au, W. C., & Beigi, M. (2022). Remote work and work-life balance: Lessons learned from the covid-19 pandemic and suggestions for HRD practitioners. Human Resource Development International, 25(2), 163-181. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2022.2047380
• Sostero, M., Milasi, S., Hurley, J., Fernandez-Macias, E., & Bisello, M. (2020). Teleworkability and the COVID-19 crisis: a new digital divide? European Commission.
• Statistics Sweden. (2023). ICT usage in households and by individuals 2022 - Sweden. Available at: https://www.scb.se/en/finding-statistics/statistics-by-subject-area/living-conditions/living-conditions/ict-usage-in-households-and-by-individuals/
• Tirado-Morueta, R., Rodríguez-Martín, A., Álvarez-Arregui, E., Ortíz-Sobrino, M. Á., & Aguaded-Gómez, J. I. (2021). The digital inclusion of older people in Spain: technological support services for seniors as predictor. Ageing and Society, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X21001173
• van Laar, E., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Dijk, J. A. G. M., & de Haan, J. (2020). Determinants of 21st-century skills and 21st-century digital skills for workers: a systematic literature review. SAGE Open, 10(1), 2158244019900176. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019900176
• Vasilescu, M. D., Serban, A. C., Dimian, G. C., Aceleanu, M. I., & Picatoste, X. (2020). Digital divide, skills and perceptions on digitalisation in the European Union—towards a smart labour market. PLoS One, 15(4), e0232032. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232032
• Visser, M., Lössbroek, J., & van der Lippe, T. (2020). The use of HR policies and job satisfaction of older workers. Work, Aging and Retirement, 7(4), 303-321. https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/waaa023
• Wang, B., Liu, Y., Qian, J., & Parker, S. K. (2021). Achieving effective remote working during the COVID‐19 pandemic: a work design perspective. Applied Psychology, 70(1), 16-59.
• Warhurst, C. H., Will. (2019). The Digitalisation of Future Work and Employment. Possible Impact and Policy Responses. JRC Working Papers on Labour, Education and Technology 2019-05, Joint Research Centre. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/sites/jrcsh/files/jrc117404.pdf
• Wood, S., Michaelides, G., Inceoglu, I., Niven, K., Kelleher, A., Hurren, E., & Daniels, K. (2022). Satisfaction with one's job and working at home in the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave study. Applied Psychology, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12440
• Wrede, S. J. S., Rodil Dos Anjos, D., Kettschau, J. P., Broding, H. C., & Claassen, K. (2021). Risk factors for digital stress in German public administrations. BMC Public Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12247-w
• Xie, H., Fang, Y., Wang, M., Liu, J., & Lv, A. (2023). Providing digital technology training as a way to retain older workers: the importance of perceived usefulness and growth need. Work, Aging and Retirement. https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/waad004
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Author and Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The Copyright Holder of this Journal is the authors and the Journal. Normally the journal use the CC-BY NC-ND 4.0 licence.
Exceptions to the license terms may be granted
If you want to use content in the Journal in another way then described by this license, you must contact the licensor and ask for permission. Contact Bo Carstens at bo.carstens@gmail.com. Exceptions are always given for specific purposes and specific content only.
Sherpa/Romeo
The Journal is listed as a blue journal in Sherpa/Romeo, meaning that the author can archive post-print ((ie final draft post-refereeing) and author can archive publisher's version/PDF.
Copyright of others
Authors are responsible for obtaining permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere.
Archives policy
All published material is archived at Roskilde University Library, Denmark, and transmitted to the Danish Royal Library in conformity with the Danish rules of legal deposit.
Plagiarism screening
We do not screen articles for plagiarism. It is the responsibility of the authors to make sure they do not plagiate.
