Friday, 14 January 2005 - 12:00 PM

This presentation is part of: Poster Session I

Factors That Predict Technology Acceptance and Use Among Social Workers

Purpose and Method: Reports on the amount of use and satisfaction of various types of electronic technology range from a high of nearly everyone in agency settings reporting some amount of use and satisfaction, Gandy and Tepperman (1990), to a low of just one or a few key technology users whom everyone else depends on, (Stretch & Kreuger 2000). In an effort to better understand the range of variance in availability of technology and how users cope, the authors conducted a survey of 200 MSWs.

Results: A survey of 200 randomly selected MSW graduates was undertaken, 100 instruments were returned, and 91 were useable. Twenty eight percent felt technology reduced their personal discretion, while 62% disagreed. Eighty eight percent felt technology improved the delivery of services, a little less than half of those responding (49%) felt technology forced artificial categories onto clinicians, while (51%) disagreed that it forced the use of artificial categories on social workers. Ninety seven percent felt technology improved organization efficiency, 83% felt it did not dehumanize clients, 55% felt it threatened privacy, 53% felt it threatened client confidentiality, and 84% felt it did not jeopardize client dignity. Our composite measure of the global acceptance of technology was correlated with the availability of equipment at the office (r=.252, p <.05), those with more equipment reported more positive overall attitude, those with more equipment available also reported more agency use as might be expected (r=.575, p<.01), but home use was uncorrelated with any other variable in this data set.

Implications: Discussed are policy and practice implications from this field study of factors that predict technology acceptance and use in a profession that traditionally relies heavily upon face to face interaction.

See more of Poster Session I
See more of Oral and Poster

See more of Celebrating a Decade of SSWR (January 13 - 16, 2005)