Group 5

Social
Context of
Computing
Social Context of Computing
Introduction
The Digital Divide
Changing in the Workplace
Employee Monitoring
Workplace Privacy and
Surveillance
Employee Health and Productivity
 Introduction
Social Context, also known as milieu is how
someone reacts to something depending on
their immediate social or physical environment.
Social context can influence how someone
perceives something. For example, a person
who is trying a new food in an unwelcoming or
harsh environment might perceive the food as
tasting bad and not like it in the future. But if
they had been in a fun and relaxing
environment when they first tried it they may
have perceived the food as tasting good and
end up enjoying it. (Source: alleydog.com)
 Social computing uses computers and software to
create communities around shared interests. and
focuses on solving human problems through
technology
 Digital Divide
Gap, or “perceived gap” between
those who have and do not have
access to “information” and between
those who have and do not have the
ability to use those tools.
So, merely having access to cyber
technology is not sufficient; one must
also possess the knowledge and
ability to use that technology.
The Indicators of the Digital Divide
Access
Technology
Humanware
Infrastructure
Enabling environment.
 Access
Presents obstacles which can
broadly be grouped into five
categories:
Geography
 Income
Ethnicity
Age
Education
 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).
 Technology
Hardware
Quantity, quality, maintenance big
challenges
Unreliable power supplies
Most hardware for
underdevelopment countries comes
from donations
Replacement parts hampered by
cost
 Technology
Software
Humanware limited for local
development
Outsourcing very costly
Software generally donated and
doesn’t meet needs
 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
 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.
 The Changing Workplace
The Workplace can be anywhere
where one performs tasks:
A place away from home
In a car/plane/train
Home
Virtual office
 The Changing Workplace
In the Home Office:
Categories of workers have been
changing
Company benefits are mixed
Not everyone benefits from home-based
work
 The Changing Workplace
There are company fears arising
from Home-Based Work:
Trade secrets
Supervision
Productivity
Liability
 The Changing Workplace
Unstudied Social and Ethical
Effects:
Psychological
Social
 Employee Monitoring
The purpose of workspace
monitoring
Types of monitoring:
Video
Electronic
 Employee Monitoring
Benefits of Video monitoring:
Good management
performance evaluation
management control
accurate assessment
Immediate feedback and
flexible work assignments
 Employee Monitoring
The purpose of workspace
monitoring
Types of monitoring:
Video
Electronic
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
Workplace Privacy and Surveillance

Lack of interest in the job

Lack of trust among workers,
between workers and
supervisors, and between
supervisors and management
Alienation
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.
 Computer-Related Risks
Employee safety
Reliability
System safety and security
Individual privacy.
Employee Health and Productivity

Ergonomic-related musculosketal
disorder such as:
Back pain
Neck and shoulder pains
Repetitive strain injuries (RSI)
Stress
Employee Health and Productivity

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
The End