ICT in the Workplace: Access for All or Digital Divide?

Abstract

The paper presents the findings of research into the extent and impact of restricted access to\nICT based communications for specific groups of staff in UK further and higher education\norganisations. Educational institutions disseminate key corporate information internally via\nemail, intranets and Virtual Learning Environments. However, the extent to which access to\nelectronic communications is available to all personnel within such institutions in the UK has\nnot previously been established. The research arose from a concern that a significant\nproportion of staff were being routinely excluded from access, thus perpetuating and\nextending existing inequalities among personnel and creating a digital divide between the\n‘information rich’ and the ‘information poor’. A questionnaire survey was used to quantify\nthe extent of restrictions on staff access across the sector, whilst case study research was used\nto conduct a qualitative analysis of its impact on individuals and institutions. The findings\nindicate that lack of hardware and network infrastructure pose less of a barrier to access than\ndoes lack of ICT skills, lack of motivation either to use computers or to gain ICT skills, and\nline manager resistance to staff using computers or accessing ICT training in work time. Job\nfunction was the factor most associated with lack of access, with cleaning, catering and\nestates staff least likely to have access. However, there were also examples identified of\neffective practice in extending the range of personnel with access and ensuring inclusive\ncommunication with all personnel. These insights into good practice should be transferable to\na wide range of workplace contexts.

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