Meaninglessness and Powerlessness: Alienation among welfare professionals in the digital public sector

Morten Hjelholt; Louise Jørring

doi:https://www.egosnet.org/2020/hamburg/Colloquium_PROGRAM

Meaninglessness and Powerlessness: Alienation among welfare professionals in the digital public sector

Research output: Contribution to conference - NOT published in proceeding or journal › Paper › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Welfare professionals’ work practices are changing significantly, as public sectors across the world are undergoing extensive digital transformations. States roll out grand digitalization and automation projects with a promise of higher efficiency and better quality in the public sector. However, the extensive digital transformation also put welfare professionals’ sense of professionalism at stake. Based on 13 interviews with welfare professionals, we in this paper explore how they experience a sense of alienation in relation to the digitalization of their work. We identify two experiences of alienation: (1) meaninglessness: a lack of human connection and (2) powerlessness: a sense of forced ignorance. These experiences of alienation challenge the welfare professionals’ job satisfaction as well as how they assess the cases of the citizens.

Original language	English
Publication date	2020
Number of pages	18
DOIs	https://doi.org/https://www.egosnet.org/2020/hamburg/Colloquium_PROGRAM
Publication status	Published - 2020
Event	36th EGOS Colloquium 2020: Organizing for a Sustainable Future: Responsibility, Renewal & Resistance - Virtual Conference, Hamburg, Germany - Duration: 2 Jul 2020 → 4 Jul 2020 Conference number: 36 https://www.egosnet.org/2020/hamburg/general_theme

Conference

Conference	36th EGOS Colloquium 2020: Organizing for a Sustainable Future: Responsibility, Renewal & Resistance - Virtual Conference, Hamburg, Germany
Number	36
Period	02/07/2020 → 04/07/2020
Internet address	https://www.egosnet.org/2020/hamburg/general_theme

Keywords

Digital Transformation
Welfare Professionals
Sense of Professionalism
Alienation
Public Sector Efficiency

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Cite this

Hjelholt, M., & Jørring, L. (2020). Meaninglessness and Powerlessness: Alienation among welfare professionals in the digital public sector. Paper presented at 36th EGOS Colloquium 2020: Organizing for a Sustainable Future: Responsibility, Renewal & Resistance - Virtual Conference, Hamburg, Germany. https://doi.org/https://www.egosnet.org/2020/hamburg/Colloquium_PROGRAM

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title = "Meaninglessness and Powerlessness: Alienation among welfare professionals in the digital public sector",

abstract = "Welfare professionals{\textquoteright} work practices are changing significantly, as public sectors across the world are undergoing extensive digital transformations. States roll out grand digitalization and automation projects with a promise of higher efficiency and better quality in the public sector. However, the extensive digital transformation also put welfare professionals{\textquoteright} sense of professionalism at stake. Based on 13 interviews with welfare professionals, we in this paper explore how they experience a sense of alienation in relation to the digitalization of their work. We identify two experiences of alienation: (1) meaninglessness: a lack of human connection and (2) powerlessness: a sense of forced ignorance. These experiences of alienation challenge the welfare professionals{\textquoteright} job satisfaction as well as how they assess the cases of the citizens.",

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year = "2020",

doi = "https://www.egosnet.org/2020/hamburg/Colloquium_PROGRAM",

language = "English",

note = "36th EGOS Colloquium 2020: Organizing for a Sustainable Future: Responsibility, Renewal & Resistance - Virtual Conference, Hamburg, Germany ; Conference date: 02-07-2020 Through 04-07-2020",

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Hjelholt, M & Jørring, L 2020, 'Meaninglessness and Powerlessness: Alienation among welfare professionals in the digital public sector', Paper presented at 36th EGOS Colloquium 2020: Organizing for a Sustainable Future: Responsibility, Renewal & Resistance - Virtual Conference, Hamburg, Germany, 02/07/2020 - 04/07/2020. https://doi.org/https://www.egosnet.org/2020/hamburg/Colloquium_PROGRAM

Meaninglessness and Powerlessness: Alienation among welfare professionals in the digital public sector. / Hjelholt, Morten; Jørring, Louise.
2020. Paper presented at 36th EGOS Colloquium 2020: Organizing for a Sustainable Future: Responsibility, Renewal & Resistance - Virtual Conference, Hamburg, Germany.

Research output: Contribution to conference - NOT published in proceeding or journal › Paper › Research › peer-review

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AU - Hjelholt, Morten

AU - Jørring, Louise

N1 - Conference code: 36

PY - 2020

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N2 - Welfare professionals’ work practices are changing significantly, as public sectors across the world are undergoing extensive digital transformations. States roll out grand digitalization and automation projects with a promise of higher efficiency and better quality in the public sector. However, the extensive digital transformation also put welfare professionals’ sense of professionalism at stake. Based on 13 interviews with welfare professionals, we in this paper explore how they experience a sense of alienation in relation to the digitalization of their work. We identify two experiences of alienation: (1) meaninglessness: a lack of human connection and (2) powerlessness: a sense of forced ignorance. These experiences of alienation challenge the welfare professionals’ job satisfaction as well as how they assess the cases of the citizens.

AB - Welfare professionals’ work practices are changing significantly, as public sectors across the world are undergoing extensive digital transformations. States roll out grand digitalization and automation projects with a promise of higher efficiency and better quality in the public sector. However, the extensive digital transformation also put welfare professionals’ sense of professionalism at stake. Based on 13 interviews with welfare professionals, we in this paper explore how they experience a sense of alienation in relation to the digitalization of their work. We identify two experiences of alienation: (1) meaninglessness: a lack of human connection and (2) powerlessness: a sense of forced ignorance. These experiences of alienation challenge the welfare professionals’ job satisfaction as well as how they assess the cases of the citizens.

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KW - Welfare Professionals

KW - Sense of Professionalism

KW - Alienation

KW - Public Sector Efficiency

KW - Digital Transformation

KW - Welfare Professionals

KW - Sense of Professionalism

KW - Alienation

KW - Public Sector Efficiency

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M3 - Paper

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Y2 - 2 July 2020 through 4 July 2020

ER -

Meaninglessness and Powerlessness: Alienation among welfare professionals in the digital public sector

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

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