Acceso usuarios
Lebene Richmond Soga, Yemisi Bolade Ogunfodun, Anna De Amicis
Purpose–Thispaperexploresflexible workingpractices(FWPs)andtakesacriticalviewthatarguesa needto consider not only access to digital technological resources but also the vast array of factors that constrain one’s ability to use technology for its intended benefits, as constituting the digital divide post-COVID-19 lockdown. Design/methodology/approach– Using a critical evaluation of the extant literature, we engage in a conceptual undertaking to develop theoretical propositions that form the basis for future empirical undertakings. To theoretically ground the arguments raised, we deploy the ontological lens of actor-network theory to illuminate the socio-technical dimensions of the digital divide in light of FWPs. Findings– Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to adopt socially distanced work practices has become a reality for many organisations. We find thatthe adoptionof FWPs,enabled bydigital technologies, simultaneously signals hidden inequalities. We also develop a conceptual framework which depicts user responses in different technology environments that can either be limiting or enabling for individuals’ work productivity. Originality/value– With regards to the digital divide, attention has often focused on access to digital technologies, as the term “digital divide” portrays. The implication is that the array of factors and resources that individuals are heterogeneously networked to, which also constitute the digital divide, is often taken for granted. Wetakeadifferent ontological view that brings to the fore other factors at play within an individual’s network of relations.
