Digital Usage of Indian Teleworkers in Home Settings: A Digital Inclusion Framework

This research focuses on ICT adoption and digital use by teleworkers operating from their homes during the pandemic in India. A two-phase mixed-method approach is used: Phase 1 involved in-depth interviews with three individuals during the pandemic, the findings which were used along with the Factors Affecting Digital Inclusion (FDI) model (Thompson and Paul, Libr Q 90:173–188, 2020) to develop the survey instrument for Phase 2. This survey was distributed to professionals via listservs, and the FDI model was subsequently utilized to analyze the survey responses. The study’s findings highlighted multiple factors related to digital inclusion among teleworkers that could impact work productivity. Among these factors, the key ones included digital literacy, time, physical access, and everyday life. The exceptional circumstances of the pandemic allowed us to identify and incorporate two additional factors, namely, device sharing and considerations related to health and lifestyle, into the FDI model. These factors assumed significance when assessing the elements of physical access and daily life, aspects that might have otherwise remained unexplored. Though digital technologies are going to play an important role in the new normal, there must be careful consideration of their impact on the teleworker’s life based on the results of our study. The teleworker’s characteristics, family circumstances, and living conditions are important considerations in supporting and maintaining productivity when enforcing teleworking policies. It is imperative that businesses adopt a forward-looking perspective, considering the latest technological developments redefining workers’ way of life.