How do care service managers and workers perceive care robot adoption in elderly care facilities?

Abstract

Amid growing social interest and investment in the implementation of robots throughout the elderly care system, the benefits and challenges faced by care facility personnel have also gathered attention. This study investigates the social representations of care robots held by two groups – care service managers and care workers – who play critical roles in organizational adoption within care facilities. The social representation model assumed in this paper is particularly well-suited to help understand the perceptions and attitudes of different stakeholders toward care robots. We conducted 25 face-to-face interviews with 12 care service managers and 13 care workers in Korean care facilities, and identified 18 topics as elements of social representation. Core-periphery analysis revealed an apparent contrast between the two groups in their fundamental elements and structures: namely, the dominant social representation of care service managers was negative; that of care workers was positive. The difference in roles and responsibilities between the two groups yielded contrasting perceptions and attitudes toward care robots. The potential implications for the government and the industry are presented alongside an interpretation of the results.