If You Build It Will They Come? Adoption of Online Counseling of Overseas Migrant Workers Ma. Regina...
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Transcript of If You Build It Will They Come? Adoption of Online Counseling of Overseas Migrant Workers Ma. Regina...
If You Build It Will They Come? Adoption of Online Counseling of Overseas
Migrant WorkersMa. Regina M. Hechanova, PhD
Ateneo de Manila University
• OFWs comprise 10% of the Philippine Population– Advantage: Remittances fuel economy; Upward mobility– Disadvantage: Negative effects on the OFW and their
families • Online Counseling– Despite distances, psychosocial interventions/ counseling
can be done via internet-mediated communications• Rationale for Study– There are theories that explain migrant adjustment, help-
seeking behavior and technology adoption– Dearth of literature on adoption of online counseling
among migrant workers
Research Objectives
ADJUSTMENT THEORYHow does the profile of OFW users in terms of
issues raised, occupation and host country influence adoption of online counseling?
HELP-SEEKING THEORY: How do help-seeking factors influence the adoption of online
counseling?
TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION: How do technology-
related factors influence the adoption of online
counseling?
ADOPTION OF ONLINE
COUNSELING
• OFWOnline launched in July 2009 to provide online counseling via chat to OFWs and their families
• Project of Ateneo Center for Organization Research and Development (Ateneo CORD), Ateneo Department of Psychology, Ateneo Department of Information & Computer Science with support from Singapore Internet Research Development Center and other partners
• Service is provided to OFWs and their families for FREE• Users register and communicate with counselors via chathttp://www.ofwonline.net/index.php?option=com_jumi&fileid=3
Methodology
• Secondary Data– profile of OFWs that made use of the
website, the demographic variables of 191 OFWs site users
– analysis of counseling transcriptions (average time is 60.44 minutes; 7,199 lines of text derived from 40 counseling sessions - 36 text-based chat, 4 email)
• Interviews– perceptions and attitudes of non-users about
online counselling, 30 individuals (10 OFWs, 10 spouses, 10 children)
SITE USER PROFILE:•Average of 14 site user/mo •User traffic is variable (weekdays and office hours and after media promotion)•OFWs (85%), family members(15%)•Mostly male (75%)•78% white collar professionals•Majority of sessions are 1-time with a maximum of 18 session
Issues of OFWs and their Families
• Family, marital relationship issues (65%)• Work related issues (23%)• Homesickness/Loneliness (15%)• Cross-cultural adjustment (15%)• Financial (10%
Users
A positive experience / potentially positive
experience
Non-Users
Lack of Clarity/Stigma
For those with big problems
Counselors as Experts, Listeners, and/or Agents of Action
HELP-SEEKING ATTITUDES
For those with No social support
BARRIERS•Lack of access•Lack of computer skills•Technology & connectivity problems
DRIVERS
•Access•Ease with technology •Computer Norms among peers
Technology-Related Issues
PROPOSED MODEL FOR ADOPTION OF ONLINE COUNSELING
NATURE OF ISSUES
Problems & their Severity
HELP-SEEKING ATTITUDES
Existence of Social Support
Openness to Counseling
TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
ADOPTION OF ONLINE
COUNSELING
Perceived Need Attitudes Help-Seeing Behavior
Location, Occupation, Gender
Implications APPLICATION• Need for Media
promotion/awareness• Changes in counseling model
(inclusion of email, counseling by appointment, Facebook)
• Need to expand technology (mobile counseling)
• Need for training of counselors on online counseling
• Sustainability issues
POLICY• Currently this service is
being run in partnership with private organizations
• Need for stronger private-public partnership