Tuuli Turja - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Tuuli Turja
Technology in Society, 2022
Human Systems Management, 2021
During COVID-19, telework has become a new form of work for broader groups of workers who were no... more During COVID-19, telework has become a new form of work for broader groups of workers who were not teleworking prior to the pandemic. In this study, we ask what we will be returning to after COVID-19, if teleworking will become a new norm or if most workplaces will merely return to the old forms of work. The main research question of this study was to estimate the role of telework in perception of workload. More specifically, to gain an understanding of the stakes involved when reorganizing work after the pandemic, we analysed the relationship between perceived workload and opportunities to telework. Multilevel analysis utilized representative national data of wage earners in Finland (N = 4091). The findings showed that the opportunity to telework is associated with lower perceived workload in the capital area but not in the rural areas. More specifically, increasing telework opportunities among different-level workers, particularly in educational and social work in the capital area...
Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications, 2020
In this research, we investigate user experiences with the Laevo exoskeletons in geriatric work. ... more In this research, we investigate user experiences with the Laevo exoskeletons in geriatric work. We introduce two studies where Finnish nurses used exoskeletons and identify the requirements and potential restrictions for using exoskeletons in care context. Our results show that nurses’ intentions to use the exoskeletons were mostly associated with perceived usefulness, ergonomics, and enjoyment of use. Also, social environment issues, such as other people’s reactions, are important considerations. Exoskeleton use has varying requirements depending on where it will be implemented. Thus, the end users’ ideas for the design are crucial in enabling exoskeleton use in different sectors of work.
The aim of this chapter is to systematize the discussion regarding robotization of mobile communi... more The aim of this chapter is to systematize the discussion regarding robotization of mobile communication. The chapter begins by clarifying the fundamental role of both robot hardware and robot software in this process. This is followed by a critical overview of existing research, which is classified into three categories. First, robotization is understood as the hybridization of the human body with existing ordinary mobile devices. Second, the incorporation of new robotic software, such as algorithms, artificial intelligence, and virtual assistants, into mobile devices is seen to robotize them from inside. Third, the convergence of smart communication devices, typically as user interfaces with robot hardware, is seen to contribute to the robotization of mobile communication. The chapter is concluded by clarification of the boundary between quasi-robot and robot and outlining the ways in which the robotization of smart mobile communication will proceed in the future.
International Journal of Social Robotics, 2021
Robots have been slowly but steadily introduced to welfare sectors. Our previous observations bas... more Robots have been slowly but steadily introduced to welfare sectors. Our previous observations based on a large-scale survey study on Finnish elder-care workers in 2016 showed that while robots were perceived to be useful in certain telecare tasks, using robots may also prove to be incompatible with the care workers’ personal values. The current study presents the second wave of the survey data from 2020, with the same respondents (N = 190), and shows how these views have changed for the positive, including higher expectations of telecare robotization and decreased concerns over care robots’ compatibility with personal values. In a longitudinal analysis (Phase 1), the positive change in views toward telecare robots was found to be influenced by the care robots’ higher value compatibility. In an additional cross-sectional analysis (Phase 2), focusing on the factors underlying personal values, care robots’ value compatibility was associated with social norms toward care robots, the thr...
In this study, we introduce a video-ethnographic study of a research process in which nursing stu... more In this study, we introduce a video-ethnographic study of a research process in which nursing students try on exoskeletons—wearable forms of technology that are meant to decrease lower back strain when lifting something. We adopt microanalysis of video-recorded interaction to analyze moments in which a nurse tests how her body feels with the exoskeleton. Moreover, we explore how the nurse simultaneously makes accountable—observable and reportable (Garfinkel, 1967, p. vii)—to others how her body feels “inside,” i.e. her experience of kinaesthesia, or the ability of the human body to perceive its own movements and states as a ”body-in-motion” (Sheets-Johnstone, 2002, p. 138). We reflect on how the fact that we video recorded the whole process of testing the exoskeleton with three cameras and complemented our video analysis with observations and post-questionnaires enabled us to capture some of the kinesthetic, interactive, and context-specific aspects of trying on the exoskeleton.
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2021
PurposeThis paper aims to examine how input from the digital restructuring of the workplace and p... more PurposeThis paper aims to examine how input from the digital restructuring of the workplace and productivity affects the risk of job loss and unemployment.Design/methodology/approachRelying on the concepts of technological unemployment and the productivity paradox as well as the theory of skills-biased technological change, the analysis incorporated micro-level individual determinants of job loss, macro-level economic determinants of input and the contribution from traditional (machinery and equipment) vs innovative (ICT) factors of production. The model has been also controlled for “traditional” indicators of “outsiderness” in the labour market. The Quality of Work Life Survey, which is a broad-based national interview survey produced by Statistics Finland, for 2018, the latest year available (N = 4,110) has been used in the analysis. Binomial logistic regression has been applied in order to estimate the effects of individual- and macro-level factors on the risk of job loss.Finding...
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2021
PurposeThis paper aims to examine how input from the digital restructuring of the workplace and p... more PurposeThis paper aims to examine how input from the digital restructuring of the workplace and productivity affects the risk of job loss and unemployment.Design/methodology/approachRelying on the concepts of technological unemployment and the productivity paradox as well as the theory of skills-biased technological change, the analysis incorporated micro-level individual determinants of job loss, macro-level economic determinants of input and the contribution from traditional (machinery and equipment) vs innovative (ICT) factors of production. The model has been also controlled for “traditional” indicators of “outsiderness” in the labour market. The Quality of Work Life Survey, which is a broad-based national interview survey produced by Statistics Finland, for 2018, the latest year available (N = 4,110) has been used in the analysis. Binomial logistic regression has been applied in order to estimate the effects of individual- and macro-level factors on the risk of job loss.Finding...
Social Robotics, 2018
Care robots are often seen to introduce a risk to human, touch based care. In this study, we anal... more Care robots are often seen to introduce a risk to human, touch based care. In this study, we analyze care workers' opinions on robot assistance in elderly services and reflect them to the idea of embodied relationship between a caregiver, care receiver and technology. Our empirical data consists of a survey for professional care workers (n = 3800), including registered and practical nurses working in elderly care. The questionnaire consisted scenarios of robot assistance in care work and in elderly services and the respondents were asked to evaluate whether they see them as desirable. The care workers were significantly more approving of robot assistance in lifting heavy materials compared to moving patients. Generally, the care workers were reserved towards the idea of utilizing autonomous robots in tasks that typically involve human touch, such as assisting the elderly in the bathroom. Stressing the importance of presence and touch in human care, we apply the ideas of phenomenology of the body to understand the envisioned robot-human constellations in care work.
Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2021
The interaction patterns of employees in social and professional networks play an important role ... more The interaction patterns of employees in social and professional networks play an important role in the success of employees and organizations as a whole. However, in many fields there is a severe under-representation of minority groups; moreover, minority individuals may be segregated from the rest of the network or isolated from one another. While the problem of increasing the representation of minority groups in various fields has been well-studied, diversification in terms of numbers alone may not be sufficient: social relationships should also be considered. In this work, we consider the problem of assigning a set of employment candidates to positions in a social network so that diversity and overall fitness are maximized, and propose Fair Employee Assignment (FairEA), a novel algorithm for finding such a matching. The output from FairEA can be used as a benchmark by organizations wishing to evaluate their hiring and assignment practices. On real and synthetic networks, we demonstrate that FairEA does well at finding high-fitness, high-diversity matchings.
Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 2021
Purpose Existing research suggests that the competitive advantage provided by technological devel... more Purpose Existing research suggests that the competitive advantage provided by technological development depends to a large extent on the speed and coordination of the technology’s implementation, and on how adoptable the technological applications are considered. While accepting this argument, the authors consider the explanatory model to be inadequate. This study aims to contribute to the theoretical discussion by analysing institutionalised industrial relations and other organisation-level factors, which are important for workplace restructuring and societal change. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on a representative nation-wide work and working conditions survey (N = 4,100) from Finland, which includes a variety of themes, including practices, changes and well-being at work. Changes are understood as organisational changes, focusing on modern technologies such as robotisation and digitalisation. Findings The results indicate that occupational division at workpla...
Information & Management, 2019
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
International Journal of Social Robotics, 2019
Successful implementation of robots in welfare services requires that the staff approves of them ... more Successful implementation of robots in welfare services requires that the staff approves of them as a part of daily work tasks. In this study, we identified psychological and socio-demographic determinants associated with readiness for robotization among professional Finnish care-workers. National survey data were collected from professional care workers (n = 3800) between October and November 2016. Random samples were drawn from the member registers of two Finnish trade unions. The data were analyzed with regression models for respondents with and without firsthand experience with robots. The models explained 34-39% of the variance in the readiness for robotization. The readiness was positively associated with self-efficacy, perceived social norms, interest in technology, and perceived impacts on employment. It was also found that the readiness was less determined by age, gender, profession and job satisfaction among the respondents with firsthand robot experience. Among care workers with no experience with robots, older age and lower job satisfaction predicted a readiness for robotization. Care workers stand out as a distinctive group of potential service robot users, with their high confidence in using new technology and low job satisfaction predicting a higher readiness for robotization. Social norms among care workers emerged as an important factor in the readiness for robotization.
International Journal of Social Robotics, 2019
Robots are increasingly being used to assist with various tasks ranging from industrial manufactu... more Robots are increasingly being used to assist with various tasks ranging from industrial manufacturing to welfare services. This study analysed how robot acceptance at work (RAW) varies between individual and national attributes in EU 27. Eurobarometer surveys collected in 2012 (n = 26,751) and 2014 (n = 27,801) were used as data. Background factors also included country-specific data drawn from the World Bank DataBank. The study is guided by the technology acceptance model and change readiness perspective explaining robot acceptance in terms of individual and cultural attributes. Multilevel studies analysing cultural differences in technological change are exceptionally rare. The multilevel analysis of RAW performed herein accounted for individual and national factors using fixed and random intercepts in a nested data structure. Individuallevel factors explained RAW better than national-level factors. Particularly, personal experiences with robots at work or elsewhere were associated with higher acceptance. At a national level, the technology orientation of the country explained RAW better than the relative risk of jobs being automated. Despite the countries' differences, personal characteristics and experiences with robots are decisive for RAW. Experiences, however, are better enabled in countries open to innovations. The findings are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms through which the technological orientation and social acceptance of robots may be related.
Technology in Society, 2022
Human Systems Management, 2021
During COVID-19, telework has become a new form of work for broader groups of workers who were no... more During COVID-19, telework has become a new form of work for broader groups of workers who were not teleworking prior to the pandemic. In this study, we ask what we will be returning to after COVID-19, if teleworking will become a new norm or if most workplaces will merely return to the old forms of work. The main research question of this study was to estimate the role of telework in perception of workload. More specifically, to gain an understanding of the stakes involved when reorganizing work after the pandemic, we analysed the relationship between perceived workload and opportunities to telework. Multilevel analysis utilized representative national data of wage earners in Finland (N = 4091). The findings showed that the opportunity to telework is associated with lower perceived workload in the capital area but not in the rural areas. More specifically, increasing telework opportunities among different-level workers, particularly in educational and social work in the capital area...
Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications, 2020
In this research, we investigate user experiences with the Laevo exoskeletons in geriatric work. ... more In this research, we investigate user experiences with the Laevo exoskeletons in geriatric work. We introduce two studies where Finnish nurses used exoskeletons and identify the requirements and potential restrictions for using exoskeletons in care context. Our results show that nurses’ intentions to use the exoskeletons were mostly associated with perceived usefulness, ergonomics, and enjoyment of use. Also, social environment issues, such as other people’s reactions, are important considerations. Exoskeleton use has varying requirements depending on where it will be implemented. Thus, the end users’ ideas for the design are crucial in enabling exoskeleton use in different sectors of work.
The aim of this chapter is to systematize the discussion regarding robotization of mobile communi... more The aim of this chapter is to systematize the discussion regarding robotization of mobile communication. The chapter begins by clarifying the fundamental role of both robot hardware and robot software in this process. This is followed by a critical overview of existing research, which is classified into three categories. First, robotization is understood as the hybridization of the human body with existing ordinary mobile devices. Second, the incorporation of new robotic software, such as algorithms, artificial intelligence, and virtual assistants, into mobile devices is seen to robotize them from inside. Third, the convergence of smart communication devices, typically as user interfaces with robot hardware, is seen to contribute to the robotization of mobile communication. The chapter is concluded by clarification of the boundary between quasi-robot and robot and outlining the ways in which the robotization of smart mobile communication will proceed in the future.
International Journal of Social Robotics, 2021
Robots have been slowly but steadily introduced to welfare sectors. Our previous observations bas... more Robots have been slowly but steadily introduced to welfare sectors. Our previous observations based on a large-scale survey study on Finnish elder-care workers in 2016 showed that while robots were perceived to be useful in certain telecare tasks, using robots may also prove to be incompatible with the care workers’ personal values. The current study presents the second wave of the survey data from 2020, with the same respondents (N = 190), and shows how these views have changed for the positive, including higher expectations of telecare robotization and decreased concerns over care robots’ compatibility with personal values. In a longitudinal analysis (Phase 1), the positive change in views toward telecare robots was found to be influenced by the care robots’ higher value compatibility. In an additional cross-sectional analysis (Phase 2), focusing on the factors underlying personal values, care robots’ value compatibility was associated with social norms toward care robots, the thr...
In this study, we introduce a video-ethnographic study of a research process in which nursing stu... more In this study, we introduce a video-ethnographic study of a research process in which nursing students try on exoskeletons—wearable forms of technology that are meant to decrease lower back strain when lifting something. We adopt microanalysis of video-recorded interaction to analyze moments in which a nurse tests how her body feels with the exoskeleton. Moreover, we explore how the nurse simultaneously makes accountable—observable and reportable (Garfinkel, 1967, p. vii)—to others how her body feels “inside,” i.e. her experience of kinaesthesia, or the ability of the human body to perceive its own movements and states as a ”body-in-motion” (Sheets-Johnstone, 2002, p. 138). We reflect on how the fact that we video recorded the whole process of testing the exoskeleton with three cameras and complemented our video analysis with observations and post-questionnaires enabled us to capture some of the kinesthetic, interactive, and context-specific aspects of trying on the exoskeleton.
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2021
PurposeThis paper aims to examine how input from the digital restructuring of the workplace and p... more PurposeThis paper aims to examine how input from the digital restructuring of the workplace and productivity affects the risk of job loss and unemployment.Design/methodology/approachRelying on the concepts of technological unemployment and the productivity paradox as well as the theory of skills-biased technological change, the analysis incorporated micro-level individual determinants of job loss, macro-level economic determinants of input and the contribution from traditional (machinery and equipment) vs innovative (ICT) factors of production. The model has been also controlled for “traditional” indicators of “outsiderness” in the labour market. The Quality of Work Life Survey, which is a broad-based national interview survey produced by Statistics Finland, for 2018, the latest year available (N = 4,110) has been used in the analysis. Binomial logistic regression has been applied in order to estimate the effects of individual- and macro-level factors on the risk of job loss.Finding...
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2021
PurposeThis paper aims to examine how input from the digital restructuring of the workplace and p... more PurposeThis paper aims to examine how input from the digital restructuring of the workplace and productivity affects the risk of job loss and unemployment.Design/methodology/approachRelying on the concepts of technological unemployment and the productivity paradox as well as the theory of skills-biased technological change, the analysis incorporated micro-level individual determinants of job loss, macro-level economic determinants of input and the contribution from traditional (machinery and equipment) vs innovative (ICT) factors of production. The model has been also controlled for “traditional” indicators of “outsiderness” in the labour market. The Quality of Work Life Survey, which is a broad-based national interview survey produced by Statistics Finland, for 2018, the latest year available (N = 4,110) has been used in the analysis. Binomial logistic regression has been applied in order to estimate the effects of individual- and macro-level factors on the risk of job loss.Finding...
Social Robotics, 2018
Care robots are often seen to introduce a risk to human, touch based care. In this study, we anal... more Care robots are often seen to introduce a risk to human, touch based care. In this study, we analyze care workers' opinions on robot assistance in elderly services and reflect them to the idea of embodied relationship between a caregiver, care receiver and technology. Our empirical data consists of a survey for professional care workers (n = 3800), including registered and practical nurses working in elderly care. The questionnaire consisted scenarios of robot assistance in care work and in elderly services and the respondents were asked to evaluate whether they see them as desirable. The care workers were significantly more approving of robot assistance in lifting heavy materials compared to moving patients. Generally, the care workers were reserved towards the idea of utilizing autonomous robots in tasks that typically involve human touch, such as assisting the elderly in the bathroom. Stressing the importance of presence and touch in human care, we apply the ideas of phenomenology of the body to understand the envisioned robot-human constellations in care work.
Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2021
The interaction patterns of employees in social and professional networks play an important role ... more The interaction patterns of employees in social and professional networks play an important role in the success of employees and organizations as a whole. However, in many fields there is a severe under-representation of minority groups; moreover, minority individuals may be segregated from the rest of the network or isolated from one another. While the problem of increasing the representation of minority groups in various fields has been well-studied, diversification in terms of numbers alone may not be sufficient: social relationships should also be considered. In this work, we consider the problem of assigning a set of employment candidates to positions in a social network so that diversity and overall fitness are maximized, and propose Fair Employee Assignment (FairEA), a novel algorithm for finding such a matching. The output from FairEA can be used as a benchmark by organizations wishing to evaluate their hiring and assignment practices. On real and synthetic networks, we demonstrate that FairEA does well at finding high-fitness, high-diversity matchings.
Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 2021
Purpose Existing research suggests that the competitive advantage provided by technological devel... more Purpose Existing research suggests that the competitive advantage provided by technological development depends to a large extent on the speed and coordination of the technology’s implementation, and on how adoptable the technological applications are considered. While accepting this argument, the authors consider the explanatory model to be inadequate. This study aims to contribute to the theoretical discussion by analysing institutionalised industrial relations and other organisation-level factors, which are important for workplace restructuring and societal change. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on a representative nation-wide work and working conditions survey (N = 4,100) from Finland, which includes a variety of themes, including practices, changes and well-being at work. Changes are understood as organisational changes, focusing on modern technologies such as robotisation and digitalisation. Findings The results indicate that occupational division at workpla...
Information & Management, 2019
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
International Journal of Social Robotics, 2019
Successful implementation of robots in welfare services requires that the staff approves of them ... more Successful implementation of robots in welfare services requires that the staff approves of them as a part of daily work tasks. In this study, we identified psychological and socio-demographic determinants associated with readiness for robotization among professional Finnish care-workers. National survey data were collected from professional care workers (n = 3800) between October and November 2016. Random samples were drawn from the member registers of two Finnish trade unions. The data were analyzed with regression models for respondents with and without firsthand experience with robots. The models explained 34-39% of the variance in the readiness for robotization. The readiness was positively associated with self-efficacy, perceived social norms, interest in technology, and perceived impacts on employment. It was also found that the readiness was less determined by age, gender, profession and job satisfaction among the respondents with firsthand robot experience. Among care workers with no experience with robots, older age and lower job satisfaction predicted a readiness for robotization. Care workers stand out as a distinctive group of potential service robot users, with their high confidence in using new technology and low job satisfaction predicting a higher readiness for robotization. Social norms among care workers emerged as an important factor in the readiness for robotization.
International Journal of Social Robotics, 2019
Robots are increasingly being used to assist with various tasks ranging from industrial manufactu... more Robots are increasingly being used to assist with various tasks ranging from industrial manufacturing to welfare services. This study analysed how robot acceptance at work (RAW) varies between individual and national attributes in EU 27. Eurobarometer surveys collected in 2012 (n = 26,751) and 2014 (n = 27,801) were used as data. Background factors also included country-specific data drawn from the World Bank DataBank. The study is guided by the technology acceptance model and change readiness perspective explaining robot acceptance in terms of individual and cultural attributes. Multilevel studies analysing cultural differences in technological change are exceptionally rare. The multilevel analysis of RAW performed herein accounted for individual and national factors using fixed and random intercepts in a nested data structure. Individuallevel factors explained RAW better than national-level factors. Particularly, personal experiences with robots at work or elsewhere were associated with higher acceptance. At a national level, the technology orientation of the country explained RAW better than the relative risk of jobs being automated. Despite the countries' differences, personal characteristics and experiences with robots are decisive for RAW. Experiences, however, are better enabled in countries open to innovations. The findings are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms through which the technological orientation and social acceptance of robots may be related.