Design and Appropriation of Computer-supported Self-scheduling Practices in Healthcare Shift Work
This study is significant for healthcare workers and organizations, as it provides insights into the design and appropriation of self-scheduling systems to improve worker well-being and reduce scheduling conflicts, moving beyond efficiency-focused automation.
The paper addresses the impact of shift scheduling on healthcare workers' well-being by designing a worker-centered self-scheduling system. It found that workers cautious about social standing or with spontaneous lifestyles used the system less, and identified conflict prevention practices, suggesting a shift from competitive distribution to pro-social support.
Shift scheduling impacts healthcare workers' well-being because it sets the frame for their social life and recreational activities. Since it is complex and time-consuming, it has become a target for automation. However, existing systems mostly focus on improving efficiency. The workers' needs and their active participation do not play a pronounced role. Contrasting this trend, we designed a social practice-based, worker-centered, and well-being-oriented self-scheduling system which gives healthcare workers more control during shift planning. In a following nine month appropriation study, we found that workers who were cautious about their social standing in the group or who had a more spontaneous personal lifestyle used our system less often than others. Moreover, we revealed several conflict prevention practices and suggest to shift the focus away from a competitive shift distribution paradigm towards supporting these pro-social practices. We conclude with guidelines to support individual planning practices, self-leadership, and for dealing with conflicts.