Abstract
Singapore is facing a rapidly ageing population. In 2015, the band aged 65 years and above was about 13% of the total population, and this is likely increase to approximately 20% by 2030. There are policy and practice implications for an ageing and diverse workforce adopting new technology. Studies show that prior experience with information technology at work can boost literacy and self-efficacy in adapting to technological change. This paper uses mixed methods research design to examine the effects of social-cultural capital on technology adoption, as opposed to economic and bodily capital in Bourdieu’s Practice Theory. Fourteen focus group discussions each consisting of 7–12 participants aged 55–75 years, were conducted to identify the issues relating to information technology. The findings are triangulated with a case study in a Singapore hospital focussed on E-portering smartphone application by 44 porters. The median age of the porter sample was 53 years and they had an average of 8 years basic education. This case study examines the experimental implementation practice of incremental adaptation to technology adoption. Starting with basic touch-screen smartphone for basic operational use; advancing to e-portering application for smart use; and eventually using smartphone torchlight and facetime applications for operational contingency use. The consolidated findings showed that support and learning at workplace and from social networks were critical factors motivating seniors to adopt technology experientially and incrementally. The paper concludes with implications and recommendations for policy implementation and practice of adopting and adapting information technology for seniors.