Robots Conquering the Homeland of the Vikings: Making Sense of Robot Vacuum Cleaning in Danish Public Eldercare

The movement of robots from the production line to the service sector provides a protein solution to innovate and transform public service delivery. However, although robots increasingly are adopted in public service delivery (e.g., in healthcare and eldercare) as an alternative to traditional labor intensive services, little is known about their impact on organizations work processes, and how key stakeholders react toward robots. On this backdrop, this single case study investigates implementation and use of robot vacuum cleaners in Danish eldercare at the local government level. Using an extended version of the technological frame concept, this paper illustrates how technologist, managers, frontline staff and clients have different perceptions towards robot vacuum cleaning. The technologist and managers praise the new innovation for facilitating savings on the current accounts. By contrast, the frontline staff and clients find that robots do not sufficiently clean the floors. With the domestication of the robots, this paper argues that public administration literature needs to rethink whether this is only jet another generation of technologies or something radically new is surfacing to energize changes in public service delivery.