Publication
Title
Employee acceptability of wearable mental workload monitoring: exploring effects of framing the goal and context in corporate communication
Author
Abstract
Development of wearable mental workload (MWL) measures thrives, especially as leveraged by Industry 4.0. When employees object to wearing such gauges; however, research efforts might end up redundant. Based on self-determination and communication theories, this study assumed that employees' acceptability of wearable MWL-monitoring is shaped by framing characteristics in corporate communication. Specifically, we hypothesized that acceptability depends on how (1) the technology's goals and (2) context of implementation is framed. A pilot study (N = 150) revealed that framing wearable MWL-monitoring in terms of serving intrinsic goals (e.g., improving health) in an autonomy-supportive context (e.g., allowing discussion) induced a higher employee acceptability, compared to framing the technology in terms of serving extrinsic goals (e.g., increasing productivity) in a controlling context (e.g., mandating use). A subsequent pre-registered study (N = 350) could, however, not replicate this result. Instead, higher acceptability was associated with higher technology readiness, lower education levels, and being a woman (for the trust component of acceptability). Independent of conditions, mean acceptability, interestingly, panned out neutral. The current work is thereby the first exploring the complexities of employee acceptability of wearable MWL-monitoring and, based on open-ended questions, finally suggests that privacy management might be the most pivotal explanatory variable.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Cognition, technology and work. - London
Publication
London : 2021
ISSN
1435-5558 [print]
1435-5566 [online]
DOI
10.1007/S10111-020-00633-0
Volume/pages
23 :3 (2021) , p. 537-552
ISI
000534867600001
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Publication type
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 13.11.2023
Last edited 14.11.2023
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