Physiolytics at the workplace : Affordances and constraints of wearables use from an employee’s perspective

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Serval ID
serval:BIB_0826A37DC025
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Physiolytics at the workplace : Affordances and constraints of wearables use from an employee’s perspective
Journal
Information Systems Journal
Author(s)
Mettler Tobias, Wulf Jochen
ISSN
1365-2575
Publication state
Published
Issued date
01/01/2019
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
29
Number
1
Pages
245-273
Language
english
Notes
This research has been supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) grant no. 172740.
Abstract
Wearables paired with data analytics and machine learning algorithms which measure physiological (and other) parameters are slowly finding their way into our workplace. Several studies have reported positive effects from using such “physiolytics” devices and purported the notion that it may lead to significant workplace safety improvements or to increased awareness among employees concerning unhealthy work practices and other job-related health and well-being issues. At the same time, physiolytics may cause an over-dependency on technology and create new constraints on privacy, individuality, and personal freedom. While it is easy to understand why organizations are implementing physiolytics, it remains unclear what employees think about using wearables at their workplace. Using an affordance theory lens, we, therefore, explore the mental models of employees who are faced with the introduction of physiolytics as part of corporate wellness or security programs. We identify five distinct user types each of which characterizes a specific viewpoint on physiolytics at the workplace: the freedom-loving, the individualist, the cynical, the tech-independent, and the balancer. Our findings allow for better understanding the wider implications and possible user responses to the introduction of wearable technologies in occupational settings and address the need for opening up the “user black box” in IS use research.
Keywords
affordance theory, physiolytics, Q-methodology, user research, wearables
Open Access
Yes
Create date
31/05/2018 6:51
Last modification date
21/11/2022 8:31
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