Employees' acceptance of wearable devices: Towards a predictive model

Digital technologies, data intelligence and analytics are developing significant potential benefits for business transformation. The most prominent digital technologies appear in wearable devices (WDs), i.e., small electronic devices that collect and transmit data. By applying the lens of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the paper offers a new research model, identifying four antecedents (organizational trust, perceived usefulness, hedonic motivations, and privacy) which reflect employees' intentions to use WDs. The model also recognizes an additional mediator variable, namely rewards, which intercedes the direct relationship between organizational trust and the intention to use WDs. In particular, a sample of 523 temporary employees is analyzed by multiple regression analysis which results in a strong relationship between the intention to use and the perceived benefits of using WDs, whereas the perceived risks (i.e., privacy) are negatively associated with the intention to use WDs. Finally, rewards impact positively on results by mediating the connection between organizational trust and the intention to use WDs. The study contributes to extending the literature on digital tools, data intelligence, and analytics within a firm and offers original solutions for business and societal transformation.

Automated summary

This study examines the significant potential benefits of digital technologies, data intelligence, and analytics for business transformation, identifying factors that influence employees' intention to use wearable devices. It found that trust, perceived usefulness, hedonic motivations, and privacy play crucial roles in this intention, with rewards mediating the relationship between organizational trust and the intention to use wearable devices.