Employees’ acceptance of wearable devices: Towards a predictive model

Abstract

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.