Wearables for Well-Being: A Longitudinal in Situ Study of Smartwatches to Understand and Enhance Line-Level Housekeeping Work

Abstract

Increased strain on the hospitality industry following the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing labor shortages has led to calls for new technologies such as smartwatches for understanding and improving work conditions for housekeepers, who are often from vulnerable and marginalized populations. In addition to concerns regarding how new technologies will be received by workers, questions remain as to whether metrics derived from smartwatches can usefully predict aspects of the worker experience, such as feelings of stress. We recruited 20 hotel housekeepers to wear smartwatch-based sensors during work for approximately 20 eight-hour shifts. In addition to pre- and post-participation surveys on workplace attitudes, participants provided daily stress ratings. Findings revealed increased technology acceptance and perceptions of organizational support following smartwatch use. Smartwatch metrics reliably predicted participant ratings of daily and overall stress. Theoretical implications for technology acceptance and practical implications for introducing technology into the workplace are discussed.

Keywords:

• Smartwatches
• wearables
• hospitality
• employee well-being
• task-technology fit
• stress

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no conflicts of interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by grant number T42OH008438 and equipment loan 2022-001 F, funded by the National Institute Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIOSH or CDC or the Department of Health and Human Services.

Notes on contributors

Aaron Necaise

Aaron Necaise is a doctoral student in the Modeling & Simulation program at the University of Central Florida. His research adopts a nonlinear dynamical perspective to investigate digital health technologies, including the use of mobile health sensors and communication within online health communities.

Cynthia Mejia

Cynthia Mejia is the Interim Dean and an Associate Professor at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Mejia is the Deputy Director for Industry Collaboration of the UCF Targeted Research Training Program (TRT), part of the NIOSH-sponsored Sunshine Education & Research Center for hospitality worker safety, health, and well-being.

Joseph T. Kider

Joseph T. Kider Jr. is an Associate Professor at UCF School of Modeling, Simulation, and Training. Kider is the co-director of the SENSEable Design Laboratory.

Mindy Shoss

Mindy Shoss is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Central Florida, and Fellow of the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology. Shoss is Director of the UCF Targeted Research Training Program (TRT), part of the NIOSH-sponsored Sunshine Education & Research Center.

Mary Jean Amon

Mary Jean Amon is an Assistant Professor in the School of Modeling, Simulation, and Training at the University of Central Florida. Her interdisciplinary research centers on multimodal sensing and nonlinear dynamics of group performance, including dynamic patterns that predict team outcomes and relational aspects of social media privacy.