International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Research

13 pages, 360 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Technology and Loss of Paid Employment among Older Workers: Prospective Cohort Study

by Emil Sundstrup, Annette Meng, Jeppe Z. N. Ajslev, Karen Albertsen, Flemming Pedersen and Lars L. Andersen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7168; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127168 - 11 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2143

Abstract

Background: This study investigates the association between the implementation of new technology in the workplace and the subsequent loss of paid employment among older workers. Methods: We estimated the prospective risk of loss of paid employment (register-based) from questions on new technology among [...] Read more.

Background: This study investigates the association between the implementation of new technology in the workplace and the subsequent loss of paid employment among older workers. Methods: We estimated the prospective risk of loss of paid employment (register-based) from questions on new technology among 10,320 older workers (≥50 years). To investigate potential differences between work types, analyses were stratified by job function: (1) work with symbols (office, administration, analysis, IT), (2) work with people (people, service, care), (3) work in the field of production (processing, producing or moving things). Results: The introduction of new technology at the workplace reduced the risk of losing paid employment among older workers working with symbols (risk ratio [RR] 0.74, 95% CI 0.72–0.76) and in the field of production (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.80–0.85), whereas new technology increased this risk among those working with people (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.19–1.26). Being involved in the introduction of new technology and receiving adequate training in its use decreased the risk of loss of paid employment. Conclusions: Depending on the context, the introduction of new technology at work associates positively as well as negatively with future labour market participation among older workers. Worker involvement and adequate training in the use of new technology seem to be important for retaining workers in the labour market. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Technology Acceptance and Its Impact on Workers Motivation and Well-Being)

17 pages, 573 KiB

Open AccessArticle

‘Bringing the Covert into the Open’: A Case Study on Technology Appropriation and Continuous Improvement

by Michiel Bal, Jos Benders and Lander Vermeerbergen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6333; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106333 - 23 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1699

Abstract

As end-users, employees appropriate technologies. Technology appropriation is generally conceived as a covert phenomenon. In particular, alternative ways and new purposes for which employees deploy technologies tend to remain hidden. Therefore, the potential of technologies as a source of organizational improvements may remain [...] Read more.

As end-users, employees appropriate technologies. Technology appropriation is generally conceived as a covert phenomenon. In particular, alternative ways and new purposes for which employees deploy technologies tend to remain hidden. Therefore, the potential of technologies as a source of organizational improvements may remain undisclosed. Continuous improvement (CI) programs, in contrast, are explicitly oriented at disclosing organizational improvements. In essence, CI programs encourage employees to openly discuss how to improve their work practices. Such continuous movements towards novel, often better, ways of working may be perfectly suited to bring the covert nature of technology appropriation into the open. Based on a case study on a personal digital assistant (PDA) in a Belgian nursing home with such a CI program in place, we document and analyze to what extent and why functionalities of the PDA were discussed and further developed. We distinguish between the functionalities that, upon implementation, intended to improve particular work practices, and those that surfaced after the technology had been introduced. To conclude, we point at employees’ perceived usefulness of their work practices and their willingness to improve these, rather than only the technology itself, to further the debate on technology appropriation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Technology Acceptance and Its Impact on Workers Motivation and Well-Being)

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19 pages, 562 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Not All Remote Workers Are Similar: Technology Acceptance, Remote Work Beliefs, and Wellbeing of Remote Workers during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Simone Donati, Gianluca Viola, Ferdinando Toscano and Salvatore Zappalà

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 12095; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212095 - 18 Nov 2021

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 12128

Abstract

Although a large part of the world’s workforce engaged in mandatory Work from Home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience was not the same for everyone. This study explores whether different groups of employees, based on their work and organizational characteristics (i.e., organizational [...] Read more.

Although a large part of the world’s workforce engaged in mandatory Work from Home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience was not the same for everyone. This study explores whether different groups of employees, based on their work and organizational characteristics (i.e., organizational size, number of days per week working from home, working in team) and personal characteristics (i.e., remote work experience, having children at home), express different beliefs about working remotely, acceptance of the technology necessary to Work from Home, and well-being. A study was conducted with 163 Italian workers who answered an online questionnaire from November 2020 to January 2021. A cluster analysis revealed that work, organizational, and personal variables distinguish five different types of workers. ANOVA statistics showed that remote workers from big companies who worked remotely several days a week, had experience (because they worked remotely before the national lockdowns), and worked in a team, had more positive beliefs about working remotely, higher technology acceptance, and better coping strategies, compared to the other groups of workers. Practical implications to support institutional and organizational decision-makers and HR managers to promote remote work and employee well-being are presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Technology Acceptance and Its Impact on Workers Motivation and Well-Being)

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22 pages, 950 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Employees’ Work-Related Well-Being during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrated Perspective of Technology Acceptance Model and JD-R Theory

by Marjan Shamsi, Tatiana Iakovleva, Espen Olsen and Richard P. Bagozzi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 11888; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211888 - 12 Nov 2021

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 7943

Abstract

Employees’ work-related well-being has become one of the most significant interests of researchers and organizations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines how job characteristics such as mental load and team support, and technology-related factors such as perceived ease of use, perceived [...] Read more.

Employees’ work-related well-being has become one of the most significant interests of researchers and organizations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines how job characteristics such as mental load and team support, and technology-related factors such as perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and technology acceptance, impact employees’ work engagement as a dimension of work well-being. Data were collected through a sample of 610 academic employees from three Norwegian universities after COVID-19 restrictions were implemented. The structural model estimation showed that mental load, perceived team support, and technology acceptance were significantly related to work engagement. It also showed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and mental load were significantly related to technology acceptance. Furthermore, the analysis showed that technology acceptance partially mediates the relationship between job characteristics and work engagement, and fully mediates the relationship between technology-related perceptions and work engagement. Building on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and job demands-resources (JD-R) theory, this study provides insights into the effects of job-related and technology-related factors on remote workers’ well-being. By doing so, we contribute to the existing literature by demonstrating how remote working with the use of newly implemented technologies can be related to employees’ well-being during a pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Technology Acceptance and Its Impact on Workers Motivation and Well-Being)

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18 pages, 734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Technology Acceptance and Leadership 4.0: A Quali-Quantitative Study

by Monica Molino, Claudio G. Cortese and Chiara Ghislieri

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10845; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010845 - 15 Oct 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4229

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of Industry 4.0, new technologies are changing the nature of work and organizations. Nevertheless, technology acceptance is still an open issue and research, and practice interventions should investigate its antecedents and implement actions in order to reduce the risks [...] Read more.

With the rapid advancement of Industry 4.0, new technologies are changing the nature of work and organizations. Nevertheless, technology acceptance is still an open issue and research, and practice interventions should investigate its antecedents and implement actions in order to reduce the risks of resistance and foster acceptance and effective usage of the new tools and systems. This quali-quantitative study was aimed at exploring perceptions about Industry 4.0 and its transformations and investigating job antecedents of technology acceptance. Whilst not many studies in the literature on technology acceptance have considered workers’ well-being, in this study, its association with work engagement has also been examined. The qualitative study used focus groups to collect perceptions of 14 key roles in a company that was implementing Industry 4.0. In the same company, the quantitative study involved 263 employees who filled in a questionnaire. The results confirmed that both job resources, namely supervisor support and role clarity, were antecedents of technology acceptance, which, in turn, was associated with work engagement. This study provides useful suggestions for interventions aimed at foster technology acceptance and workers’ well-being in companies that are facing Industry 4.0 transformations. Particularly, investments in both leadership 4.0 development and communication programs are essential. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Technology Acceptance and Its Impact on Workers Motivation and Well-Being)

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18 pages, 788 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ride or Not to Ride: Does the Customer Deviate toward Ridesharing?

by Azra Shamim, Awais Ali Khan, Muhammad Ahsan Qureshi, Hamaad Rafique and Adnan Akhunzada

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10352; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910352 - 1 Oct 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3378

Abstract

Traditional taxi services have now been transformed into e-hailing applications (EHA) such as Uber, Careem, Hailo, and Grab Car globally due to the proliferation of smartphone technology. On the one hand, these applications provide transport facilities. On the other hand, users are facing [...] Read more.

Traditional taxi services have now been transformed into e-hailing applications (EHA) such as Uber, Careem, Hailo, and Grab Car globally due to the proliferation of smartphone technology. On the one hand, these applications provide transport facilities. On the other hand, users are facing multiple issues in the adoption of EHAs. Despite problems, EHAs are still widely adopted globally. However, a sparse amount of research has been conducted related to EHAs, particular in regards to exploring the significant factors of intention behind using EHAs Therefore, there is a need to identify influencing factors that have a great impact on the adoption and acceptance of these applications. Hence, this research aims to present an empirical study on the factors influencing customers’ intentions towards EHAs. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was extended with four external factors: perceived mobility value, effort expectancy, perceived locational accuracy, and perceived price. A questionnaire was developed for the measurement of these factors. A survey was conducted with 211 users of EHAs to collect data. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the collected data. The results of this study exposed that perceived usefulness, perceived price, and perceived ease of use affect behavior intention to use EHAs. Furthermore, perceived ease of use was impacted by effort expectancy, perceived locational accuracy, and perceived mobility. The findings of the study provide a foundation to develop new guidelines for such applications that will be beneficial for developers and designers of these applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Technology Acceptance and Its Impact on Workers Motivation and Well-Being)

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17 pages, 945 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Technologies in the Workplace: Can Personal and Organizational Variables Affect the Employees’ Intention to Use a Work-Stress Management App?

by Giulia Paganin and Silvia Simbula

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(17), 9366; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179366 - 5 Sep 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3984

Abstract

Organizations are interested in finding new and more effective ways to promote the well-being of their workers, to help their workers manage work-related stress. New technologies (e.g., smartphones) are cheaper, allow more workers to be reached, and guarantee their anonymity. However, not all [...] Read more.

Organizations are interested in finding new and more effective ways to promote the well-being of their workers, to help their workers manage work-related stress. New technologies (e.g., smartphones) are cheaper, allow more workers to be reached, and guarantee their anonymity. However, not all employees agree on the use of new technological interventions for the promotion of well-being. Consequently, organizations need to investigate technological acceptance before introducing these tools. By considering the technology acceptance model (TAM) framework, we investigate both the influence of workers’ perceived usefulness and ease of use on their intentions to use apps that help them managing work stress. Moreover, we contribute to the extension of this model by considering both personal (i.e., self-efficacy, personal innovativeness) and organizational (i.e., organizational support for innovation) variables. Our research involved 251 participants who completed an online self-report questionnaire. The results confirm the central hypothesis of the TAM and the influence of other variables that could influence acceptance of new technologies, such as apps that help manage work stress, and the intentions to use them. These results could help organizations ensure technological acceptance and usage by their workers, increasing the effectiveness of new technologies and interventions to promote well-being. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Technology Acceptance and Its Impact on Workers Motivation and Well-Being)

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20 pages, 865 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does the End Justify the Means? The Role of Organizational Communication among Work-from-Home Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Margherita Zito, Emanuela Ingusci, Claudio G. Cortese, Maria Luisa Giancaspro, Amelia Manuti, Monica Molino, Fulvio Signore and Vincenzo Russo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(8), 3933; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18083933 - 8 Apr 2021

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 11321

Abstract

During the first months of 2020, the world, and Italy at an early stage, went through the COVID-19 emergency that had a great impact on individual and collective health, but also on working processes. The mandatory remote working and the constant use of [...] Read more.

During the first months of 2020, the world, and Italy at an early stage, went through the COVID-19 emergency that had a great impact on individual and collective health, but also on working processes. The mandatory remote working and the constant use of technology for employees raised different implications related to technostress and psycho-physical disorders. This study aimed to detect, in such a period of crisis and changes, the role of organizational communication considering the mediating role of both technostress and self-efficacy, with psycho-physical disorders as outcome. The research involved 530 workers working from home. A Structural Equations Model was estimated, revealing that organizational communication is positively associated with self-efficacy and negatively with technostress and psycho-physical disorders. As mediators, technostress is positively associated with psycho-physical disorders, whereas self-efficacy is negatively associated. As regards mediated effects, results showed negative associations between organizational communication and psycho-physical disorders through both technostress and self-efficacy. This study highlighted the potential protective role of organizational communication that could buffer the effect of technostress and enhance a personal resource, self-efficacy, which is functional to the reduction of psycho-physical disorders. This study contributed to literature underlying the role of communication in the current crisis and consequent reorganization of the working processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Technology Acceptance and Its Impact on Workers Motivation and Well-Being)

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