Do Privacy Concerns Prevent Employees’ Acceptance of Smart Wearables and Collaborative Robots?

Abstract

During the digitization of workplaces, companies are increasingly using smart wearables as well as collaborate robots. This technological progress contributes to higher productivity and efficiency in manufacturing processes, as they assist employees in carrying out their work. This changes the way employees interact and collaborate with the working environment as well as robots. When companies utilize smart wearables and collaborative robots in their processes, employees are exposed to various privacy issues, which may lead to privacy concerns and may reduce the acceptance of such devices and robots. Thus, the presented PhD research project aims to understand the employees' privacy concerns which prevent the acceptance of such devices and how to counteract them.