Track chairs
Dr Jostein Engesmo, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Professor Niki Panteli, Lancaster University, UK and Adjunct Professor at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Professor Fay Giaver, Norwegian University of Science and Technology 

Track description
In this track we aim to explore the role of wearable technology (wearables) and smart technologies for employees and managers in the workplace, including their opportunities and challenges.

Wearables build on the Internet of Things (IoT) that allows everyday physical objects to connect to the internet and other devices, as well as to collect and exchange data (Robson et al., 2016). Wearables often present as electronic and mobile computing devices that are easily integrated into everyday gadgets, accessories, or clothing (Ometov et al., 2021). A wide range of devices fall within this category, from smartwatches and fitness trackers to more invasive options such as microchips or smart tattoos. They can function passively as well as actively, attached or removed from the body, evolving as smart technologies to become more feature-rich wearables. Wearables can collect a range of different data such as body and eye movement, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, heart-rate and heart-rate variability (Maltseva, 2020). With the evolution of wearables as smart technologies they are often combined with AI and machine learning, for example for detecting and classifying for example sleep stage, emotional state or other applications such as elderly fall detection (Seng et al., 2023).

Wearables can be utilized in the workplace for various purposes. One example is data driven management and control such as in people analytics, as well as the important role it plays in algorithmic management (Downie et al., 2025). Another example is the tracking of physical activity, general health status and wellbeing for the purposes of increasing employee productivity and efficiency (Mettler and Stepanovicm 2024; Khakurel et al., 2018). Using wearables to understand root causes of poor wellbeing can for instance inform new organizational practices and policies or help individual employees identify, prevent or modify work patterns that undermine wellbeing (Kawakami et al. ,2023). Wearables have also been utilized for the purpose of safety monitoring and ergonomics in the workplace (Stefana et al., 2021).

Within this field of research, it has however been important to identify challenges and adopt a critical perspective on the role of wearables in the workplace, particularly when it comes to concerns around privacy and security (Plester et al., 2022; Maltseva, 2020) and problematic aspects around visibility and monitoring of workers (Flyverbom, 2022). Combined with AI, biometric monitoring can lead to negative consequences on different levels, such as user alienation, labour intensification, stereotyping, and loss of privacy and agency (Awumey et al. 2024).  Here the combatting of overformalization of control – with serious implications for loss of control over decisions, loss of dignity, autonomy and personal integrity, and resistance behaviour – remains crucial (Mettler, 2024). Within the domain of health in the workplace, concerns have been raised around the fact that wearables may inflict psychological distress and an overdependence on devices (Bettis et al., 2021).

Track areas include but are not limited to:

  • Wearables for wellbeing 
  • Wearable and smart technologies for data-driven management 
  • Socio-technical implications of wearable and smart technologies in the workplace 
  • Trust in wearable and smart technologies 
  • Emotional implications of wearable and smart technologies 
  • Privacy and security in the age of smart technologies 
  • Responsible use of wearable and smart technologies 
  • Sustainable smart technologies 
  • Smart Technologies and User behaviour 

References
Awumey, E., Das, S. & Forlizzi, J. (2024). A Systematic Review of Biometric Monitoring in the Workplace: Analyzing Socio-technical Harms in Development, Deployment and Use. The 2024 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency, 920–932.

Downie, L. A., Pachidi, S., Huysman, M. & Hafermalz, E. (2025). On the Right Track? Studying the Use of Biometric Data to Manage People in Organizations. Academy of Management Discoveries, 11(2), 152–179.

Flyverbom, M. (2022). Overlit: Digital Architectures of Visibility. Organization Theory, 3(3), 26317877221090310.

Kawakami, A., Chowdhary, S., Iqbal, S. T., Liao, Q. V., Olteanu, A., Suh, J. & Saha, K. (2023). Sensing Wellbeing in the Workplace, Why and For Whom? Envisioning Impacts with Organizational Stakeholders. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 7(CSCW2), 1–33.

Khakurel, J., Melkas, H., & Porras, J. (2018). Tapping into the wearable device revolution in the work environment: A systematic review. Information Technology & People, 31(3), 791–818.

Maltseva, K. (2020). Wearables in the workplace: The brave new world of employee engagement. Business Horizons, 63(4), 493–505.

Mettler, T. (2024). The connected workplace: Characteristics and social consequences of work surveillance in the age of datification, sensorization, and artificial intelligence. Journal of Information Technology, 39(3), 547–567.

Mettler, T. & Stepanovic, S. (2024). Acceptable nudge strategies to incentivize the use of wearables and physiolytics at work: A Q-methodology examination. Journal of Information Technology, 39(2), 361–387.

Ometov, A., Shubina, V., Klus, L.; Skibińska, J., Saafi, S., Pascacio, P., Flueratoru, L.; Gaibor, Q., Chukhno, N.; Chukhno, O.;  Ali, A.; Channa, A.; Svertoka, E.; Bin Qaim, W.; Casanova-Marqués, R.; Holcer, S.; Torres-Sospedra, J.; Casteleyn, S.; Ruggeri, G.; Araniti, G.; Burget, R.; Hosek, J. and Lohan, E. S. (2021). A Survey on Wearable Technology: History, State-of-the-Art and Current Challenges, Computer Networks, 193, 1389-1286.

Plester, B., Sayers, J., & Keen, C. (2022). Health and wellness but at what cost? Technology media justifications for wearable technology use in organizations. Organization. DOI: 10.1177/13505084221115841.

Robson, K., Kietzmann, J. & Pitt, L. F. (2016). APC Forum 1 : Extending Business Values through Wearables. MIS Quarterly Executive, 15(2). 

Seng, K. P., Ang, L.-M., Peter, E. & Mmonyi, A. (2023). Machine Learning and AI Technologies for Smart Wearables. Electronics, 12(7), 1509.

Stefana, E., Marciano, F., Rossi, D., Cocca, P., & Tomasoni, G. (2021). Wearable devices for ergonomics: A systematic literature review. Sensors, 21(3), 777.