TY - JOUR
T1 - Smart wearable technologies as resources for consumer agency in well-being
AU - Tikkanen, Hannu Olavi
AU - Heinonen, Kristina
AU - Ravald, Annika
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Waldemar von Frenckells Stiftelse, Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, Liikesivistysrahasto.
Publisher Copyright:
© American Marketing Association 2023.
PY - 2023/2/1
Y1 - 2023/2/1
N2 - Consumers are increasingly expected to be active in managing their personal well-being. Agency, meaning individuals’ ability to reflect on their circumstances, effect change, and act independently, constitutes an important means for consumer well-being. To a growing extent, consumers are using smart technologies, such as wearable devices and applications, to better manage their well-being. However, how interactions with wearables improve and affect consumer agency for well-being is underexamined. The aim of this study is to explore how consumers use smart wearable technologies as resources for agency in managing their well-being. Drawing on psychological and sociological literature on agency as well as qualitative data from users of various wearable devices, the authors distinguish individual and contextual levels of agency, in which knowing and acting constitute two types of smart wearable technology use. From these dimensions, they conceptualize a framework with four types of technology use for well-being: (1) self-improvement, (2) justification, (3) adaptation, and (4) activism. The authors discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of this framework with the aim of improving consumer agency for well-being through smart technology.
AB - Consumers are increasingly expected to be active in managing their personal well-being. Agency, meaning individuals’ ability to reflect on their circumstances, effect change, and act independently, constitutes an important means for consumer well-being. To a growing extent, consumers are using smart technologies, such as wearable devices and applications, to better manage their well-being. However, how interactions with wearables improve and affect consumer agency for well-being is underexamined. The aim of this study is to explore how consumers use smart wearable technologies as resources for agency in managing their well-being. Drawing on psychological and sociological literature on agency as well as qualitative data from users of various wearable devices, the authors distinguish individual and contextual levels of agency, in which knowing and acting constitute two types of smart wearable technology use. From these dimensions, they conceptualize a framework with four types of technology use for well-being: (1) self-improvement, (2) justification, (3) adaptation, and (4) activism. The authors discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of this framework with the aim of improving consumer agency for well-being through smart technology.
KW - Business, Markets and Societal Dynamics
KW - Customers and Relations
KW - 512 Business and Management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85152655541&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/10949968221143351
DO - 10.1177/10949968221143351
M3 - Article
SN - 1094-9968
VL - 58
SP - 136
EP - 150
JO - Journal of Interactive Marketing
JF - Journal of Interactive Marketing
IS - 2-3
ER -
