A wearable technology solution and research agenda for housekeeper safety and health
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 4 August 2021
Issue publication date: 20 October 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, the purpose of this paper was to posit an industry-wide technological intervention for hotel housekeeper safety and health through the advancement of wearable technology.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the task-technology fit (TTF) model and examples of successful safety and health applications of wearable technologies in the health-care and construction management industries, interventions and future research directions are presented to address workplace hazards experienced by hotel housekeepers.
Findings
The fit between a variety of hotel housekeeper user requirements, task demands and wearable functions are explored with justification for the use of wearable devices to improve safety and health-related outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
A research agenda is proposed for the adoption and use of wearables in the hospitality industry with the intention to generate meaningful interventions beyond corporate wellness, and the mitigation of employee privacy concerns to enhance wearable adoption.
Practical implications
Given the importance of consumer safety and health assurance in a post-pandemic business environment, hospitality and tourism organizations should place greater emphasis on protecting front line employees who will be essential in regaining economic viability.
Social implications
Theoretical and practical foci should move beyond a simplistic view of hospitality and tourism worker safety and health that generally centers on wellness initiatives and other baseline strategies, toward a more holistic view benefitting the hospitality industry.
Originality/value
Extant concerns about hotel housekeeper safety and health, in addition to new concerns and threats in a post-pandemic work environment, are largely understudied and worthy of investigation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: This publication was supported by grant number T42OH008438, funded by the National Institute Occupational Safety (NIOSH) and Health 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.
Citation
Mejia, C., Ciarlante, K. and Chheda, K. (2021), "A wearable technology solution and research agenda for housekeeper safety and health", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 33 No. 10, pp. 3223-3255. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2021-0102
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited