JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Workplace health interventions can produce beneficial health- and business-related outcomes. However, such interventions have traditionally focused on lifestyle behaviors of individuals, mostly not taking into account the role of working conditions. The wecoach is an internet-based tool that combines both a digital and a participatory team development approach aimed at addressing critical job demands and resources as key aspects of health promoting working conditions. Nursing staff are particularly affected by challenging working conditions and could potentially benefit greatly. Understanding the acceptance of novel workplace health promotion approaches is a critical precursor to their successful implementation and use.

Objective:

To examine the factors influencing the acceptance of a digitally-supported team development tool among nurse managers.

Methods:

A final sample of 32 nurse managers from three German-speaking countries tested the wecoach and completed our online questionnaire. Hypotheses were based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and organizational health development model (OHD) and were tested with multiple regression analyses.

Results:

Our analyses found that merely capacities on the level of the team (CapTeam) significantly contributed to the acceptance of the wecoach, although only after the other variables were excluded in the stepwise multiple regression analysis. The UTAUT predictors were not able to add significant variance explanation beyond that and their inclusion masked the contribution of CapTeam.

Conclusions:

For the acceptance of a digitally supported participatory tool, the fit with the team, its culture and motivation is of critical importance, while aspects proposed by traditional acceptance models like the UTAUT may not be applicable. Clinical Trial: none necessary