Research

Concerns and Trade-offs in Information Technology Acceptance: The Balance between the Requirement for Privacy and the Desire for Safety

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Abstract

In this paper, we construct a new motivation model by bridging self-determination theory (SDT) with the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). Using an explorative approach, we study how human motivational determinants influence the trade-off between safety and privacy in technology acceptance. We take the Scandinavian healthcare context as our empirical outset and explore how older Danish adults perceive sensor-based e-health monitor technology that monitors their health status. Danish municipalities have begun to use these technologies to identify early warning signs and, thereby, improve the quality of care and life by making people more self-reliant and reducing unnecessary hospitalization. However, one needs to consider ethical issues concerning privacy versus safety when implementing these technologies. After monitoring 21 respondents (mean age: 85) living independently at home over nine weeks, we interviewed them about their concerns regarding privacy and safety. We found that the respondents were willing to compromise their privacy if their autonomy and personal integrity were respected and if the benefits of sensor-based monitoring outweighed health-related threats. We used these findings and the theoretical outset to create a novel model that takes human motivation into account when using UTAUT.