Smart Technology in the Workplace: Threats and Opportunities for Trusting Employers

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss the implications of how smart technology is experienced in the workplace for employee trust. Focusing on the defining features of smart technology and how these influence social interaction, we explore how trends in the permeation of technology in workplaces can influence employee trust in their employers creating both threats and opportunities for trust in this relationship. Realising the benefits of technological development requires employees to trust the intentions and capability of their employers to manage smart technology in ways that protect employee interests. We highlight the features of smart technology that may hamper this trust and discuss how addressing concerns related to data privacy, situational normality, structural assurance, and employees’ participation in the process is crucial for protecting and building trust in the workplace.