A mobile messaging-based conversational agent-led stress mindset intervention for New Zealand small-to-medium-sized enterprise owner-managers
Effectiveness and acceptability study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21452472 |
|---|---|
| Authors | D D Allan (0000-0001-9859-7033, University of Canterbury, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | 2785-2798 |
| Publication date | 2024-09-09 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Behaviour and Information Technology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0144-929X • E-ISSN: 1362-3001 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0144929x.2023.2259500 |
| OpenAlex | W4387208652 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 105 |
The rising surge of work-related stress is particularly severe among small-to-medium-sized enterprise (SME) owner-managers, and has been linked to an array of deleterious consequences, such as burnout, venture failure, and suicide. Sadly, the majority of available stress management interventions appear to be ill-suited to owner-managers. Prior work, however, suggests that mobile phone-based messaging conversational agents (CAs) may hold promise for delivering mental health interventions to underserved groups such as the self-employed. Furthermore, recent research with SMEs finds that altering one's stress mindset – beliefs about the extent to which stress might be enhancing or debilitating can change one's responses to stress. Against this backdrop, the present study assessed the effectiveness and acceptability of a first-of-its-kind mobile messaging-based conversational agent-led stress mindset intervention (mCASMI) for Aotearoa New Zealand SME owner-managers. The mCASMI was delivered over 4-days via WhatsApp Messenger. The results confirmed that the mCASMI was successful in altering participants' mindsets about stress, in conjunction with self-reported improvements in productivity and work performance. The owner-managers who received the intervention were engaged, adherent, and reported a high degree of rapport with the CA. Though preliminary, these findings extend the state-of-the-art and suggest progressing with a larger-scale feasibility study
Burnout · Business · Internet privacy · Intervention (counseling) · Mindset · Political science · Productivity · Psychological intervention · Public relations · Scale (ratio) · Stress management · Work (physics) · AI in Service Interactions · Applied Psychology · Clinical Psychology · Computer Science · Digital Mental Health Interventions · Engineering · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Psychology
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| Highly cited | No |
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