The Values of Self-tracking and Persuasive eCoaching According to Employees and Human Resource Advisors for a Workplace Stress Management Application: A Qualitative Study

Self-tracking and automated persuasive eCoaching combined in a smartphone application may enhance stress management among employees at an early stage. For the application to be persuasive and create impact, we need to achieve a fit between the design and end-users’ and important stakeholders’ values. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 8 employees and 8 human resource advisors to identify values of self-tracking, persuasive eCoaching, and preconditions (e.g., privacy and implementation) for a stress management application, using the value proposition design by Osterwalder et al. Results suggest essential features and functionalities that the application should possess. In general, respondents see potential in combining self-tracking and persuasive eCoaching for stress management via a smartphone application. Future design of the application should mainly focus on gaining awareness about the level of stress and causes of stress. In addition, the application should possess a positive approach besides solely the focus on negative aspects of stress.