Promoting Workplace Well-Being and Stress Management Through Smartphone Applications: Evidence, Experiences, and Organizational Implications

The nature of work has transformed dramatically in recent years, affecting job quantity and quality, required skills, and work organization, blurring boundaries between professional and personal life. Digitalization has become central to this shift, enhancing efficiency, communication, and remote collaboration while introducing challenges like increased cognitive load and emotional strain. Organizations increasingly recognize that supporting employee well-being is both an ethical responsibility and a strategic advantage, influencing productivity, retention, and societal costs. In this scenario workplace interventions for stress management and well-being promotion acquire even more relevance. Digital tools, especially mHealth apps, have emerged as scalable solutions, offering personalized training, real-time feedback, and stress monitoring. However, challenges remain, including engagement, digital inequalities, and privacy concerns. When properly implemented, these tools can enhance personal resources, reduce stress, and promote holistic well-being, transforming technology into a catalyst for human resilience. This thesis explores the role of digital well-being interventions in the workplace, examining their opportunities, limitations, and integration into daily work life. It investigates the balance between employees’ effort and perceived benefits, aligns individual and organizational well-being needs, and considers potential overlaps between interventions. The aim is to identify challenges and generate insights to support a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable workplace mental health ecosystem. To address these objectives, the project is structured into four main chapters. Chapter 1 focus on a rigorous evaluation of the state of the art regarding the use of smartphone applications to promote employee well-being. Chapter 2 investigates critical factors influencing adoption and engagement with digital technologies, taking into account users’ needs, expectations and organizational constrains. Chapter 3 identifies characteristics of potential users by examining their well-being profiles and personal resources, highlighting the importance of personalization. Chapter 4 evaluates the effectiveness of a well-being and stress management intervention, considering both well-being outcomes and user experience, including actual use, usability, user engagement, and participants’ perspectives on (digital) organizational well-being initiatives. In summary, digital well-being interventions are evolving but face several challenges. This dissertation aims to provide insights into their role in promoting organizational well-being and reducing stress, with particular attention to current limitations, integration with other forms of intervention, and the development of sustainable, inclusive, and resilient strategies that balance both individual and organizational needs.