Engagement with information and communication technology and psychological well-being

Teachers' Well-Being and Associated Factors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hong Kong, China

School teachers have faced many challenges due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and public health-related containment measures. Recent studies have demonstrated high levels of stress and mental health issues among school teachers. To better understand teacher well-being and inform practices to support them in the face of the ongoing pandemic, we aimed to assess perceived stress, well-being and associated factors among school teachers in Hong Kong, China. For this cross-sectional study, we employed a self-reported questionnaire to assess teacher well-being as an indicator of mental health. Drawing on quantitative data obtained from 336 teachers in Hong Kong from April 2021 to February 2022, we assessed workloads, work-related sense of coherence, perceived stress, secondary burnout symptoms (i.e. intensification of work and exhaustion related to work situation), self-endangering work behaviours and satisfaction with work. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the associations between well-being, demographic and work characteristics. A high percentage (87.6%) of teachers had high levels of perceived stress, which was positively associated with extensification of work (r = 0.571, p < 0.01), intensification of work (r = 0.640, p < 0.01) and exhaustion related to work situation (r = 0.554, p < 0.01). A multilinear regression model adjusted for age and gender was computed to detect predictors of teachers' well-being index values (F(12, 296) = 41.405, p < 0.001, R² = 0.627). A higher WHO-5 score was associated with (1) higher teaching hours (B = 0.235, 95% CI = 0.093, 0.413, p = 0.002); (2) higher work-related sense of coherence (B = 2.490, 95% CI = 0.209, 4.770, p = 0.032); (3) higher work satisfaction (B = 5.410, 95% CI = 2.979, 7.841, p < 0.001); (4) lower level of exhaustion related to work situations (B = -9.677, 95% CI = -12.279, -7.075, p < 0.001); and (5) lower level of psychosomatic complaints (B = -4.167, 95% CI = -6.739, -7.075, p = 0.002). These findings highlight the critical need to allocate more attention and resources to improve the mental health of school teachers in Hong Kong. The findings can also inform the development of psychological and organisational interventions and support mechanisms for teachers during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and in preparation for future stressful scenarios. Safeguarding the well-being and mental health of teachers is important for improving the quality of teaching and learning environments and the mental health of school students.

Using digital interventions to reduce digitalisation-related stress-does it work?

Digitalisation entails positive and negative consequences for employees. In a longitudinal, randomized control group design over 14 days (N = 95 participants), we piloted and expected each of three app-based interventions to positively influence general well-being, well-being related to information and communication technology (ICT), and recovery compared to the control group with no intervention. The meditation intervention significantly increased general well-being (satisfaction) and recovery (detachment) compared to the control group but did not reduce general stress. The cognitive-behavioural intervention significantly increased general well-being (less stress). The informational intervention however increased the general stress level. No intervention changed the level of ICT-specific well-being. Thus, classic stress interventions conveyed via ICTs (app-based) may be effective for addressing classic stress symptoms, but not yet for new forms of stress. Future research should investigate structural differences between classic stressors and new kinds of ICT-related stressors to identify starting points for new types of interventions.

Being ethically resilient during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study of Indian supply chain companies

Purpose

The present study aims to examine the relationship between techno-ethical orientation and ethical decision-making (EDM) in Indian supply chain companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aims to explore the moderating role of technological frames (TF) in the relationship between techno-ethical orientation and EDM.

Design/methodology/approach

The relationship between techno-ethical orientation and EDM is examined using correlation and regression analysis. The moderating effect of five dimensions of TFs (personal attitude, application value, organisational influence, supervisor influence and industry influence) is analysed using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The correlation coefficient between techno-ethical orientation and EDM is 0.513. Also, the regression coefficient (β = 0.213) is significant at 0.05, establishing a positive linkage between the two. R-square values showed a 45.2% variation in EDM is explained by techno-ethical orientation. Similarly, all variables of TFs have a positive and significant moderating effect on the relationship between techno-ethical orientation and EDM.

Originality/value

This is one of the pioneer studies exploring techno-ethical orientation’s impact on EDM in supply chain companies.

Australian Chaplains and Their Professional Quality of Life

Chaplains often express a sense of satisfaction in helping others. But their work renders them vulnerable to secondary traumatic stress and burnout. We investigated mindful self-care, comparing the experiences of chaplains and other workers. Measures used included mindful selfcare, social support, and professional quality of life. We found self-care practices did not predict the professional quality of life. Lack of supportive structures and mindful awareness predicted burnout. Compassion satisfaction might arise from other sources.

Digitalisation anxiety: development and validation of a new scale

The increasing spread of digital technologies and respective consequences for the way we live, work, and communicate can evoke feelings of tension and discomfort. This so-called digitalisation anxiety is related to existing and future technologies, includes the process of digitalisation in everyday life, and refers to multiple levels (the individual, organisations, and society). Existing scales measuring technology-related fears due not adequately reflect these features. Therefore, we developed the German version of the Digitalisation Anxiety Scale (DAS). Having generated items based on a qualitative interview study (Study 1, n = 26), we demonstrated the DAS's factor structure, internal consistency and construct validity in Study 2a (n = 109) and test-retest reliability in Study 2b (n = 30). In Study 3 (n = 223), the scale's structure was confirmed and correlates of digitalisation anxiety were examined. The final version of the DAS consists of 35 items with a four-factor structure (societal triggers for digitalisation anxiety, triggers related to interaction and leadership, triggers within oneself and triggers resulting from the digitalisation implementation process). Digitalisation Anxiety had negative relationships with well-being and performance. The scale allows practitioners and researchers to measure and benchmark individuals' levels of digitalisation anxiety, and to track changes over time. The scale can inform interventions aiming at reducing digitalisation anxiety and stress resulting from digitalisation.

Defrag and reboot? Consolidating information and communication technology research in I-O psychology

Several decades of research have addressed the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology. However, segmented research streams with myriad terminologies run the risk of construct proliferation and lack an integrated theoretical justification of the contributions of ICT concepts. Therefore, by identifying important trends and reflecting on key constructs, findings, and theories, our review seeks to determine whether a compelling case can be made for the uniqueness of ICT-related concepts in studying employee and performance in I-O psychology. Two major themes emerge from our review of the ICT literature: (a) a technology behavior perspective and (b) a technology experience perspective. The technology behavior perspective with three subcategories (the “where” of work design, the “when” of work extension, and the “what” of work inattention) explores how individual technology use can be informative for predicting employee well-being and performance. The technology experience perspective theme with two subcategories (the “how” of ICT appraisals and “why” of motives) emphasizes unique psychological (as opposed to behavioral) experiences arising from the technological work context. Based on this review, we outline key challenges of current ICT research perspectives and opportunities for further enhancing our understanding of technological implications for individual workers and organizations.

Time to Disentangle the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Constructs: Developing a Taxonomy around ICT Use for Occupational Health Research

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the workplace has gained considerable research attention in the occupational health field due to its effects on employee stress and well-being. Consequently, new ICT-related constructs have proliferated in occupational health research, resulting in a need to take stock of both potential redundancies and deficiencies in the current measures. This paper disentangles ICT-related constructs, developing a taxonomy of ICT-related constructs in terms of ICT demands, resources, motivation, use, and strains. We then integrate this taxonomy with stress and motivation theories to identify three key implications for ICT and workplace health research and practices in terms of providing suggestions on understudied areas for building better theories, highlighting important psychometric issues for building better constructs and measures, and offering recommendations for building better interventions. This review aims to serve as a guide for researchers to move forward with the current state of research and provide recommendations for organizations in terms of both potential repercussions and best practices for ICT use in the workplace.

How Do Instant Messages Reduce Psychological Withdrawal Behaviors?-Mediation of Engagement and Moderation of Self-Control

Enabling people to send and receive short text-based messages in real-time, instant messaging (IM) is a communication technology that allows instantaneous information exchanges. The development of technology makes IM communication widely adopted in the workplace, which brings a series of changes for modern contemporary working life. Based on the conservation of resource theory (COR), this paper explores the mechanism of workplace IM communication on employees’ psychological withdrawal, and investigates the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship and the moderating role of self-control. Using the experience sampling method (ESM), a 10-consecutive workdays daily study was conducted among 66 employees. By data analysis of 632 observations using SPSS and HLM, results found that: (1) IM demands had a positive relation with emotion and cognitive engagement. (2) Emotion and cognitive engagement were negatively correlated with psychological withdrawal. (3) Emotion and cognitive engagement mediated the relations of IM demands and psychological withdrawal. (4) Self-control moderated the relationship between emotional engagement and psychological withdrawal.

When and why telepressure and technostress creators impair employee well-being

Objectives. This article describes the effects of two specific information and communication technology (ICT) demands (telepressure, technostress creators) on employee well-being, and investigates a mediating effect of detachment (Study 1) and moderating effects of technostress inhibitors on the effects of ICT demands on well-being (Study 2) and detachment (Study 3). Methods. Three quantitative studies with employees (Study 1, N = 296; Study 2, N = 142; Study 3, N = 316) were conducted. Results. The results support the negative effect of ICT demands on several well-being indicators. They also show how detachment mediates the effect of telepressure on well-being (Study 1) and how technostress inhibitors moderate the effect of technostress creators on well-being (Study 2). Technostress inhibitors further buffer negative effects of technostress creators on detachment (Study 3). Conclusion. Interventions to reduce negative consequences of ICTs by increasing the level of technostress inhibitors (e.g., technical support) or facilitating employee detachment (e.g., through communication policies) are derived. The findings confirm that general models explaining stress and well-being are applicable to new forms of job demands and extend existing empirical support for the effect of ICT demands on well-being. Future research should investigate the interplay between the studied variables within a moderated mediation model.

The social and health implications of digital work intensification. Associations between exposure to information and communication technologies, health and work ability in different socio-economic strata

Purpose

Older employees are often thought to be vulnerable to negative effects of information and communication technology (ICT). Our study aims to examine associations between work-related ICT exposure (i.e. ICT use or digital work intensification), physical health, mental health and work ability (WA). We examine whether these associations are modified by socio-economic position (SEP).

Methods

We analysed cross-sectional data from 3180 participants (born in 1959 and 1965) in wave 3 of the representative German lidA cohort study. We performed hierarchical multiple regression to assess the distinct associations of ICT use and digital work intensification with mental and physical health and WA. We stratified analyses by SEP and controlled for age, sex, and digital affinity.

Results

92% of participants reported ICT use at work. Almost 20% reported high levels of digital work intensification, while a similar proportion did not experience digital work intensification. In bivariate analyses, ICT use by itself was not significantly associated with mental health or WA in the total sample or when stratified. Digital work intensification displayed negative associations with mental health and WA. In hierarchical multiple regressions, digital work intensification showed consistently negative associations with mental health and work ability of similar strength across SEP.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that ICT use, per se, does not negatively impact older workers. Digital work intensification may be associated with worse mental health and work ability. Research on health and social implications of work-related ICT should differentiate patterns of ICT exposure and assess modifications by SEP to better gauge the ambiguous effects of ICT.

Daily effects of continuous ICT demands on work-family conflict: Negative spillover and role conflict

Growing concerns about intensive information and communication technology (ICT) use led to abundant research on its debilitating effects on employees' abilities to meet family demands. Drawing on the stressor-strain model, we conducted a daily diary study to investigate how different types of daily ICT demands experienced during work hours and after work influence work-family conflict (WFC) in the evening. We collected data from 98 full-time employees (793 day-level observations) for 10 consecutive workdays to understand employees' work-nonwork interface experiences, namely, negative spillover and role conflict. First, we examined a multilevel mediation model to test the negative spillover effect of on-the-job ICT demands on WFC in the evening via negative affect (NA) at the end of the workday. Second, we investigated the effects of off-the-job ICT demands on WFC to provide evidence of role conflict in the nonwork domain. Further, we tested the protective role of boundary control in these phenomena. The multilevel analysis results revealed that different types of ICT demands experienced at work have idiosyncratic impacts on WFC. Also, while extended availability after work hours yields greater WFC, this link was weaker for the employees who perceive high boundary control.

Influence of Organizational Issues on Nurse Administrators' Support to Staff Nurses' Use of Smartphones for Work Purposes in the Philippines: Focus Group Study

Background

Studies show that nurses use their own smartphones for work purposes, and there are several organizational issues related to this. However, it is unclear what these organizational issues are in the Philippines and the influence they have on nurse administrators’ (ie, superiors) support to staff nurses’ (ie, subordinates) use of smartphones for work purposes.

Objective

Drawing from the Organizational Support Theory (OST), this study aimed to identify organizational issues that influence nurse administrators’ support to staff nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes.

Methods

Between June and July 2017, 9 focus groups with 43 nurse administrators (ie, head nurses, nurse supervisors, and nurse managers) were conducted in 9 tertiary-level general hospitals in Metro Manila, the Philippines. Drawing from OST, issues were classified as those that encouraged or inhibited nurse administrators to support nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes.

Results

Nurse administrators were encouraged to support nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes when (1) personal smartphones are superior to workplace technologies, (2) personal smartphones resolve unit phone problems, and (3) policy is unrealistic to implement. Conversely, issues that inhibited nurse administrators to support nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes include (1) smartphone use for nonwork purposes and (2) misinterpretation by patients.

Conclusions

Nurse administrators in the Philippines faced several organizational issues that encouraged or inhibited support to staff nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes. Following OST, the extent of their support can influence staff nurses’ perceived organizational support on the use of smartphones for work purposes, Overall, the findings highlight the role and implication of organizational support in the context of smartphone consumerization in hospital settings, especially in developing countries.

Perceived stress in human-machine interaction in modern manufacturing environments-Results of a qualitative interview study

Rapid advances in digitization technologies are changing modern working conditions especially in industrial settings. Consequently, employees are confronted with new forms of human-machine interaction. Whether changes in working conditions in general, and the increasing relevance of human-machine interaction in particular, affect psychosocial working conditions, and employee's health is currently matter of debate, but empirical data are lacking. Therefore, we conducted semistructured interviews with 36 employees working in five different companies. The interviews were aimed at identifying potential stressors associated with the introduction and use of modern technologies in the manufacturing industry. The results show that stressors linked to human-machine interaction are technical problems, poor usability, low situation awareness, and increased requirements on employees' qualification. For example, technical problems such as breakdowns or slowdowns were described as a main stressor when employees were not qualified to handle these problems on their own, thus decelerating work flows and causing additional time pressure. Overall, the results show that problems in human-machine interaction, which have been observed in laboratory and nonindustrial settings, also apply to industrial work places with highly automated working conditions and are a potential source of stress. These factors should be considered in psychosocial risk assessment of work-related stressors.

Use of information communication technology and stress, burnout, and mental health in older, middle-aged, and younger workers - results from a systematic review

The aim of this systematic review is to summarise quantitative studies in occupational settings observing the association between Information communication technology (ICT) and stress, and burnout, considering age as an effect modifier. A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines was conducted through the following bibliographic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Psycinfo, and the Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria were occupational settings and content relevant to our research question. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Two interventional, 4 cohorts, and 29 cross-sectional studies were found. ICT use in occupational settings was associated with stress seen in cross-sectional studies, but not in interventional studies. There was a concordant association with ICT and burnout in different study designs. Overall, there were no linear trends between age and technostress. We suggest that the observed associations were mostly present in the middle-aged working population and that these associations need to be supported in further studies.

The Information and Communication Technology User Role: Implications for the Work Role and Inter-Role Spillover

Management and organization research has traditionally focused on employees' work role and the interface between their work and family roles. We suggest that persons assume a third role in modern society that is relevant to work and organizations, namely the Information and Communication Technology User (ICTU) role. Based on role theory and boundary theory, we develop propositions about the characteristics of this role, as well as how ICTU role characteristics are related to boundary spanning activity, inter-role spillover with the work role, and work role performance. To this end, we first conceptualize the ICTU role and its associations with work and family roles. We then apply identity theory and boundary management theory to advance our understanding of how the ICTU role is related to criteria that are important to individuals and to organizations, namely self-selection into certain types of work roles and positive and negative inter-role spillover. The implications of this role for theory, research, and practice in management and organizations are discussed.