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TopIntroduction
Previous studies (Feng & Kalika, 2018) suggest that the ubiquitous use of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) can eventually create technostress that will diminish the performance of the Proximity Manager (PM) when the stress levels increase along with the role. Companies are implementing coping strategies to address complex, stressful situations (technostress). Initially, these coping strategies were a result of management considering the opinions of employees and experts. They were then shared with team managers (TMs) with the aim of determining adequate and operational adaptive strategies. Finally, employees in each department applied these strategies. In this sense, it is simply interactions between organizations and employees; that is, exchanges, coordination, cooperation, and communications between employees and TM.
The objective of our analysis was to study the adaptive behaviors of TMs in the fight against technostress and its increase with ICT. Theoretically, our research was conducted in ICT management to analyze how information overload and technostress affect local managers (PMs) by combining the concepts of interdependence and LMX (exchanges between manager and employee). The aim was to identify coping strategies to understand the behaviors adopted by PMs in the face of the techno-stress phenomenon. Empirically, our study was conducted to identify different types of coping (adaptive) strategies. We adopted a policy of interactional analysis where we were not only interested in the individuals (manager and subordinate), but also in the interactions of this dyad (manager-subordinate). This study aimed to help ICT managers deal with the negative effects of technostress. The research questions were as follows:
Our study on managing and coping with ICT-technostress is fundamental in this digital era where ICT is integrated into almost all fields and sectors. Bag et al. (2020) studied how digitalization has enhanced performance in procurement, remanufacturing operations, and supply chain. Our research was conducted through observation and interviews as seen in later in the study. We conducted a literature review prior to and along with the empirical research, followed by a comparison of the theory and empirical results. This research brings novelty in dealing with ICT-technostress by providing adequate and adaptable coping solutions for all types of situations. This paper is structured as follows. We begin with the literature review followed by the methodology, results, and conclusion.
TopLiterature Review
Coping Strategy for Technostress
Technostress
“In the last four decades, ICT has generated […] significant revenue for organizations in terms of reduced operating costs, process efficiency, new strategic alternatives, and opportunities for innovation (Dos Santos & Sussman, 2000). ICT improves human and organizational performance (Liang & Xue, 2009). However, ICT is double-edged (Lei & Ngai, 2014). When exploited for malicious purposes, ICT can pose a threat to individuals, organizations, and society. Organizations using ICT spend time and space avoiding these threats, therefore, creating stress:
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Technostress: Describes the stress that users experience as a result of application multitasking, constant connectivity, information overload, frequent system upgrades and [the] consequent uncertainty, continual relearning and [its] consequent job-related insecurities, and technical problems associated with the organizational use of ICT. (Tarafdar et al., 2010)
Technostress creators such as techno-overload, techno-complexity, techno-invasion, techno-insecurity, and techno-uncertainty are associated with negative psychological and behavioral outcomes (Pirkkalainen et al., 2019).