Digital Enterprise Seminar Series - Dr. Bouchaib Bahli

The Nonlinear Effects of Techno-stressors on Task Performance and Techno-exhaustion: Moderating Role of Technology Complexity

Techno-stressors have shown to impact various psychological and behavioural strains in any work environment or culture. Yet, there are arguments whether the increasing effect of techno-stressors on such outcomes is linearly favorable and whether techno-stressors relate similarly or inversely to these types of analogous strains. Grounded in the activation theory, we developed and examined a model proposing two possible nonlinear relationships between techno-stressors and task performance as a behavioural strain and between techno-stressors and techno-exhaustion as a psychological strain. We further argued that these curvilinear effects would be moderated by technology complexity through which we introduce the shape-flip phenomenon as a novel research opportunity to develop such a conceptually under-researched area in technostress literature. Two studies (quantitative and qualitative) were conducted to test our hypotheses. In the first study, survey data collected from 215 employees working in four IS security-related organizations showed that techno-stressors exhibited an inverted U-shape relationship with task performance and a U-shape relationship with techno-exhaustion. Furthermore, the inclusion of technology complexity as a moderator showed empirical support for the shape-flip effects on techno-stressors and techno-exhaustion relationship, whereas no such evidence was found for the techno-stressors and task performance relationship. In the second study, we extended and built on the findings of the first by interviewing 24 students from a single business school. Specifically, we found four environmental conditions as possible causes to nonlinear changes in the levels of techno-stressors at the work place. Such findings call for the implementation of newly developed managerial and technical strategies that should implicate moderate levels of stressors and adequate work settings for optimum psychological and behavioural performances. Read more about Dr. Bouchaib Bahli (opens in new window) .

Keywords: techno-stressors, activation theory, nonlinear analysis