This article examines digital communication in the workplace and its association with wellbeing at work. The analysis is based mainly on workshop discussions and is complemented with log data (N = 36). Content analysis was applied to the workshop discussions, while the log data were analyzed by quantifying frequencies. Six themes were found to affect wellbeing at work: the volume of digital communication, expectations of constant connectivity, the quality of the messages, adaptation of new tools, technical problems, and flexibility in communication. In relation to wellbeing at work, digital communication was mostly perceived as demanding. However, some of the factors perceived as demanding could also provide flexibility, which was seen as enhancing wellbeing by increasing autonomy and control. Social factors, such as work habits, practices, and conventions in the workplace, seem to play an important role in the manifestation and management of the digital communication-induced load at work.
The role of leadership in digital business transformation is a topical issue in need of more in-depth research. Based on an empirical investigation of eight Finnish organizations operating in the service sector, we gain understanding of the role and focus of leadership in the context of digital business transformation. Through a qualitative content analysis of data from 46 interviews, the four main leadership foci of digital business transformation are found: strategic vision and action, leading cultural change, enabling, and leading networks. The findings are discussed in the context of extant research on leadership and digital business development.
The purpose of this study is to examine how COVID-19-related job demands and resources have been associated with employee well-being in Nordic countries across specific occupational groups. The study investigated four occupational groups: (1) professional, scientific, and technical occupations in Norway (n = 301); (2) teachers in Finland (n = 315); (3) health and social service occupations in Norway (n = 267); and (4) geriatric nurses in Finland (n = 105). Hypotheses were tested using two-step hierarchical regression analysis. Work–home imbalance in Groups 1, 2, and 3, workload increase in Groups 1 and 3, and fear of infection in Groups 2 and 3 were positively related with exhaustion. A positive attitude towards digital solutions was positively related to work engagement in Groups 2 and 3. In addition, there was a significant positive relationship between COVID-19-related organizational support and work engagement in Groups 2, 3, and 4, and a negative relationship with exhaustion in Group 2. In conclusion, pandemic-related job demands and resources were differently associated with employee well-being across different occupational groups and countries. Further, organizational support may act as a supportive element for sustaining employee well-being during pandemics.
Information intensity has increased in many work tasks, requiring employees to process large quantities of information using ever-changing technologies. This increased load can have a negative effect on employee well-being, which has increased the need to pay attention to information ergonomics. This paper examines the strategies and practices that employees have developed to enhance information ergonomics. A qualitative content analysis was applied to the research data, which was collected from group discussions conducted in nine workshops (n = 36). The results indicate that social conventions and practices, such as the shared understanding of rules within a work community, are important in decreasing information load. Methods for enhancing information ergonomics are divided into four main themes: digital communication rules and etiquette, opportunities for uninterrupted work, end-user-driven technology implementation, and prioritization of work. The findings are discussed with respect to previous research. 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Information Load and Employee Well-Being in Digitalizing Work Digitalization has influenced work life in many ways, affecting how work is organized. Working life statistics show that the use of computers at work by workers in various fields is increasing [1]. The use of robots and smart systems is also growing. These developments offer advantages and disadvantages. For example, employees may be more easily connected to each other, but they are also available all the time, which can have a negative impact on work-life balance [2]. The expanded use of information and communication technology (ICT) has increased the information intensity in many tasks. Workers are often required to process massive quantities of information, an amount that grows as the number of information and communication channels increase. This workload can be difficult to manage, and even cause information overload [3]. The digital work environment, especially communication channels, may inflict continual interruptions, which can decrease control over one's work, increase one's workload, and cause frustration and stress [4-6]. A type of stress related to the use of technology at work is technostress. Typical symptoms include anxiety, exhaustion, and cynicism [7]. Technostress stems not only from direct human interaction with ICT but also from attitudes and thoughts regarding ICT implementation in organizations and the digitalization of society (e.g., fear of losing one's job because of technological innovations; [8, 9]). Typical technostress creators include techno-overload (e.g., an employee is forced to change work methods due to a new technology), techno-invasion (e.g., constant availability or connection to work due to technology), techno-complexity (e.g., technologies are difficult to use), techno-insecurity (e.g., fear of losing one's job due to a new technology), and techno-uncertainty (e.g., constant changes in technology) [9, 10]. Technostress may have
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