Effects of Instant Messaging Related Technostress on Work Performance and Well-Being

Abstract

The new era of hyper-communication has led organizations to increasingly adopt communications technologies such as instant messaging (IM) for better connections and improved work efficiency. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exerted further pressure and many organizations increasingly depend on IM tools to manage remote workers. In this new context, negative workplace impacts of IM seem more plausible, because technology use causes technostress. In this paper, we propose a research model to analyze instant messaging usage effects on individual work performance and well-being by the means of relevant techno-stressors. The model was tested on a sample of 372 employees from Romanian organizations that use instant messaging at work. Econometric analysis relies on the Structural Equation Modelling methodology and uses SPSS AMOS. Our findings suggest that the usage of instant messaging significantly influences on perceived techno-complexity, techno-overload and techno-invasion, which in turn influences, to some extent, both individual work performance and well-being. Dividing the sample according to the type of work (teleworking and office work), we compared the results between these two groups and encountered some significant differences.

Effects of conflicts and technostress on employees’ job performance and satisfaction in a work-from-home scheme

“…Employees exposed to a higher volume of technology and frequent technology interruptions tend to perform better in their work. However, complex technology use in the work can lead to decreased work performance (Hurbean et al, 2022). Lin and Wang (2020) support the argument that techno-complexity had a negative significant relationship on teleworkers performance while techno-overload have a significant positive relationship on teleworkers performance.…”

“…Technology has permeated not only personal but also the professional lives of individuals especially those who are in a WFH scheme of various companies. According to Hurbean et al (2022), individual work performance of the teleworkers is positively associated to techno-overload and techno-invasion and negatively associated to techno-complexity.…”

“…instance,Hurbean et al (2022) revealed that numerous technological resources and proper assistance improve job performance. While the current study found no significant effect of techno-complexity and job performance,Hurbean et al (2022) argue that sophisticated technologies can contribute to poorer performance.…”

“…instance,Hurbean et al (2022) revealed that numerous technological resources and proper assistance improve job performance. While the current study found no significant effect of techno-complexity and job performance,Hurbean et al (2022) argue that sophisticated technologies can contribute to poorer performance. Additionally, Li andWang (2020) discovered a negative association between techno-complexity and job performance, which contradicts the findings of the quantitative results of the present study.…”

The Influence of Paradoxical Leadership on Adaptive Performance of New-Generation Employees in the Post-Pandemic Era: The Role of Harmonious Work Passion and Core Self-Evaluation

“…The employees, who are now living in the dynamic changing environment while working in the organization, either internally or externally, in the post-epidemic era, also have to meet with the problems: either by changing themselves or adapting. For example, in view of the fact that the growing use of instant messaging is associated with perceived technological complexity, overload and intrusion of employees, and the effects on their job performance and happiness [36], how should employees properly cope with the technical pressure brought by the widespread use of instant messaging? The adaptive performance, which is proposed in this essay, reflects the enterprise's urgent needs for adaptive employees in the current complex changeable environment.…”