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Workplace stress from actual and desired computer‐mediated communication use: a multi‐method study
Author(s) -
Stich JeanFrançois,
Tarafdar Monideepa,
Cooper Cary L.,
Stacey Patrick
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
new technology, work and employment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.889
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1468-005X
pISSN - 0268-1072
DOI - 10.1111/ntwe.12079
Subject(s) - workload , stressor , stress (linguistics) , psychology , computer mediated communication , work stress , applied psychology , instant messaging , qualitative research , social psychology , computer science , work (physics) , engineering , the internet , world wide web , sociology , clinical psychology , mechanical engineering , linguistics , philosophy , social science , operating system
The use of computer‐mediated communication applications can lead to workplace stress for employees. However, such stress is influenced not only by how individuals actually use computer‐mediated communication applications but also how they desire to use them. This article examines how the individual's actual and desired use of communication tools together influence his or her workplace stress. It does so across a range of computer‐mediated media (e.g. email or instant messaging) and workplace stressors (e.g. workload or work relationships). This investigation is conducted using a multi‐method research design. The quantitative study found that desired and actual use together influenced workplace stress, mostly for email, but not for other media. The qualitative study further showed that such influence depends on organisational conditions such as available media or co‐workers preferences. The findings emphasise the importance of considering the individuals’ desired use of CMC media and their subjective appraisals of different media.