Techno-Stress in Organization

Abstract

In today’s business world, technology is often a strong and influential driver of behavior, causing many challenges and stress to employees’ inner and performance, and it causes people’s nerves and insides to collapse and even provides conditions where people cannot really get the necessary peace for a long time. In this way, people may be victims of stressful factors that our ancestors only saw in their dreams. This problem, which is introduced as technology stress or techno-stress, arises due to dependence on technology, constant use of technological tools, and fear of lack of necessary technology. In this chapter, techno-stress is introduced and explained. The theoretical foundations of this concept are presented and its dimensions and components are introduced. Also, the consequences of techno-stress are identified and important strategies for managing and controlling its effects are presented.

1. Introduction

The study of people in work environments has long been the focus of management and behavioral science thinkers, and with the emergence of the field of organizational behavior in the first years of the decade (1960s), more seriousness was done in this matter. Employees of any organization, according to the type of role and mission they have, need to master the cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions to provide quality work according to different job challenges. It should be said that in the job process, due to multiple work pressures, the performance and job satisfaction of employees may be affected [1].

Also, today, information technology is rapidly growing and expanding, and its consequences can have various effects on job performance [2]. Today, employees have access to technologies, such as the internet and office automation, but the amount of use of these tools is often excessive. The use of tools such as e-mail, blogs, the internet, and office automation are very low-cost and accessible methods and can be used to create and share knowledge culture [3]. Thus, we live in an age where technology and the internet play a huge role, and this excessive interaction with technology makes self-regulation difficult. So, if you find yourself glued to your phone or constantly following new technological developments, you may be a victim of technical stress; and this can have a serious impact on our mental health. We live in an age of unlimited technology. People are too focused on technology to disconnect from it, and the pressure to be available is taking a toll on our health.

Although more and more features and apps allow users to control their online time, there is evidence that people cannot escape the pressures of technology. With the increasing use of smartphones and mobile applications, our dependence on technology has also increased significantly.

The use of electronic and computer technologies and systems enables an organization to be more efficient in its core business and more useful in its functional areas. Employees must be able to use these systems or they may be left out. This constant pressure can increase work anxiety. Continuous training of new systems is necessary for many companies. This can cause techno-stress, which itself leads to lower employee performance in terms of job performance. The use of technology can also affect organizational roles. When an organization uses new information systems, it can identify new organizational solutions, which in turn create new roles. Failure of employees to adapt to such changes also causes more tension and stress [4]. With the emergence of techno-stress, organizations must learn how to reduce and manage it. Management can play an important role in the organizational environment and culture of an organization. Management factors have an effect on the level of stress and anxiety of employees.

2. Introducing organizational stressors and techno-stress

Perceived stress is one of the major problems of human society and countless people are involved with it. It seems that stress is a necessary component and an inevitable result of human interaction with the environment. Stress includes physical, mental, and emotional reactions that are experienced as a result of changes and needs in a person’s life. These changes can be big or small, and people’s responses to life changes are different. Positive stress can be a motivating factor while negative stress can occur when these changes and needs overwhelm the individual. Perceived stress is a psychological state or process during which people perceive their physical and psychological well-being as threatening. In other words, perceived stress is a person’s perceived abilities and confidence in facing environmental demands [5]. Events that can cause stress are called stressors. Providing an accurate and clear definition of stress is very difficult because everyone experiences it in a different way and each definition refers to a part of reality. Different theorists have used stress in different ways. One of the common ways of defining stress is to consider it as a stimulus. Holmes and Rahe [6] consider stress as a stimulus that a person needs to adapt to [6]. Therefore, stress, as a stimulus, is any situation that has unusual and extraordinary requests and requires a change in a person’s current life pattern [7].

Several definitions related to stress have been provided by experts and experts in psychology and verbology, among which we mention the following:

• Stress is the feeling that a person feels that he/she is out of control.

• Stress is the uncertain human response to pressures.

• Lack of ability between pressures and one’s own abilities to deal with it is called stress.

• Stress is a condition or feeling in which a person perceptually believes that the sum of the demands and expectations that exist are beyond the facilities, resources, and capabilities that he/she has.

• Stress is the body’s physiological reaction that disturbs the psychological balance in the face of any change, threat, and external or internal pressure.

Some stressful events such as exams, natural disasters, risky jobs, and divorce require a person to perform adaptive behaviors to cope with imposed environmental demands, and since adapting to such events is difficult and potentially dangerous, people get stressed [6]. Today, information technology in organizations is rapidly growing and expanding, which creates numerous jobs in all industrial and service sectors, of course, employment in them requires having the necessary expertise in the field of technology, which raises fears due to insufficient it brings benefits for employees [4].

Generally, stress can come from the environment (situational stress) or from the personal characteristics of a person (mental stress). Situational stress can originate from all issues in our life. At home, at school, and in mutual relationships with other people, we are exposed to a lot of stressors at work. Undoubtedly, all these various sources of stress pile up and add to our overall stress level. This means that the stress caused at home can add to the stress caused by work and vice versa. In the following, various sources of stress are examined.

2.1 Organizational sources of work stress: situational stressors

Most of the stress of the employees comes from the stressful factors of the organizational work environment. Part of this organizational stress comes from the work tasks themselves, such as the physical and psychological needs of performing tasks. Since work organizations are complex social systems in which a person must interact with countless people, organizational stress may arise from work roles. Therefore, various types of work relationships that must be created and implemented for the successful performance of work tasks can lead to stress. These two types of situational stress—task stress and work role stress—can be greatly reduced by management measures.

2.2 Stressors related to work duties

Job overload—A common source of stress is workload-related tasks that occurs when the performance of the task requires more speed, more production, or more concentration. Everyone believes that workload is one of the biggest factors of work stress. The research done on the burden of work shows that this characteristic of work is related to physiological indicators of stress such as increased blood cholesterol and increased heart rate, psychological stress, and finally low quality of work and job satisfaction. In fact, workload has been identified as a common source of stress for various occupations such as office workers, soldiers, air traffic controllers, and healthcare workers. While job overload can cause stress, having less work—below productivity—can also be stressful. Low productivity may occur when a worker feels that his job does not fully utilize all of his knowledge, skills, or abilities, or when the job is boring and monotonous. Some university graduates in low-level positions of administrative work or providing customer service may feel some stress due to the factor of low productivity and lack of use of their knowledge and skills [8].

2.3 Stressors related to work role

2.3.1 Job ambiguity

One of the potential sources of stress caused by the work role is job ambiguity, which occurs when different aspects of a job, such as its duties and requirements, are not clearly defined. Stress occurs when employees are not sure of their responsibilities and duties. Sometimes job ambiguity is referred to as “job uncertainty.” This uncertainty is the result of the lack of regular performance feedback that deals with how well or poorly the employees are doing. Research have concluded that supervisors can have a great impact on reducing job uncertainty by clarifying the roles and duties of subordinates. Understanding that job uncertainty has a negative effect on job satisfaction highlights the importance of supervisors’ role in reducing uncertainty and stress resulting from it [9].

The conflict between roles can also become a source of the crisis. For example, an employee’s work may require long overtime that conflicts with the worker’s role in the family as a spouse or guardian. Or if the employee has to perform different roles in his work in such a way that the same issue may lead to stress.

2.3.2 Lack of control

Another important source of work stress is the feeling of lack of control, especially among low-level jobs or in structured organizations. Jobs that are completely limited and dominated by laws, so that workers cannot have any kind of influence on work decisions and the way the work environment works, are probably classified as stressful jobs, especially for those workers who want to be effective in their work. Research have shown that providing a kind of power of control over the work environment in workers through methods such as paying attention to their opinion in the decision-making process or making it possible to adjust their task map, reduces worker stress and increases job satisfaction. On the other hand, there are studies that believe that the feeling of not having control over one’s job may not be stressful for many workers, and it may be true that different types of workers are more or less sensitive to having the power to control one’s job. In fact, research results have shown that it is the special characteristics of the personality that determine whether a person is stressed or not due to the lack of control over his job.

2.3.3 Physical conditions of work

Physical conditions in the work environment are another organizational resource that leads to worker stress. Jobs that have to be done in high temperatures, loud noises, poor lighting, and poor ventilation can be quite stressful. Dangerous jobs that cause the worker to lose his health, or face the risk of death, or the possibility of amputation are other sources of work stress. Intrapersonal stress—Intrapersonal stress is one of the biggest sources of employee stress that arises from problems caused by interpersonal relationships. Such intrapersonal stress is one of those types of stress that almost every worker will deal with. Intrapersonal stress arises from problems in establishing and maintaining relationships with other people in the workplace. Having a harsh and critical boss with a directive management style will be stressful for any worker. In addition, intrapersonal stress arises when colleagues are in a conflict situation. For example, two employees have to work together when they should be considered for an important position. If both employees have to work together while competing for a position, their work may be extremely stressful for both. There is evidence that organizational policies and power struggles can be an important source of stress caused by the work environment. The inability to get along with other workers, for whatever reason, is another very common source of workplace stress.

2.3.4 Organizational change

Another source of organizational stress is changing. People are usually used to a certain work schedule and a certain work structure and show resistance to change. Most of us want everything to be stable and predictable. Stability in the work environment seems comfortable and reassuring. Therefore, it is not surprising if changes in the work organization cause stress. Some of the common situations of change that lead to labor stress are: company reorganization, merger, counter-merger, or takeover of another company, change in work systems and work technology, change in policy, and change in management or personnel. For example, research results show that physiological responses are stronger in new, unfamiliar, threatening, and challenging situations. Undoubtedly, an event similar to the organization in the company, or merger or takeover, is considered by many experts as a dangerous and stressful thing.

2.3.5 Performance appraisal

Performance appraisal is another source of stress in the organization. There are few people in the organization who want to be evaluated because evaluation is a test of people’s competence compared to others and a poor evaluation will have an important effect on a person’s job [10].

2.4 Techno-stress

In relation to the activities related to new systems, it refers to the use of technology and new systems that involve the harm caused by the introduction of new technology into the work system [11]. The increasing use of computer systems in the “Information Age” with today’s advanced technology has undoubtedly changed many jobs. Many employees, from new employees to high-level managers and executives, spend most of their time in front of computer monitors. The technological revolution has helped to reduce some of the unpleasant aspects of the job. For example, a small number of workers today have to do monotonous or repetitive stressful tasks, because these boring and repetitive tasks are completed by computers. While modern technology has reduced some sources of work stress, it has actually increased other stressors, and maybe even created new stressors. What are the stressors associated with the information age and which workers are likely to be most affected by them?

Technology-related stress has been named “techno-stress.” Techno-stress is expressed as stress caused by uncertainty resulting from technological changes. For example, a few decades ago, workers could start a job or learn a trade, and their job did not change significantly during their working period. But today, many workers are faced with jobs that constantly change along with changes in technology. In addition, job uncertainty may be stressful for workers whose work is suddenly computerized or for workers who fear that their work will be jeopardized as their work becomes more computerized.

The research results show that the use of new technology has led to an extraordinary increase in employee stress. Technology-related stress may result from workload or underutilization of skills, lack of control over work, and lack of supervisory support. Such factors are often associated with jobs in which the employee must sit in front of a computer and work with the computer and data for hours on end without having sufficient knowledge, or any knowledge at all, about the final application of the results.

Low-level jobs in the field of information processing produce more stress than jobs such as supervision or professional jobs, due to the same stressful sources caused by technology. There is no doubt that the information age will continue and technological change will be a constant feature of the workplace. As a result, such techno-stress is likely to be permanent. For this reason, creating appropriate methods to help workers who deal with negative stress, will be a very important issue for an organization, regardless of the source of stress.

3. Theoretical foundations, dimensions, and components of techno-stress

3.1 Definition of techno-stress

What is techno-stress? Various definitions have been provided for techno-stress, which include: The stress caused by technology, which is one of the basic problems of today’s organizations, is called techno-stress. Techno-stress occurs as a result of dependence on technology or anxiety caused by uncertainty in connection with technology [12]. It is a type of stress caused by rapid changes in technology, resulting in an inability to meet changing competencies. Fatigue and mental stress are caused by the daily use of technology.

• An individual’s inability to cope with technology-related demands in the environment. These demands may be considered technical uncertainties, technical insecurity, technical invasiveness, and technical complexity.

• An inability or imbalance resulting from the rapid introduction of new technologies, technological change, or exposure to or overuse of technology that may cause individuals to reject its use.

• A negative psychological response to technology use stems from the perception of a discrepancy between the resources and demands associated with the technology.

• It is a situation where a person has difficulty or inability to learn and use information and communication technologies.

• A condition in which people cannot adapt or cope with new computer technologies in a healthy way.

Techno-stress has been seen in different industries and occupations. The most common of them is in information technology jobs. In this context, businesses always restructure their work processes to appear more active and efficient, especially in the economic field. Even those who work professionally in the field of information technology are not safe from techno-stress. These employees both use technology and suffer from its risks. They learn how to deal with techno-stress by identifying the main roots of stress and applying practical solutions such as necessary training and increasing skills in this field [13].

The large volume of information on the internet has made a classification of information inevitable. Libraries have been struggling with this problem for years. Classifying and categorizing information is a very difficult task, even if we want to use new technologies. Today, some organizations have made it possible for their employees to use new technologies in all their daily work in the workplace. This purposeful and forward-looking way of thinking has made the Berkeley University library one of the most advanced computer libraries. In recent years, many libraries have used this method. Paper catalogs have been replaced by computers that can be easily accessible to users and make it easier to research what they want. Of course, in the meantime, people and library staff have to filter a huge amount of data, which can cause stress [14].

Another industry that is affected by techno-stress is the education industry. In the past years, teachers have experienced a high level of techno-stress due to the continuous use of new technology in schools. Teachers should be able to work with computers without any problems. They should be willing to accept technology in teaching their students. Using PowerPoint and active websites is normal for students in schools. Most students use computers and need to use new educational technology. Teachers who do not want to accept this problem get tired; this increases their techno-stress. Knowing that technology has a great impact on teachers, schools use strategies that can help teachers reduce their techno-stress. This includes more technology training, practice before using technology, changing teaching methods, and teaching how to manage the class [15].

Techno-stress affects an organization from three aspects: organizational, productivity, and health [16]. Technology fatigue causes employees to lose their effectiveness. Managing techno-stress can be difficult for an organization. Researchers examine how organizations deal with techno-stress. They propose methods and solutions based on which it is determined how organizations can manage technology in their organization in order to reduce techno-stress. Also, the identification and management of techno-stress increase the efficiency of the organization. Accordingly, if the level of techno-stress is high, it will be difficult for the organization to access and use technology. Employees of the organization must accept the new technology in order to work with it [16]. According to Researchers, techno-stress can lead to sleep problems and depression. These consequences also affect many other aspects of life such as work and family. The researchers also point out that techno-stress can cause mental and physical problems in employees, which causes inefficiency at work. Also, productivity is one of the main concerns of organizations. By using technology, organizations expect to increase their productivity levels. But if techno-stress also increases as a result of technology, productivity can be affected in various ways [16]. In general, it can be said that three important factors affecting techno-stress include managerial, technological, and personality factors [16].

3.2 Technological factors

Technology factors, such as high volume of technology, technology influx, technology complexity, technology insecurity, and uncertainty, can affect techno-stress. This factor is closely related to techno-stress [4].

3.3 Personality or personal factors

The individual characteristics of the user can affect the level of techno-stress that a person experiences. A person with strong computer skills and experience is likely to experience less techno-stress than someone who is computer literate.

3.4 Management factors

High workload can lead to techno-stress as well as occupational stress. Ambiguity factors in the role, technical support, job security, and work communication can also affect techno-stress. These factors are classified in the management factor category [4].

4. Symptoms and consequences of techno-stress

Techno-stress is considered a new phenomenon in society and organizational culture. Techno-stress is the stress that a person experiences due to dependence on technology or anxiety caused by the uncertainty of communication with technology. This phenomenon reduces the productivity and performance of people in their work. This reduction in productivity lowers the success level of the organization. On the other hand, all types of technology, especially information technology, are changing rapidly, and as a result, organizations that do not update themselves lose the power to compete with other organizations. The use of new technologies can cause stress in employees and thus negatively affect job satisfaction [17].

As mentioned earlier, the term techno-stress refers to a person’s inability to cope with technology, which leads to distress. Decades after the development of technology, there is now strong evidence that new technologies have an adverse effect on human health. From computing to data management and the internet, information and communication technologies (ICT) affects every aspect of life in the twenty-first century. The age-old boundaries between work and life blur as we venture into a remote world where it seems almost impossible to disconnect from what’s going on around us. How much does technology affect mental health? Do all the emails, social media notifications, and pings on your office messaging systems make you anxious or stressed? Does learning another new software cause you stress? Are the boundaries between home and work life blurred by technology? If so, you may be experiencing a phenomenon known as techno-stress, a term used to describe the negative psychological impact that the use of new technologies can have on us, and how these negative impacts can lead to feelings of anxiety and mental fatigue.

Currently, scientific research on techno-stress shows that the negative psychological relationship with technology mainly manifests itself in two different ways: people’s anxiety in understanding and using new technology (technology anxiety), or excessive use of technology (technology addiction).

Techno-stress is different from traditional stress and is caused by technological changes. An individual’s inability to disconnect or keep up with the demands of new technology is a growing issue that needs further research. However, important symptoms such as concentration problems, warning signs, and symptoms of techno-stress can cause various physical and mental symptoms. Some people may feel exhausted or depressed. People with techno-stress may feel tension in the body, which can lead to headaches and back pain. Common symptoms and warning signs of techno-stress include poor job performance, feeling ineffective at work, lack of motivation or feelings of indifference, difficulty concentrating, feeling restless or anxious, productivity challenges, posture and muscle tension, insomnia, chronic fatigue, depression disorders, etc., which caused anxiety may cause some people to have stomach pain, nausea, and sleep problems. These symptoms have a great impact on work-life balance and job satisfaction of employees. In general, this stress has various physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that are mentioned in the following:

4.1 Physical symptoms of techno-stress

Headache, sleep disorder, high blood pressure, pain in the neck, back, and shoulder muscles, restlessness, illness, and insomnia.

4.2 Mental symptoms of techno-stress

Many errors in work, problems in concentration, low self-confidence and morale, mental exhaustion, and negative attitude towards the computer.

4.3 Emotional symptoms of techno-stress

Anxiety and fear, helplessness, isolation and despair, irritability, and anger.

4.4 Other problems of techno-stress

Other problems caused by techno-stress include general fatigue, not having enough time for sustained thinking, less opportunity for the creative problem-solving, lack of balance between work and personal life, and reduced job satisfaction. Finally, it can be said that the problems caused by techno-stress take away the pleasure of a good life from people and it should be managed seriously.

5. Managing and controlling techno-stress

With the emergence of techno-stress, organizations must learn how to reduce or manage it. Organizations have been struggling with this problem for years. Especially working with information is very hard and difficult work that increases the amount of techno-stress [18].

Therefore, new technologies are constantly changing and businesses must use technologies to improve and progress. Applying new technologies in a way that is compatible with the activities of the organization is a very difficult task. An organization should analyze its solutions and choose the best and most useful way to use technology. In today’s global markets, businesses are constantly looking for competitive solutions to overcome their competitors. Human resource systems and customer relationship management systems have been created to increase productivity and efficiency. If new technologies are not used, the possibility of new organizational issues may arise among the employees of that organization. Depending on how an employee approaches technology, using technology can cause tension and anxiety. The use of software or hardware may cause dissatisfaction and have a negative effect on the efficiency of an employee [19]. Preventing or minimizing the negative effects of techno-stress may seem impossible and very difficult at first, but it can be managed with the following techniques:

1. Determining a time to rest Install an application or programs on your computer to tell you the time. Then, use that to schedule rest times for yourself and stick to it.

2. Determining a specific time to search in social networks if you must visit social networks every day, and turn off notifications and ads on your phone. You can even delete apps you do not use.

3. Turn off personal digital tools while working Turn off all your digital devices while working, relaxing, and sleeping so you do not lose your peace of mind due to timely and timeless messages.

4. Reducing unnecessary communications filter non-essential messages on your cell phone and set a specific time of day to answer other messages.

5. Writing on paper if you feel that turning on the computer to type a text makes you distracted and immersed in searching on the computer or the Internet, write your content on paper if possible. In this way, you will stay away from technology as before.

6. Learning technology if you have to use digital tools and have to learn to work with modern technologies, learn them in training classes so that you donot get anxiety and worry caused by technology.

7. Self-awareness and preventing drowning while using technology. The first step in dealing with this type of reaction is awareness. If we become more aware of our behavior in social networks, there is a greater possibility that we can separate the harmful effects from beneficial effects and avoid using it in a harmful way. Therefore, every time you experience techno-stress from a social network, it might be better to put your device away.

8. Preventing multitasking and preventing doing several tasks at the same time part of the reason for techno-stress is that technology has enabled us to be very efficient and productive. Because technology promotes doing multi-stage activities or “multi-tasking,” people are forced to engage their minds and body in several tasks at the same time; for example, driving and talking on their cell phones at the same time, or sending text messages while driving or crossing intersections. However, such people who multitask at the same time are actually less productive than those who focus on one task. Additionally, there is clear evidence that “multitasking” (doing several things at the same time) leads to driving accidents and other harmful consequences such as short-term memory loss. What is not so clear is what happens to someone who is constantly using technological tools.

9. Doing sports. Unfortunately, the existence of stress and anxiety in today’s organizations is an important fact. A fact that can have a negative impact on the quality of life of the organization’s employees. Certainly, people may experience this feeling at any time; but the most important thing is to find suitable ways of exercise to reduce stress and anxiety and manage it. Exercise is one of the most available and best ways to reduce and manage all types of stress. Almost any form of exercise, from aerobics to yoga, can be a major factor in reducing anxiety and stress. It is not necessary for people to be professional athletes, but people can remove tension and mental anxiety by using the simplest sports exercises even at home and to manage them. Doing sports is a powerful natural anti-depressant and anxiety reliever that relieves stress. In general, exercise will have many benefits on physical and mental health and stress relief [20].

10. Expecting technological developments and changes. Change and improvement are in the nature of technology. No matter how comfortable you are with your current computer, mobile phone, or pocket computer! Sometimes you will need to upgrade to a newer version.

11. Using digital tools at designated times or turning them off completely if possible. Today, each of the users of digital tools, whether adults or teenagers, and even children, spend hours working or spending time with it daily without knowing the principles of ergonomics, and unfortunately, these hours are also increasing. Naturally, it is not surprising to see the spread of physical and mental problems caused by not following the principles of working with mobile phones. Prolonged use of mobile phones during the day causes serious damage to wrists, fingers, spine, neck, shoulders, and eyes. In general, the World Health Organization has pointed out the negative impact of all electronic devices and not only smartphones on the human body, and according to this organization, they increase the possibility of contracting cancer. Among the time management tools, we can mention tools such as calendar, note-taking software, time tracker, specialized management programs, etc. Using these tools is amazing for better time management. Because they increase our productivity and make it easier for us to revise our work and create more useful habits. To choose the time management tools is different according to the needs and goals of the audience. For example, some people like to use digital tools for time management, but others prefer to use written and manual tools. Due to the wide range of these tools, some of them have attracted the attention of more audiences due to their ease of use and facilities.