The research reported in this paper studies the phenomenon of technostress, that is, stress experienced by end users of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), and examines its influence on their job satisfaction, commitment to the organization, and intention to stay. Drawing from the Transaction-Based Model of stress and prior research on the effects of ICTs on end users, we first conceptually build a nomological net for technostress to understand the influence of technostress on three variables relating to end users of ICTs: job satisfaction, and organizational and continuance commitment. Because there are no prior instruments to measure constructs related to technostress, we develop and empirically validate two second order constructs: technostress creators (i.e., factors that create stress from the use of ICTs) and technostress inhibitors (i.e., organizational mechanisms that reduce stress from the use of ICTs). We test our conceptual model using data from the responses of 608 end users of ICTs from multiple organizations to a survey questionnaire. Our results, based on structural equation modeling (SEM), show that technostress creators decrease job satisfaction, leading to decreased organizational and continuance commitment, while Technostress inhibitors increase job satisfaction and organizational and continuance commitment. We also find that age, gender, education, and computer confidence influence technostress. The implications of these results and future research directions are discussed.
Based on empirical survey data, this paper uses concepts from sociotechnical theory and role theory to explore the effects of stress created by information and computer technology (ICT)--that is, "technostress"--on role stress and on individual productivity. We first explain different ways in which ICTs can create stress in users and identify factors that create technostress. We next propose three hypotheses: (1) technostress is inversely related to individual productivity, (2) role stress is inversely related to individual productivity, and (3) technostress is directly related to role stress. We then use structural equation modeling on survey data from ICT users in 223 organizations to test the hypotheses. The results show support for them. Theoretically, the paper contributes in three ways. First, the different dimensions of technostress identified here add to existing concepts on stress experienced by individuals in organizations. Second, by showing that technostress inversely affects productivity, the paper reinforces that failure to manage the effects of ICT-induced stress can offset expected increases in productivity. Third, validation of the positive relationship between technostress and role stress adds a new conceptual thread to literature analyzing the relationship between technology and organizational roles and structure. In the practical domain, the paper proposes a diagnostic tool to evaluate the extent to which technostress is present in an organization and suggests that the adverse effects of technostress can be partly countered by strategies that reduce role conflict and role overload.
The recent dramatic impact of information technology (IT) on organizational performance has necessitated appropriate strategies for managing this organizational resource. IT impacts firms in different ways, and management needs a clear and systematic understanding of both the current and future relevance and impact of its IT before selecting management tools and approaches. The strategic grid framework, developed for the purpose of helping management gain this understanding, is one of the most highly recognized and quoted conceptual frameworks in information systems literature. Despite such recognition, valid operational measures of this construct are not available for use in empirical research studies. The research reported in this paper is an attempt to develop and validate operational measures for the dimensions of the strategic grid, with the understanding that the availability of such measures will promote future empirical studies. Data for this study consist of the responses of 231 IS executives to a survey instrument. Operational models of the grid dimensions are specified and the measurement properties of the models are assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) within the LISREL framework. Measures resulting from the analysis are shown to meet the requirements of rigorous tests of measurement properties. The CFA results also show that the current portfolio dimension of the strategic grid is unidimensional, while the future portfolio dimension has three factors: management support, differentiation, and enhancement.
The research reported here is an adaptation of a model developed to measure Planning Systems Success, to the information systems (IS) context. This study is motivated by the increasing importance given to IS planning in recent years. the lack of an empirical model in the IS literature to measure a construct as important as IS planning system success, and the usefulness of developing such a mode! to help guide future research efforts addressing the issue of IS planning effectiveness. An operational model for measuring IS planning system success is developed in terms of two interrelated dimensions: IS planning system capabilities and extent of fulfillment of key IS planning objectives. Due regard is paid to the call lot greater attention to methodological issues in developing such measures. The model meets the measurement criteria suggested in the literature.
The organizational rank of the senior Information Systems (IS) officer has been suggested to influence the effectiveness of the organizational IS effort. As IS continues to gain increasing recognition as a key organizational system, a study of the various factors that contribute to its effectiveness should be particularly useful. This research explores the relationship between the reporting level of the senior IS executive and two specific aspects of IS, namely, IS organizational role and IS planning. The analysis is based on the responses of IS executives to a survey instrument. Results support the existence of significant linkages between the rank of the IS executive and the IS aspects addressed in the study. This suggests that the reporting level of the IS executive may be a key variable that management should focus on in efforts to increase the effectiveness of their information systems.