Work-related use of information and communication technologies after hours (W_ICTs) and emotional exhaustion: A mediated moderation model

Buffering or boosting? The dynamic curvilinear relationship between work-related use of information and communication technologies after-hours and wok procrastination

Work-related use of information and communication technologies after-hours (W_ICTs) blurs the boundaries between work and non-work domains, representing a typical boundary-crossing behavior that affects employees' lives and organizational development. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources theory, this study develops a dynamic curvilinear model of the impact of W_ICTs on work procrastination, considering intrinsic motivation (self-efficacy and enjoyment) and regulatory focus (prevention focus). Empirical testing of the research hypotheses is conducted through a survey involving 817 employees with standard working hours (e.g. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The results indicate that W_ICTs can be regarded as both inhibitors and promoters, with a U-shaped impact on work procrastination and an inverted U-shaped effect on self-efficacy and enjoyment. The mediating roles of self-efficacy and enjoyment are significant. Moreover, prevention focus moderates the relationship between W_ICTs and enjoyment, whereas the moderating effect between W_ICTs and self-efficacy is insignificant. This dynamic curvilinear relationship may explain the inconsistent results of prior studies regarding the relationship between W_ICTs and employees' negative behaviors. It contributes to expanding research on the outcomes of W_ICTs and the antecedents of work procrastination. Moreover, the proposed influence mechanism between W_ICTs and work procrastination has not been established from the perspective of intrinsic motivation and prevention focus. Hence, this study responds to scholars' calls and adds to the existing research on how W_ICTs affect work procrastination. These research findings enhance the current understanding of the effects of W_ICTs and offer valuable insights for organizations to effectively manage W_ICTs and address work procrastination behavior in practice.

Exploring discontinuous intentions of social media users: a cognition-affect-conation perspective

Introduction

Drawing on the cognition-affect-conation (C-A-C) framework, this study investigates how perceived information and social and system feature overload induce depression and anxiety, which leads to affect discontinuous intentions of the social media users.

Methods

The data collected from 570 social networking site users in China are analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM).

Results and Discussion

The findings show that perceived information overload, perceived social overload, and perceived system feature overload directly affect depression and anxiety among social networking site users, which directly leads to discontinuous intentions. This study fulfills the identified need for an in-depth investigation of discontinuous behavior in social networking sites. The findings provide social networking site providers with guidelines on how to actively manage social networking site user's behavior to reduce the effects of negative emotions on social networking sites.

The spillover effect of after-hours electronic communication on nurses' cyberloafing: the mediating role of psychological contract breach

BACKGROUND

Considerable research has investigated the influencing factors of cyberloafing in the workplace. However, few studies have focused on the antecedents in non-work fields, especially for nurses. According to the effort-reward imbalance theory, this study aims to explore the spillover effect of after-hours electronic communication on nurses' cyberloafing, and the mediating role of psychological contract breach.

METHODS

A total of 282 nurses completed the online survey. PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to test how after-hour electronic communication affect nurses' cyberloafing.

RESULTS

After-hours electronic communication has a significant positive impact on nurses' cyberloafing, and psychological contract breach plays a mediating role in the relationship.

CONCLUSION

Psychological contract breach was the linchpin linking after-hours electronic communication to nurses' cyberloafing in workplace. This study provides a guide for healthcare organizations to reduce or manage inappropriate telework arrangements and strengthen nurses' psychological contracts.

Strain, loss of time, or even gain? A systematic review of technology-based work extending and its ambiguous impact on wellbeing, considering its frequency and duration

Especially in knowledge-intensive professions, workers engage in work-related communication and access digital work content outside of working hours. Scientific research on technology-based work extending has flourished in recent decades, but yielded inconclusive results about its relationship with workers' wellbeing and focused on different temporal characteristics of the behaviour. Consequently, in this article, we address the question of whether different temporal characteristics of technology-based work extending, such as the frequency and duration of the behaviour, may have different consequences for workers' wellbeing. In the course of a systematic literature review, we analyzed 78 empirical studies published between 2007 and 2021 that investigate the relationship between the self-rated frequency and the self-rated duration of work extending behaviours and 14 wellbeing indicators. Whereas most studies examined the frequency of work extending behaviours and its consequences, only 19 studies examined the effects of its duration. Based on our findings, we propose three effects: The strain effect of frequent work extending, the gain effect of sustained work extending, and the loss-of-private-time effect inherent to work extending and independent from its frequency and duration. Our findings not only provide in-depth information on a widespread contemporary behaviour and its psychological implications, we also reveal research gaps and shed light on behaviours associated with role transitions and thus contribute to boundary theory.

Work-related use of information and communication technologies (W_ICTs) and job satisfaction of kindergarten teachers: A moderated mediation model

The high turnover rate of kindergarten teachers has become a global problem. Job satisfaction is regarded as a contributing factor that can reduce turnover intention. We sought to examine the relationship between work-related use of information and communication technologies after hours (W_ICTs) and kindergarten teachers' job satisfaction, as well as the mediating role of emotional exhaustion and the moderating role of perceived organizational support in the link between W_ICTs and emotional exhaustion. A sample of 434 participants of kindergarten teachers completed questionnaires on W_ICTs, job satisfaction, perceived organizational support and emotional exhaustion. Results indicated that kindergarten teachers' emotional exhaustion played a partial mediating role in the relationship between W_ICTs and job satisfaction. In addition, perceived organizational support moderated the association between W_ICTs and emotional exhaustion. Specifically, W_ICTs had a greater impact on emotional exhaustion for kindergarten teachers with low perceived organizational support.

A Person-Environment Fit Model to Explain Information and Communication Technologies-Enabled After-Hours Work-Related Interruptions in China

Given the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices and information and communication technologies (ICT), after-hours work-related interruptions (AHWI) occur anywhere and anytime in China. In the current study, an alternative person-environment (P-E) fit model of ICT-enabled AHWI, hereafter referred to as IAWI, that treats polychronic variables as moderated solutions are presented. A cross-sectional survey among 277 Chinese employees (average age: 32.04 years) was conducted in September 2022 and tested by PLS-structural equation modeling to validate our hypotheses. The results indicated that IAWI had a positive influence on employees' innovative job performance and in-role job performance (β = 0.139, p < 0.05; β = 0.200, p < 0.01; β = 0.298, p < 0.001). Moreover, among employees with higher levels of polychronicity, the heightened effects of IAWI on innovative job performance were increased (β = 0.112, p < 0.05). This study offers implications for employees: under IAWI situations, they could search for a person-environment (P-E) that is fit to buffer the negative aspects of IAWI, consequently increasing their innovative job performance and in-role job performance. Future research could extend beyond this framework to explore employees' IAWI and job performance balance.

Excessive technology use in the post-pandemic context: how work connectivity behavior increases procrastination at work

Purpose

Using role stress theory, this study examines how work connectivity behavior (WCB) blurs the lines between employees' work and personal lives, thereby encouraging procrastination at work (PAW). The study also investigates the importance of role stress and remote work self-efficacy (RWSE) as mediating and moderating factors, respectively.

Design/methodology/approach

The study examines the direct and indirect relationships between WCB and PAW using hierarchical regression and data from 415 Chinese teleworkers. RWSE is also estimated as a second-stage moderator.

Findings

The findings indicate that WCB has a direct and indirect (via role stress) positive influence on PAW; however, these effects are weaker among employees with higher (vs lower) RWSE.

Practical implications

This study assists managers and organizations in developing more efficient ways of maximizing employee and organizational performance while minimizing the counterproductive behaviors associated with excessive technology use.

Originality/value

By investigating the links between WCB and PAW in the post-pandemic context, this study adds a new perspective on how excessive technology use for work and non-work purposes can be counterproductive.

The spillover effect of work connectivity behaviors on employees' family: Based on the perspective of work-home resource model

With the rapid development of mobile communication technology, work connectivity behaviors are becoming increasingly pervasive, which has gradually attracted extensive attention from scholars and practitioners. According to the work-home resource model, we propose a theoretical model that proactive/passive work connectivity behaviors induce family harmony through self-efficacy and ego depletion, and we explore the moderating role of family support in this relationship. Based on survey data collected from 364 questionnaires using a three-wave time-lagged design, the results show that: (1) Proactive work connection behaviors have a negative effect on family harmony; Passive work connection behaviors have a negative effect on family harmony. (2) Self-efficacy plays a suppressing role in the relationship between proactive work connection behaviors and family harmony. (3) Ego depletion plays a mediating role in the relationship between passive work connectivity behaviors and family harmony; (4) Family support not only positively moderates the relationship between proactive work connectivity behaviors and self-efficacy, but also moderates the suppressing effect of proactive work connectivity behaviors on family harmony through self-efficacy; (5) Family support not only negatively moderates the relationship between passive work connectivity behaviors and ego depletion, but also moderates the mediating effect of passive work connectivity behaviors on family harmony through ego depletion. The above results can broaden our understanding of the effect of work connectivity behaviors and provide some inspiration for how to optimize the management strategy of employees' work connectivity behaviors.

Freedom or bondage? The double-edged sword effect of work connectivity behavior after-hours on employee occupational mental health

Purpose

This study aims to explore the double-edged sword effect of work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA) on employees’ occupational mental health. Drawing on job demand-resource theory, the authors examined the double mediating mechanism of work autonomy and work-family conflict on the relationship of WCBA, work engagement and work burnout. At the same time, the authors examined the moderating role of responsiveness from superiors, hoping to clarify how WCBA brings employees positive experiences (engagement) or negative experiences (burnout).

Design/methodology/approach

Under the mediating mechanism of work autonomy and work-family conflict, the authors built a dual-path model and moderated mediation model to examine the effect of WCBA on work engagement and burnout. Two-stage paired data were collected from various industries in China by distributing questionnaires to employees. The hypotheses were tested using the structural equation model and the bootstrap test method.

Findings

The results showed that WCBA positively affects work engagement and burnout. Work autonomy plays a mediating role both in the relationship between WCBA and work engagement and in the relationship between WCBA and work burnout. In addition, work-family conflict plays a mediating role both in the relationship between WCBA and work burnout and in the relationship between WCBA and work engagement. Responsiveness from superiors not only moderated the relationship between WCBA and work autonomy and between WCBA and work-family conflict but also moderated the mediating effects of work autonomy and work-family conflict.

Originality/value

This study examined the double-edged sword effect of WCBA on employees’ occupational mental health, the dual mediation of work autonomy and work-family conflict and the moderating effect of responsiveness from superiors. This study can enrich the understanding of the effects of WCBA as well as the influential factors and boundary conditions related to employees’ occupational mental health. Organizations (represented by superiors) and individuals were integrated into one model, providing a new perspective for studying WCBA. The research will help managers and individuals gain a comprehensive understanding of WCBA, and how to enhance its positive effects and circumvent its negative effects.

The Relationship Between Work-to-Family Conflict and Conspicuous Consumption: An Identity Theory Perspective

Purpose

The adverse effects of work-to-family conflict in occupational health fields have been widely concerned. However, we do not yet know whether and how work-to-family conflict affects people's consumption behavior. This study used identity theory as the conceptual framework to test the hidden link between work-to-family conflict and conspicuous consumption, the possible underlying mechanism of status anxiety, and the boundary condition of work-family centrality.

Methods

We conducted two quantitative studies to test the hypotheses. Study 1 used a cross-sectional survey (N = 486) to test the relationship between work-to-family conflict and conspicuous consumption and the mechanism of the relationship. Study 2 used a 10-day daily diary survey (N_between = 100, N_within = 776) to duplicate the results of Study 1 and further test the moderating effect of work-family centrality.

Results

We found that work-to-family conflict was positively related to conspicuous consumption, and this relationship was mediated by increased status anxiety. Moreover, this mediating effect was more substantial for employees with lower work-family centrality.

Conclusion

This research is the first to link work-to-family conflict and conspicuous consumption theoretically and empirically. The findings supported identity theory, adding new knowledge to the consequences of work-to-family conflict and contributing to organizations' prevention and intervention programs on behavioral health issues in work-family conflict.

Spillover and crossover effects of working time demands on work-life balance satisfaction among dual-earner couples: the mediating role of work-family conflict

To examine the spillover and crossover effects of working time demands (specifically, work contact in leisure time, evening work, and long work hours) on satisfaction with work-life balance among dual-earner couples, path analyses were conducted using data from the 2017/2018 German Family Panel (pairfam; N = 1,053 dual-earner couples). Working time demands were measured based on (a) answering work emails/phone calls in leisure time, (b) evening work, and (c) weekly work hours. High working time demands impaired workers' work-life balance satisfaction due to higher levels of work-life conflict. They indirectly affected partners' work-life balance satisfaction through two pathways: (a) workers' and partners' work-life conflict and (b) workers' work-life conflict and work-life balance satisfaction. These findings indicate that high working time demands negatively impact the work-life balance satisfaction of workers and their partners because of work-life conflict experienced either by the workers only or by both partners. In an increasingly digitalized labor market, measures are needed to reduce working time demands-and thus work-life conflict-for workers and their partners.

Electronic communication during nonwork time and withdrawal behavior: An analysis of employee cognition-emotion-behavior framework from Chinese cultural context

Although a large number of literatures have explored the relationship between electronic communication during nonwork time and individual perception and behavior under the Western culture background, we still have some limitations on this topic under the cultural background of collectivism, dedication and “Guanxi” in China. Different from Western organizations, Chinese employees tend to put work first and are more inclusive of handling work tasks during nonwork time. This type of communication during nonwork time can significantly affect employees’ cognition, emotion and behavior. From the perspective of Job Demands-Resources theory, this study constructs a double-edged (U-shaped) model between electronic communication during nonwork time and employee withdrawal behavior. Sample data were collected from 516 employees with clear working time boundaries in China. The results indicate that electronic communication during nonwork time has a U-shaped effect on employee withdrawal behavior and an inverted U-shaped effect on employee’s cognition, namely job engagement. Job engagement plays a mediating role between them. Moreover, regulatory emotional self-efficacy has a moderating effect on the relationship between electronic communication during nonwork time and job engagement. These findings not only provide theoretical and practical implications for managers and employees on how to reduce withdrawal behaviors, but also advance our understanding of electronic communication during nonwork time in Chinese cultural context.

Work-related use of information and communication technologies after-hours (W_ICTs) and employee innovation behavior: a dual-path model

Purpose

The current study aims to identify work-related use of information and communication technologies after-hours (W_ICTs) from passive and active perspectives and examine mechanisms and different effects of information and communication technologies on employee innovation behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Experience sampling method (ESM) was employed to capture dynamic within-person variance in daily-behaviors and daily-mood. In total, 92 employees completed an identical online survey each day for ten workdays.

Findings

The findings showed that the influence patterns and mechanisms of passive and active W_ICTs were utterly different. Passive W_ICTs was negatively associated with employee innovation behavior via emotional exhaustion, while active W_ICTs was positively associated with employee innovation behavior through perceived insider status. Furthermore, differential leadership significantly narrowed the positive relationship between passive W_ICTs and emotional exhaustion. However, differential leadership did not significantly moderate the relationship between active W_ICTs and perceived insider status.

Originality/value

This study is an important step forward in dividing W_ICTs into passive and active W_ICTs and discovers a dual path of two types of W_ICTs on employee innovation behavior. Findings of this study have heuristic value for future research.

Work-Related Smartphone Use at Night and Job Satisfaction: Testing a Moderated Mediation Model of Emotional Exhaustion and Organizational Dehumanization

Work-related smartphone use at night has attracted substantial research attention. Surprisingly, its impact on employees' job satisfaction is mixed. Based on the stressor-strain-outcome model, this study aims to examine whether emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between work-related smartphone use at night and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the role of organizational dehumanization in moderating the relation between work-related smartphone use and emotional exhaustion, and the association between emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction, was examined. A total of 372 participants reported on two online surveys. Bivariate correlation results showed that work-related smartphone use was positively related to emotional exhaustion but there was no significant association between work-related smartphone use and job satisfaction. Moderated mediation analysis results suggested that organizational dehumanization (T1) did not interact with work-related smartphone use at night (T1) in predicting emotional exhaustion (T1). However, organizational dehumanization (T1) interacted with emotional exhaustion (T1) in predicting job satisfaction (T2), in which individuals who perceived higher organizational dehumanization reported lower job satisfaction under higher emotional exhaustion. The limitations and implications of this study are also discussed in this paper.

The association of work-related extended availability with recuperation, well-being, life domain balance and work: A meta-analysis

Work-related extended availability (WREA; the availability of employees for work-related matters in their leisure time) seems to be associated with decreases in well-being and life-domain balance, but to date there is no quantitative synthesis of the scattered evidence. We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis (113 articles with 121 studies relying on k = 117 independent samples with N = 131,872) on the associations between WREA and employee outcomes while examining potential moderators as well as differences between availability demands and behaviors. WREA was adversely associated with recuperation, well-being and private life, but favorably with some work-related criteria. There were no systematic differences in effect sizes between availability demands and behaviors; however, segmentation preferences were a moderator. Overall, these results suggest that WREA may pose a threat to employee recuperation, well-being and private lives, especially when employees prefer separating work and private life. However, positive potentials of WREA should not be overlooked. Plain Language Summary Work-related extended availability (WREA) refers to the availability of employees for work-related matters in their leisure time. Studies have shown that WREA may go along with primarily negative consequences for employees, but to date, there is no comprehensive overview of the literature statistically summarizing the current state of research, which was done in the study at hand. We assumed that WREA be related to problems with recovery, poorer well-being and difficulties to find a balance between work and private life. We also assessed in how far WREA goes along with attitudes towards work, absence from work and the intention to change jobs. Moreover, we considered differences between demands to be available and behaviors of actually taking care of work-related matters during leisure time. Finally, we investigated factors that may be associated with stronger consequences of WREA. We included 113 scientific papers with a total of 131,872 participants. WREA was related to problems with recovery, poorer well-being and difficulties to find a balance between work and private life, but also to more positive attitudes towards work. We did not find systematic differences between demands to be available and availability behaviors. However, we found that the relationship between WREA and work creating conflict with family life were stronger in samples with higher preferences to segment work and private life. Our findings suggest that WREA may pose a threat to employee recuperation, well-being and private lives, especially when employees prefer separating life domains. Still, positive potentials of WREA should not be overlooked.

The Impact of Work-Related Use of Information and Communication Technologies After Hours on Time Theft

Time theft is a prevalent, costly, and generally discreet employee activity in firms; nonetheless, very limited research is available on it. To explore why, how, and when employees exhibit time theft, we investigate the influence mechanism of work-related use of information and communication technologies after hours (W_ICTs) on time theft from the perspective of resource gain and loss. Our study found that W_ICTs significantly promotes employee time theft. Emotional exhaustion and moral disengagement play a mediating role in the relationship between W_ICTs and time theft, respectively, and these two variables have a chain-mediating role in the relationship above. Perceived organizational support moderates this chain mediation by moderating the positive effect of W_ICTs on emotional exhaustion. Overall, the findings have important theoretical and managerial implications for research on W_ICTs and time theft.

Techno-invasion and job satisfaction in China: The roles of boundary preference for segmentation and marital status

BACKGROUND: While the intensive work-related use of information and communication technologies after working hours have led to increased techno-invasion, much less is known regarding whether and for whom techno-invasion influences job satisfaction. OBJECTIVE: Drawing on the conservation of resources theory and person-environment fit theory, this study examined the relationship between techno-invasion and decreased job satisfaction. Specific attention was paid to the moderating effect of boundary preference for segmentation and its joint influence with marital status on this relationship. METHODS: Questionnaire data were collected by an online survey of a nationwide and diverse sample of 472 employees from China. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression analysis. RESULTS: We found that techno-invasion negatively correlated with job satisfaction, which was strengthened by boundary preference for segmentation. Furthermore, the results of a three-way interaction effect suggested that the moderating role of boundary preference for segmentation on the relationship between techno-invasion and job satisfaction is stronger for unmarried employees than it is for married ones. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of techno-invasion on employees’ job satisfaction can be strengthened or weakened by their boundary preference for segmentation and marital status.

Behavioral Interventions to Improve Home-Based Office-Workers’ Health

Many organizations have traditionally supported their employees’ physical and mental health through a variety of office-based programs and interventions. The shift from in-office work to working from home, which has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, requires organizations to update their toolbox to continue supporting a healthy and happy workforce. In this paper, we review research on successful, evidence-based interventions in four key areas of physical and mental health: physical activity and sedentary behavior, nutrition, loneliness, and stress. We show how organizations could adapt these interventions to a home-based office environment and conclude by highlighting areas of future research, as well as by discussing the role of health professionals and policymakers in designing effective interventions for the future of work.

After-hours work-related technology use and individuals' deviance: the role of other-initiated versus self-initiated interruptions

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of after-hours work-related technology use on interpersonal, organizational and nonwork deviance through work–family conflict (WFC) by focusing on the moderating role of other- and self-initiated interruptions.

Design/methodology/approach

The online survey included 318 valid samples from employees working in different organizations in the Anhui provinces of the People's Republic of China. The authors applied Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) process macros for testing mediation and moderated mediation analysis while conducting path analytic procedures and bootstrapping analysis.

Findings

This study found that after-hours work-related technology use is positively associated with interpersonal, organizational and nonwork deviance through WFC. This positive relationship strengthens in the presence of other-initiated interruptions compared with self-initiated interruptions. The results show that as compared to self-initiated interruptions, other-initiated interruptions strengthen the relationship between after-hours work-related technology use and its outcomes in the forms of WFC and deviance.

Originality/value

After-hours work-related technology use is a ubiquitous phenomenon and got significant scholarly attention. However, its effect on WFC and individual deviant behaviors has never been studied. Moreover, the moderated-mediation role of self-initiated and other-initiated interruptions presents a unique and important development in the context of after-hours work-related technology use and deviant behavior.

Defrag and reboot? Consolidating information and communication technology research in I-O psychology

Several decades of research have addressed the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology. However, segmented research streams with myriad terminologies run the risk of construct proliferation and lack an integrated theoretical justification of the contributions of ICT concepts. Therefore, by identifying important trends and reflecting on key constructs, findings, and theories, our review seeks to determine whether a compelling case can be made for the uniqueness of ICT-related concepts in studying employee and performance in I-O psychology. Two major themes emerge from our review of the ICT literature: (a) a technology behavior perspective and (b) a technology experience perspective. The technology behavior perspective with three subcategories (the “where” of work design, the “when” of work extension, and the “what” of work inattention) explores how individual technology use can be informative for predicting employee well-being and performance. The technology experience perspective theme with two subcategories (the “how” of ICT appraisals and “why” of motives) emphasizes unique psychological (as opposed to behavioral) experiences arising from the technological work context. Based on this review, we outline key challenges of current ICT research perspectives and opportunities for further enhancing our understanding of technological implications for individual workers and organizations.

Anaesthesia and Critical Care Department at a Major Academic Centre's Adaptation to Face the COVID-19 Pandemic

The new novel coronavirus is having a major impact on healthcare systems internationally. Hospitals are struggling to manage the sudden influx of critical patients. Anaesthesiologists and critical care physicians are front liners in the fight against COVID-19 and carry the highest risk of getting infected. Due to the rapid response of the Saudi government to the WHO's early warning, we were fortunate at our hospital to see a slower rise in COVID-19 cases allowing us some time to prepare. We had to make room for the expected rise in highly infectious and critical patients, while at the same time protecting non-COVID-19 patients, staff and trainees. Additionally, the team continued to provide essential and specialized care to all patients in the hospital and maintain its academic and non-clinical services within the university. This review presents the different protocols, challenges and lessons learned during the development of a COVID-19 anaesthesia and critical care department plan in a major teaching hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Our ultimate aim is to share our experience with other similar institutions.

Work-related use of information and communication technologies after hours and employee fatigue: the exacerbating effect of affective commitment

Purpose

Work-related use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) after hours can be potentially detrimental to employee well-being. In the current study, we examine whether psychological detachment mediates the link between work-related use of ICTs after hours and fatigue and whether affective commitment exacerbates this mediated relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

We collected two waves of data from 295 employees in Vietnam, with 51% being female and an average age of 37.81 years old (SD = 7.93).

Findings

Work-related use of ICTs after hours was positively related to employees' fatigue via psychological detachment. The negative relationship between work-related use of ICTs after hours and psychological detachment was stronger for employees with higher affective commitment.

Practical implications

Organizations are encouraged to set policies and procedures to reduce work-related use of ICTs after hours to protect employee health; when work-related use of ICTs after hours is necessary, organizations should provide employees, especially those with higher affective commitment, with resources and strategies to better detach from this experience.

Originality/value

Our findings contribute to the understanding of how work-related use of ICTs after hours might adversely affect employee well-being through psychological detachment and that more committed employees can be more affected in this process.

Work-related extended availability, psychological detachment, and interindividual differences: A cross-lagged panel study

Work-related extended availability (WREA) refers to employees being available for work-related matters during leisure time. Although studies have suggested negative effects of WREA on employee health, there is a scarcity of longitudinal research especially studies trying to disentangle how WREA may impact health. Moreover, there are only few studies dealing with interindividual differences in the effects of WREA on health. These aspects are crucial as they can help laying a foundation for interventions that help coming to terms with negative effects of WREA. The current study implemented a cross-lagged panel design with three waves to clarify how effects of WREA unfold and whether there are interindividual differences. Based on the stressor-detachment-model and person-environmental-fit theory, we proposed that (1) the relationship between WREA and sleep as well as between WREA and exhaustion is mediated by psychological detachment, and (2) that the relationship between WREA and the outcomes is moderated by segmentation preferences. In total, 528 employees (320 women, mean age = 48 years) participated in the study. Although there was a cross-lagged negative association between WREA and detachment, we did not find an indirect relationship between WREA and either sleep or exhaustion via detachment. Moreover, we did not find evidence for interindividual differences in the effects of WREA on any of the outcomes. On the basis of the negative cross-lagged relationship between WREA and detachment from work, we recommend organizations to discourage employees from WREA, because failure to regularly recover from work may lead to health issues in the long run.

Assessing potential effects of daily cross-domain usage of information and communication technologies

A within-person diary research design with 39 full-time workers was used to examine the effects of daily cross-domain usage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on job-related performance and stress in both workplace and home domains. Segmentation preference effects on links between cross-domain ICT usage and both job performance and job stress were also analyzed. A positive association was found for the first relationship in mixed home-workplace contexts, and a negative association for the second in home contexts only. A stronger segmentation preference effect on the negative relationship between cross-domain ICT usage and job stress was found for integrators (employees who integrate work and home domains) compared to separators (employees who separate work/non-work activities). Our findings suggest that daily cross-domain ICT usage can enhance job performance and reduce job stress, with a moderating effect of segmentation preference on the link between cross-domain ICT usage and job stress.

Analysis of Stress Factors for Female Professors at Online Universities

The aim of this paper is to analyze the primary stress factors female professors at online universities are exposed to. The technique used for the prospective and exploratory analysis was the Delphi method. Two rounds of consultations were done with fourteen judges with broad experience in health and safety at work and university teaching who reached a consensus of opinion regarding a list of nine psychosocial risk factors. Among the most important risk factors, mental overload, time pressure, the lack of a schedule, and emotional exhaustion were highlighted. These risk factors are related to the usage and expansion of information and communication technology (ICT) and to the university system itself, which requires initiating more research in the future in order to develop the intervention programs needed to fortify the health of the affected teachers and protect them from stress and other psychosocial risks.

New Patterns of Information and Communication Technologies Usage at Work and Their Relationships with Visual Discomfort and Musculoskeletal Diseases: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study of Spanish Organizations

This cross-sectional study analyses the usage patterns of the new communication and information technologies (ICTs) and their relationship with visual discomfort and musculoskeletal diseases in an intentional sample of 1259 workers of Spanish organizations. The usage pattern with the greatest incidence of visual and muscular-skeletal disorders, especially in the wrist and neck, combines the use of laptops and desktops during long working hours. However, the group of workers primarily using mobile devices and working mostly at mobile posts does not appear to be particularly vulnerable to the musculoskeletal diseases and visual fatigue. The ratio of taking a short pause per hour and the implantation of certain technical and preventive measures is related to lower incidence of disorders in the workers as a whole. Current usage of ICTs is very complex and should be addressed using empirical analysis of the different forms of usage and their impacts on health.