Welcome to my blog

My articles are from various angles that might interest different audiences:

The research category includes my academic publications, opinion pieces on academia or open science or research methods tips,
The teaching category includes textbook reviews, teaching tips or resources for students and teachers in my discipline,
The fiction category has short science-fiction stories about the future of work impacted by technology,
The opinion category presents opinion pieces on work and technology and various ideas on how to apply my research.

Publication: Email stress: Towards a new understanding of its causes and impacts

10/03/2026 Research Publication, Work, Technology, Human Resources, Research

Email is a source of ambivalence for its users, who report feeling divided between the opportunities for productivity gains it offers and threats of overload it poses. This conceptual article seeks to shed light on how email use (for both receiving and sending correspondence) generates perceptions of both threat (stress or distress) and challenge (eustress). It summarizes the main ideas of previous research in a transactional model of email stress distinguishing the experiences of senders from those of receivers and, in so doing, opens new avenues for future empirical research and for more stimulating and less negative use of this communication tool.

10/03/2026 Uncategorized Publication, Work, Technology, Human Resources, Research

Publication: Stress de l’e-mail : vers une nouvelle compréhension de ses causes et impacts

10/03/2026 Uncategorized Publication, Work, Technology, Human Resources, Research

Le courrier électronique est source d’ambivalence pour ses utilisateurs, partagés entre opportunités de productivité et menaces de surcharge. Cet article conceptuel entend éclairer comment l’usage de l’e-mail (réception comme envoi) engendre des perceptions à la fois de menace (stress ou détresse) et d’opportunité (eustress). Il résume les lignes de force de la littérature en un modèle transactionnel du stress de l’e-mail distinguant les expériences des expéditeurs de celles des destinataires et, ce faisant, ouvre de nouvelles pistes pour des recherches empiriques futures et un usage plus stimulant et moins négatif de cet outil de communication.

29/10/2025 Research Publication, Work, Technology, Human Resources, Research

Publication: Holiworking: Perspectives on New Ways of Integrating Holiday and Work

29/10/2025 Research Publication, Work, Technology, Human Resources, Research

Digitally enabled work arrangements such as remote work, mobile work and digital nomadism have increasingly been researched. More recently, a distinct form of work arrangement has emerged that allows employees to relocate temporarily to a foreign destination where they simultaneously engage in both professional work and leisure activities. This study develops an empirically grounded, substantive theory of this emerging novel arrangement termed ‘holiwork’. Employing grounded theory methodology, the research draws upon the experiences of six individuals engaged in holiwork. The findings illustrate that holiwork constitutes a complex blend of ambivalent feelings and experiences split between the novelty and alluring appeal of unfamiliar cultural environments and the continuous demands of their full-time professional responsibilities. These insights contribute to the literature on the sociology of digitally mediated work, offering theoretical implications for understanding new work arrangements shaped by digital connectivity and global mobility.

24/09/2025 Research Publication, Work, Human Resources, Research

Publication: Talent Development in Higher Education Institutions: Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

24/09/2025 Research Publication, Work, Human Resources, Research

This systematic literature review examines talent development (TD) as part of the talent management (TM) approach taken by higher education institutions. The aim is to consolidate the conceptualisation of TD, its main themes and challenges, and potential TD research at higher education institutions (HEIs). Scopus and Web of Science databases were used for the article search. Employing a PRISMA protocol and meticulous rejection criteria, 57 articles were ultimately included in the review. The contribution of the review is that it systemises current knowledge about TD within higher education institutions and identifies transverse themes and tensions in the literature. The themes reveal contextual influences, higher education managerialism triggering new skills development, institutional support and alignment, the role of line managers, and underutilised and unstructured talent development. The potential avenues for future research include examining the socio-political and contextual factors that affect TD, adopting a multidimensional approach involving stakeholders and various actors, and exploring the systematic implementation of TD practices.

20/05/2025 Research Publication, Work, Technology, Human Resources, Research

Publication: Combining work and vacation: workation as an attractive work arrangement

20/05/2025 Research Publication, Work, Technology, Human Resources, Research

Purpose: The fulfilling blend of work and leisure experienced by digital nomads has inspired some organizations to offer “workation” (work-vacation) as a new fringe benefit, allowing employees to work remotely from international locations while simultaneously engaging in travel and leisure activities. This study seeks to understand to what extent and under what conditions this workation arrangement is attractive to candidates compared to other work arrangements.
Design/methodology/approach: The research employs two vignette experiments that manipulate work arrangements, involving a total sample of 351 participants. The data and results were analyzed using multilevel regressions, moderation tests, and simple slope tests.
Findings: The results indicate that job offerings featuring workation demonstrate significantly higher organizational attractiveness compared to those featuring other work arrangements. The appeal of workations is especially pronounced and attractive among candidates with previous international experience and positive attitudes towards such experiences, contingent upon their degree of community embeddedness.
Originality/value: Within the evolving landscape of changing work arrangements, this study contributes to the literature by distinguishing workation as an innovative and attractive work option. Additionally, the findings offer insights for HR practices by identifying the specific reasons that make workation particularly enticing for certain candidates.

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Jean-François Stich