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: E-mail load, workload stress and desired e-mail load: a cybernetic approach

26/09/2018 Research Publication, Work, Technology, Stress

Abstract:

Purpose – Using email is a time-consuming activity that can increase workload stress. This paper investigates the relationship between the individual’s email load, workload stress and desired email load, drawing from the cybernetic theory of stress.

Design/methodology/approach – Based on prior theory, we first hypothesized relationships among email load, workplace stress and desired email load. We then tested these relationships on a sample of 504 full-time workers in the U.S., using survey data and covariance based structural equation modeling techniques.

Findings – We find that (1) higher email load is associated with higher workload stress; (2) higher workload stress is associated with lower desired email load; (3) lower desired email load is associated with lower email load; and (4) higher workload stress is associated with higher psychological strain, higher negative emotions, and lower organizational commitment.

Originality/value – The study provides a novel understanding of workload stress due to email load, through the lens of cybernetic theory. It contributes to the email overload and technostress literatures by conceptualizing desired email load as a potential outcome of workplace stress and as a regulator for email load. For practitioners, the study highlights the importance of managing employees’ email load to prevent the negative effects of workplace stress and associated strains.

07/03/2018 Research Publication, Work, Technology, Stress

Publication: Electronic communication in the workplace: boon or bane?

07/03/2018 Research Publication, Work, Technology, Stress

Abstract:

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review technostress-related challenges arising out of workplace communication, for employees and organizations, and to provide suggestions for taking these challenges on.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents an overview of current research and practice in the area of technostress-related challenges workplace communication.

Findings – Employees face technostress challenges relating to workplace communication in the form of technology overload, interruptions and work-home interferences. Organizations have to strike a balance between giving employees the technology they want and protecting them from these challenges. Several interventions to strike such balance are reviewed and commented on.

Practical implications – The paper gives practitioners an accessible overview of current research and practice in the area of technostress from workplace communication such as e-mail. A number of practical interventions are reviewed and commented on, which could help employees tackle such challenges.

Originality/value – Although this paper reviews state-of-the-art research, it is written in an accessible and practitioner-oriented style, which should be found valuable by readers with limited time but urgency to deal with technostress challenges arising out of workplace communication.

29/06/2017 Research, Impact, Opinion Work, Technology, Stress

Modèle commenté de charte sur le droit à la déconnexion

29/06/2017 Research, Impact, Opinion Work, Technology, Stress

Depuis le 1er janvier 2017, les entreprises doivent encourager chez leurs salariés un usage responsable des outils numériques. Cela peut passer par l'élaboration et la négociation d'une charte dite de "droit à la déconnexion".

Je vous propose dans cet article un modèle commenté d'une telle charte. Ce modèle se base sur des recherches récentes en sciences de gestion, de collègues ou de moi-même. A ce titre, je commente ce modèle d'un point de vue académique, en l'étayant de sources complémentaires.

22/03/2017 Impact Work, Technology, Telework

Professional article: Featured in Le Monde on Web Robinson

22/03/2017 Impact Work, Technology, Telework

Le Monde featured my comments on Gauthier Toulemonde's teleworking adventure. The articles are titled "Télétravail de l’extrême: Gauthier Toulemonde au premier jour" and "« Ma volonté est de faire de façon un peu inédite la promotion du travail à distance »".

Article in French.

08/03/2017 Research Publication, Work, Technology, Stress

Publication: Workplace stress from actual and desired computer-mediated communication use: a multi-method study

08/03/2017 Research Publication, Work, Technology, Stress

Abstract:

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.

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Jean-François Stich