IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-01881947.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

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

Author

Listed:
  • Jean-François Stich

    (ICN Business School, CEREFIGE - Centre Européen de Recherche en Economie Financière et Gestion des Entreprises - UL - Université de Lorraine)

  • Monideepa Tarafdar

    (LUMS - Lancaster University Management School - Lancaster University)

  • Patrick Stacey

    (Loughborough University)

  • Cary L. Cooper

    (Alliance MBS - Alliance Manchester Business School - University of Manchester [Manchester])

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-François Stich & Monideepa Tarafdar & Patrick Stacey & Cary L. Cooper, 2019. "E-mail load, workload stress and desired e-mail load: a cybernetic approach," Post-Print hal-01881947, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01881947
    DOI: 10.1108/itp-10-2017-0321
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01881947
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-01881947/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1108/itp-10-2017-0321?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Burgess, Anthony & Jackson, Thomas & Edwards, Janet, 2005. "Email training significantly reduces email defects," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 71-83.
    2. Stephen R. Barley & Debra E. Meyerson & Stine Grodal, 2011. "E-mail as a Source and Symbol of Stress," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(4), pages 887-906, August.
    3. M. Lynne Markus, 1994. "Electronic Mail as the Medium of Managerial Choice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(4), pages 502-527, November.
    4. Rosseel, Yves, 2012. "lavaan: An R Package for Structural Equation Modeling," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 48(i02).
    5. Jean-François Stich & Monideepa Tarafdar & Cary Cooper, 2018. "Electronic communication in the workplace: boon or bane?," Post-Print hal-01725240, HAL.
    6. Chris Kimble & Paul Hildreth & David J Grimshaw, 2005. "The Role of Contextual Clues in the Creation of Information Overload," Game Theory and Information 0504003, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Wm. David Salisbury & Wynne W. Chin & Abhijit Gopal & Peter R. Newsted, 2002. "Research Report: Better Theory Through Measurement—Developing a Scale to Capture Consensus on Appropriation," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 13(1), pages 91-103, March.
    8. Yoram M. Kalman & Gilad Ravid, 2015. "Filing, piling, and everything in between: The dynamics of E-mail inbox management," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 66(12), pages 2540-2552, December.
    9. Jackson, Thomas W. & Farzaneh, Pourya, 2012. "Theory-based model of factors affecting information overload," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 523-532.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Giorgia Bondanini & Gabriele Giorgi & Antonio Ariza-Montes & Alejandro Vega-Muñoz & Paola Andreucci-Annunziata, 2020. "Technostress Dark Side of Technology in the Workplace: A Scientometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-23, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Letmathe, Peter & Noll, Elisabeth, 2024. "Analysis of email management strategies and their effects on email management performance," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    2. Aurélie Leclercq-Vandelannoitte, 2019. "Is Employee Technological “Ill-Being” Missing from Corporate Responsibility? The Foucauldian Ethics of Ubiquitous IT Uses in Organizations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 339-361, December.
    3. Jean-François Stich & Monideepa Tarafdar & Cary Cooper, 2018. "Electronic communication in the workplace: boon or bane?," Post-Print hal-01725240, HAL.
    4. Sonia Nawrocka & Hans De Witte & Margherita Pasini & Margherita Brondino, 2023. "A Person-Centered Approach to Job Insecurity: Is There a Reciprocal Relationship between the Quantitative and Qualitative Dimensions of Job Insecurity?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-27, March.
    5. Md. Mominur Rahman & Bilkis Akhter, 2021. "The impact of investment in human capital on bank performance: evidence from Bangladesh," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Masashi Soga & Kevin J. Gaston & Yuichi Yamaura & Kiyo Kurisu & Keisuke Hanaki, 2016. "Both Direct and Vicarious Experiences of Nature Affect Children’s Willingness to Conserve Biodiversity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-12, May.
    7. César Merino-Soto & Gina Chávez-Ventura & Verónica López-Fernández & Guillermo M. Chans & Filiberto Toledano-Toledano, 2022. "Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-L): Psychometric and Measurement Invariance Evidence in Peruvian Undergraduate Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
    8. Nathaniel Oliver Iotti & Damiano Menin & Tomas Jungert, 2022. "Early Adolescents’ Motivations to Defend Victims of Cyberbullying," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-9, July.
    9. AJ Golio, 2024. "Whose Neighborhood Now? Gentrification and Community Life in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods," Working Papers 24-29, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    10. Peter Tavel & Bibiana Jozefiakova & Peter Telicak & Jana Furstova & Michal Puza & Natalia Kascakova, 2022. "Psychometric Analysis of the Shortened Version of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale on the Slovak Population (SWBS-Sk)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-12, January.
    11. Allen, Jaime & Eboli, Laura & Forciniti, Carmen & Mazzulla, Gabriella & Ortúzar, Juan de Dios, 2019. "The role of critical incidents and involvement in transit satisfaction and loyalty," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 57-69.
    12. Christoph Dworschak, 2024. "Bias mitigation in empirical peace and conflict studies: A short primer on posttreatment variables," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 61(3), pages 462-476, May.
    13. Andreea-Ionela Puiu & Anca Monica Ardeleanu & Camelia Cojocaru & Anca Bratu, 2021. "Exploring the Effect of Status Quo, Innovativeness, and Involvement Tendencies on Luxury Fashion Innovations: The Mediation Role of Status Consumption," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-18, May.
    14. Slupphaug, KJell & Mehmetoglu, Mehmet & Mittner, Matthias, 2024. "modsem: An R package for estimating latent interactions and quadratic effects," OSF Preprints h3rpw, Center for Open Science.
    15. Makarov, Uliana, 2011. "Networking or not working: A model of social procrastination from communication," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 574-585.
    16. Andres Trujillo-Barrera & Joost M. E. Pennings & Dianne Hofenk, 2016. "Understanding producers' motives for adopting sustainable practices: the role of expected rewards, risk perception and risk tolerance," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 43(3), pages 359-382.
    17. Ofir Turel & Catherine E. Connelly, 2012. "Team Spirit: The Influence of Psychological Collectivism on the Usage of E-Collaboration Tools," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 703-725, September.
    18. Daria J. Kuss & Lydia Harkin & Eiman Kanjo & Joel Billieux, 2018. "Problematic Smartphone Use: Investigating Contemporary Experiences Using a Convergent Design," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, January.
    19. Helga Guðrún Óskarsdóttir & Guðmundur Valur Oddsson, 2017. "A Soft Systems Approach to Knowledge Worker Productivity—Analysis of the Problem Situation," Economies, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-27, August.
    20. Allen, Jaime & Muñoz, Juan Carlos & Ortúzar, Juan de Dios, 2019. "On evasion behaviour in public transport: Dissatisfaction or contagion?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 626-651.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01881947. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.