The Effect of the Dimensions of Technostress on Work Exhaustion and Contextual Performance of Employees Working Remotely. Technophobia as a Moderator

Abstract

Technological advancements have led to stress and other psychological problems in workers working remotely. The current study investigated the effect of techno-overload, techno-invasion, techno-complexity, techno-insecurity, and techno-uncertainty on work exhaustion and contextual performance by employees working remotely. It furthermore examined the moderating role of technophobia. This quantitative study was based mainly on the Technostress Theory. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data while employing positivist philosophy and a deductive approach. The study population included 184 employees working remotely in Mumbai. The collected data from the respondents were analyzed descriptively using SPSS; furthermore, SmartPLS was used to conduct structural and measurement models analyses. Overall, the findings indicate that only techno-invasion and techno-insecurity had a significant effect on work exhaustion. Additionally, work exhaustion had no statistically significant effect on workers' contextual performance, while technophobia failed to moderate the relationship between technostress dimensions and work exhaustion. These findings suggest that the presence of technostress does not always function as a stressor related to psychological distress, nor does technophobia necessarily increase the psychological impacts of technostress when working virtually. The findings of the current study provide practical and theoretical implications related to the impact of technostress on employee burnout, specifically regarding the experience of techno-invasion and techno-insecurity among employees working remotely.