Examining the Relationship between Technostress and the Effectiveness of Organizational Communication
Faculty Advisor Name
Dr. Noorjehan Brantmeier
Department
Department of Learning, Technology and Leadership Education
Description
Research has shown that organizational communication plays a pivotal role in building trust between organizations and their employees and is a significant factor in employee engagement, commitment to the organization and loyalty to the brand. However, in today’s business world, employees are required to process ever increasing amounts of information through a growing number of communication channels using various information and communication technologies (ICT). This leads to a phenomenon termed technostress, where information overload, communication overload, and ICT usage leave an individual with the sense of being overwhelmed. Unfortunately, this technostress is no longer bound to the office environment as technology has enabled us to check and respond to communications outside of working hours. Much of the available literature suggests strategies, such as training, that an employee can implement to better manage technostress, yet there is a dearth of information on tactics that an organization can use to communicate effectively with employees in a way that does not add to their levels of technostress. The purpose of this study is to determine if the quantity of communication disseminated by James Madison University (JMU) has any impact on the stress levels of its faculty and staff. To achieve this purpose, an anonymous online Qualtrics survey was disseminated via email to all active faculty and staff at James Madison University (JMU). Using a mixed-methods approach, the survey asked a series of questions related to employee demographics, use of JMU communication channels, and email management practices using a stress related instrument that measured information overload, communication overload and personal performance. Using SPSS, the quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency tables, and inferential statistics, such as one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The open-ended qualitative questions were coded through thematic analysis. To determine if a relationship exists between email and information overload and to understand the strategies that JMU employees utilize to manage their email, the qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed separately and then brought together to see if they converged. The results of this study provide insight on the impact of information and communication overload on various demographic populations within JMU, and also provides an understanding of which JMU communications employees prioritize. The findings also offer suggestions for alternative ways that organizations can disseminate necessary information without adding to an employee's level of stress. This information can inform departments across campus on how to improve their communications and ensure that messages are heard by the ones that need to hear them most.
Examining the Relationship between Technostress and the Effectiveness of Organizational Communication
Research has shown that organizational communication plays a pivotal role in building trust between organizations and their employees and is a significant factor in employee engagement, commitment to the organization and loyalty to the brand. However, in today’s business world, employees are required to process ever increasing amounts of information through a growing number of communication channels using various information and communication technologies (ICT). This leads to a phenomenon termed technostress, where information overload, communication overload, and ICT usage leave an individual with the sense of being overwhelmed. Unfortunately, this technostress is no longer bound to the office environment as technology has enabled us to check and respond to communications outside of working hours. Much of the available literature suggests strategies, such as training, that an employee can implement to better manage technostress, yet there is a dearth of information on tactics that an organization can use to communicate effectively with employees in a way that does not add to their levels of technostress. The purpose of this study is to determine if the quantity of communication disseminated by James Madison University (JMU) has any impact on the stress levels of its faculty and staff. To achieve this purpose, an anonymous online Qualtrics survey was disseminated via email to all active faculty and staff at James Madison University (JMU). Using a mixed-methods approach, the survey asked a series of questions related to employee demographics, use of JMU communication channels, and email management practices using a stress related instrument that measured information overload, communication overload and personal performance. Using SPSS, the quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency tables, and inferential statistics, such as one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The open-ended qualitative questions were coded through thematic analysis. To determine if a relationship exists between email and information overload and to understand the strategies that JMU employees utilize to manage their email, the qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed separately and then brought together to see if they converged. The results of this study provide insight on the impact of information and communication overload on various demographic populations within JMU, and also provides an understanding of which JMU communications employees prioritize. The findings also offer suggestions for alternative ways that organizations can disseminate necessary information without adding to an employee's level of stress. This information can inform departments across campus on how to improve their communications and ensure that messages are heard by the ones that need to hear them most.
