Relationship Between Technology And Workplace Stress example essay topic

The debates over whether technology has increased or alleviated workplace stress are endless. One argument maintains that technology has created a more stressful work environment; electronic handcuffs that employees can never escape. Conversely many argue technology reduces workplace stress, allowing more efficient communication, enhanced learning, and the ability to work from anywhere. Regardless, management must be conscience of the ethical concerns involving the relationship between technology and workplace stress. Due to high availability of information as result of technology average businesspersons "shift concepts at least seven to eight times per hour" this accumulates to a total of 60-70 times per day, each shift compiling workplace stress (Cryer, 1996). A barrage of phone calls, voicemail's, emails, instant messages, meetings, video conferences, webinars, and physical requests that all must be responded to immediately, leave little or no time to focus and possibly actually enjoy work.

Employees with mid-level jobs and especially managers most likely have a hard time feeling a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day, week, and year. Computers specifically have supposedly enabled us to multitask, or work on several things at once. "Many people simply cannot work enough hours to respond to all the information" (Cryer, 1996). It is the responsibility of management to set priorities for employees and provide them with avenues to deflect some requests, such as an automated email response. Two components of technology that can also lead to workplace stress are the loss of privacy and surveillance by IT and management. Cell phones, pagers, PDAs, Blackberry's, and VPN access ensure that employees are always accessible, even on vacation.

These electronic handcuffs cause work factors and responsibilities to interfere with personal lives. Additionally, in many organizations emails and files are audited and recorded by IT, possibly contributing to less creativity. Research from the Journal of Sociology argues monitoring by IT does not have significant negative impacts on workplace stress (Yeuk-Mui, 2001). A study in the journal Management Services (2000) found that 52% of workers in interviewed strongly disagreed that technology was the cause of workplace stress. Additionally, the study also found that one-third of all employees reasoned technology had improved their quality of life.

How can an inability to focus due to multiple means of communication and possible loss in creativity due to surveillance actually improve quality of life and eliminate stress? While sometimes being a hindrance, technology allows employees to communicate with mass groups of people effectively. Furthermore it allows for increased mobility; work can be done from home, on a train, on a plane, etc. While one might argue this amounts to just more work, this may also equal less or more efficient work. If work can be done during idle time while traveling, perhaps this will free up time later for a day off to spend with the family. A videoconference can eliminate the travel time required for a crucial meeting, thus freeing up time.

It is essential for employees and especially managers to maintain the proper use of technology to work smarter, not harder. Management has an ethical responsibility to be aware of and attempt to limit workplace stress whether caused by technology or not. Stress prevention programs can be sub-divided into primary methods or reduction of work environment stressors, secondary methods or stress management via training, and tertiary methods or Employee Assistance Programs (Dewe, 1994). Unfortunately these programs have problems being initially approved by management and more detrimental is that most are not follow through or a one-time deal, not the necessary ongoing process. The development of workplace stress reduction programs is often "hampered by issues of power, control and ethics" (pg. 2). In conclusion, technology has both positive and negative impacts pertaining to workplace stress.

If workplace stress is apparent, managers have an ethical responsibility to implement some type of stress reduction program. Cryer, Bruce A. (1996). Neutralizing workplace stress: the physiology of human performance and Organizational Effectiveness. Presented at: Psychological Disabilities in the Workplace. Toronto, Canada. 1-15.

Dewe, Philip (1994). E APs and stress management. Personnel Review. Vol. 23. Issue 7, p 21, 12 p. Management Services (2000).

New technology not to blame as stress figures soar. Enfield. 1-3 Yeuk-Mui, May Tam (2001). Information technology in frontline service work organization. Journal of Sociology. V 37 i 2 p 177.1-30..