Stress from Digital Work: Toward a Unified View of Digital Hindrance Stressors

Henner Gimpel; Julia Lanzl; Christian Regal; Nils Urbach; Julia Becker; Patricia Tegtmeier

doi:10.1287/isre.2022.0691

Stress from Digital Work: Toward a Unified View of Digital Hindrance Stressors

Henner Gimpel¹; Julia Lanzl²; Christian Regal³; Nils Urbach⁴; Julia Becker⁵; Patricia Tegtmeier⁶

¹ Branch Business & Information Systems Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT, 86159 Augsburg, Germany; and Department of Digital Management, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany; and FIM Research Center for Information Management, 95444 Bayreuth, German · ² Branch Business & Information Systems Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT, 86159 Augsburg, Germany; and Department of Digital Management, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany; and FIM Research Center for Information Management, 95444 Bayreuth, German · ³ Department of Digital Management, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany; and FIM Research Center for Information Management, 95444 Bayreuth, Germany · ⁴ Branch Business & Information Systems Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT, 86159 Augsburg, Germany; and FIM Research Center for Information Management, 95444 Bayreuth, Germany; and Research Lab for Digital Innovation & Transformation (ditlab), Frankfurt Universit · ⁵ Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training gGmbH, 90408 Nuremberg, Germany · ⁶ Unit Human Factors, Ergonomics, Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 44149 Dortmund, Germany

Information Systems Research 2025

Digital technologies, although enhancing productivity and communication, also contribute to technostress at work. This study addresses the fragmentation in existing models of hindrance technostressors by proposing a unified hierarchical model of digital hindrance stressors tailored to contemporary digital work environments. The research synthesizes various existing models and uses a mixed-methods approach, including a qualitative prestudy and extensive surveys with more than 5,800 participants to identify and validate 12 first-order and 5 second-order digital hindrance stressors. The new model offers both detailed and streamlined measurement tools, enhancing its applicability in diverse organizational contexts. For practitioners and policymakers, this study provides a comprehensive framework to assess and mitigate the adverse impacts of digital stressors. The unified model allows organizations to understand specific stressors their employees face and implement targeted interventions to improve well-being and productivity. By using this model, occupational health professionals can better address the psychological and physical health implications of technostress. Moreover, the findings offer actionable insights for designing digital work environments that minimize stress and foster a healthier, more productive workforce. This research bridges the gap between theoretical technostress models and practical applications, guiding effective strategies for managing digital workplace stress.

DOI: 10.1287/isre.2022.0691
Volume: 36 (2)
Pages: 896-915
Language: en
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Sources: crossref