Technostress, Managing

Technostress,
Technophobia, and
Technology Acceptance
Model (TAM)
(Chuttur, 2009)

TECHNOSTRESS

Stress
Stress is a complex term to define. It's
simplest definition might be that it is an
event or situation that forces a person to
adapt to the event. Stress is the event
itself and the reaction to that event within
the person experiencing it. Thus stress is
completely subjective. What may be
stressful to one person might be pleasant
or fun to another.

Resistant

Hesitant

At least 30% of all

groups irrespective
of gender or age

Frustrated

no
ob
ia

y
t
x
i
e
n
A
r
e
t
u
p
m
Co

Ph

ompute
r

Computer Phobia

o
ch
Te

Stress

o
n
o
h
c
e
T

tr

s
s
e

Early Adaptors

10-15%

Hesitant "Prove its" 50-60%

Resisters

30-40%

Technostress by Michelle M. Weil and Larry D. Rosen

Technostress
Technostress is the negative psychological
association between people and the new
technologies.
It is a result of altered habits of work and
collaboration that human being brought
about due to the use of modern
information technologies at office and
home situations.

Technostress
Technostress is a modern disease of
adaptation caused by an inability to cope
with the new computer technologies in a
healthy manner."
Technostress
is
an
undesirable
phenomenon spawned by use of
computing and communication devices
such as PC's, tablets and smartphones.

Complaints of Technostress
Psychological stress can manifest itself
physically. Similarly there are a number
of librarians physical complaints like
backaches, eye strain, neck pain, stiff
shoulder, and joint pains. Others are
experiencing insomnia, anxiety, loss of
temper, irritability, and even frustration.

Human tendency
to resist change

The tendency
to resist change
is a result of how
we process
information, it
comes in from
an infinite number
of sources, but
is bottlenecked
by the short-term
memory.

Work Environment of Technostress

In the 21st century learning environment,
librarians are well equipped with latest
technology to better serve their clients and
most of the professionals are likewise
experiencing levels of technostress.
The fact that most of their works are done by
sitting and facing the computers for a longer

time and resulted into physical strain.

Environment

Five
Senses

Sensory
Memory

Long-term
Memory
Short-term
Memory

5-9 chunks
20 secs

Long time

Work Environment of Technostress

The physical work environment where
library staff spend eight or more hours a
day is critical to their security, job
satisfaction, and increasingly their
health.
In a technological world, providing
employees with an appropriate and safe
physical environment is a necessity.

Work Environment of Technostress

Too much exposure to computer monitors
is associated with emotional stress, the
professionals are slightly affected
emotionally by the technostress in their
workplaces.
Professionals are already used as part of
their professional work and computer
related problems are handled by the
computer technicians.

Individu
ally
A Typical Day
Designe
Wake up
d
Shower
To
make
Microwave
Life
Car
easier
ATM
Work
-butHome
Collecti
vely
Its

Managing Technostress

Managing Technostress
Outcomes of technostress include decreased job
satisfaction, organizational commitment and
productivity.
Experts recommended to minimize the technostress:
A periodic assessment is necessary to check the
level of technostress affecting the professionals
especially the physical and emotional aspects.

Managing Technostress
Managers should organize technologybased trainings for employees to make them
comfortable with technologies and the
awareness of harmful effects.
Managers should organize technologybased trainings for employees to make them
comfortable with technologies and the
awareness of harmful effects.

Managing Technostress
Universities and colleges need to employ
qualified
information
and
technology
specialist and troubleshooters to maximize
system accessibility and provide a level of
comfort to the professionals.

There are five conditions that are classified as

"technostress creators": Techno-overload
describes situations where use of computers
forces people to work more and work faster.
Techno-invasion describes being always
exposed where people can potentially be
reached anywhere and anytime and feel the
need to be constantly connected. The
regular work-day is extended, office work is
done at all sorts of hours, and it is almost
impossible to "cut away".

 Techno-complexity describes situations where

the complex computer systems used at work
force people to spend time and effort in learning
and understanding how to use new applications
and to update their skills. People find the variety
of
applications,
functions,
and
jargon
intimidating and consequently feel stressed.
Techno-insecurity is associated with situations
where people feel threatened about losing their
jobs to other people who have a better
understanding of new gadgets and computing
devices.

 Techno-uncertainty relates to short

life cycles of computer systems.
Continuing changes and upgrades do
not give people a chance to
experience at a particular system.
People find this unsettling because
their knowledge becomes rapidly
outdated and they are required to relearn things very rapidly and often.

Technologically Captive Moments

Increments of time spent waiting for some
machine-driven event to happen
e.g.
Being on hold, listening to hold music, waiting
for someone to respond
Skipping to a song you want to hear on CD
Waiting for the microwave to finish
Waiting for you PC to boot
Waiting for a download

Technostress can be dealt with:

Get adequate, user friendly software
Create
better communication
within
the environment
Create a level of reassurance, patience, and
stability within the environment
Maintain an ever-present system of training
and education to new and old technologies
Avoid using technology
foster sharing of computer related knowledge
within the organization.

Technostress can be dealt with:

A responsive and easily reached help-desk can allay
managers anxiety and concerns, guide them in using and
familiarizing with new computer applications and assure
them in case of problems
keep employees involved in the general scheme of things
in the context of new computer systems. The more involved
and familiar they are, the less techno - stressed they would
be.
encourage people to experiment and innovate in the
context of computer use
encourage employees to communicate, discuss, and share
their knowledge about computers

Designing Better Interfaces

Make them easy-to-use
Follow design guidelines
Maybe had configurable interfaces
Beginner
Intermediate
Expert

TechnoPhobia

Question
Is Technostress the same thing
as Technophobia, or is there
any reality behind the idea of
have an actual phobia to
computers and technology ?

Answer
This paper
Thorpe, S. J., & Brosnan, M. J. (2007).
Does computer anxiety reach levels
which conform to DSM-IV criteria for
specific phobia? Computers in Human
Behavior Vol 23(3) May 2007, 12581272.
says

Answer
This paper
Thorpe, S. J., & Brosnan, M. J. (2007).
Does computer anxiety reach levels which
conform to DSM-IV criteria for specific
phobia? Computers in Human Behavior
Vol 23(3) May 2007, 1258-1272.
says

YES

1914-1918

1645-1646

1348-1350

1483-1498

Techno

-phobia

Techno

-phobia

phobos is a
tekhne is a
"art, skill, "fear, panic, flight"
craft, method,
or system"

Fear of Technology

People who live in the past

Luddites
Saboteurs
The Lead Pencil Club
Neo-Luddites

People who live in the past

Nutcases

On the other hand

Topless Meetings

Communications Overload

Workers Technology Bill of Rights

Technology puts independent workers in the
driver's seat
To keep technology in it's proper
perspective, declare your independence.

Workers Technology Bill of Rights

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

I am the boss, not my technology.

Technology is available to help me express my creativity.
I decide when to use the tools technology provides.
I have the right to choose what technology to use and what to put
aside.
I can use technology to stay connected, informed, and productive
my way.
Technology offers a world of information. I get to choose what
information is important to me.
Technology will have problems, but I will be prepared to handle
them.
Technology can work 24-hour days, but I can choose when to
begin and when to stop working.
Technology never needs to rest, but I do.
I can work successfully by enforcing my boundary needs.

Technology Acceptance Model

(TAM)

What is Technology Acceptance

Model (TAM)?
A model developed
to
study
the acceptance of the technology by
an individual taking into account,
basically, both the perceived easy of
use
and
the
usefulness
of
the technology.

What is Technology Acceptance

Model (TAM)?
The TAM was initially proposed by Davis
(1989). It comprises two beliefs, the
perceived utilities and the perceived ease
of application, which determine attitudes to
adopt new technologies. The attitude
toward adoption will decide about the
adopters positive or negative behavior in
the future concerning new technology.

What is Technology Acceptance

Model (TAM)?
One
of
the
most
frequently
employed models for research into new
information technology
acceptance.
The TAM suggests that when users are
presented with a new technology, a
number of factors determine their decision
about how and when they will use it.

What is Technology Acceptance

Model (TAM)?
a model of individual acceptance of IT, stating
that an individuals adoption of IT is dependent
on the perceived ease of use and perceived
usefulness of the technology.
TAM is
a model of
user acceptance of
information systems technology-based on the
theory of reasoned action. Two variables
perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use
lead to attitude toward use, behavioral intention
to use and use of the system.

What is Technology Acceptance

Model (TAM)?

Technology
(TAM)

Acceptance

Model

TAM tells us the impact of the factors that

the user decides on whether they will go
to use the new technology or not.

References:

Brod, Craig. Technostress: The Human Cost of the Computer Revolution.

Reading, Mass: Addison Weslety, 1984.
Chuttur M.Y. (2009). "Overview of the Technology Acceptance Model: Origins,
Developments and Future Directions ," Indiana University, USA . Sprouts:
Working Papers
on Information Systems, 9(37). http://sprouts.aisnet.org/9-37
Davis, F. D. (1989), "Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user
acceptance of information technology", MIS Quarterly 13 (3): 319340, doi:
10.2307/249008
Ennis, Lisa A. "The Evolution of Technostress." Computers in Libraries, Sept.
2005, 10-12.
Gorman, M. (2001). Technostress and library values. Library Journal, 124
(7), 48-50.
Harper, S. (2000). Managing technostress in UK Libraries: A realistic guide.
Ariadne. Available online at:
http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue25/technostress/intro.html.

References:
Murthy, T. A. V., & Cholin, V. S. (2003). Library automation. Available
online at: http://dspace.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/1994/170/3/03cali_1.pdf
Ragu-Nathan, T.S., Tarafdar, M., Ragu-Nathan, B. and Tu,
Q., Consequence of Technostress in End Users: Conceptual
Development and Empirical Validation, Information Systems Research,
December 2008, 19, 4, 417-433.
Tarafdar, M., Ragu-Nathan, T.S., Ragu-Nathan, B. and Tu, Q., The
Impact of Technostress on Productivity, Journal of Management
Information Systems, Summer 2007
West, J. (2007). Technophobia, technostress, and technorealism. In
R.S. Gordon, (Ed.), Information tomorrow: reflection on technology and
the future of public and academic libraries (pp 203-215) Medford, New
Jersey : Information Today.
Weil, M. M. and L. D. Rosen. (1997). Technostress: Coping with
Technology @ work @ home @ play. New York : John Wiley.