Digitalization in Retail Work: Coping With Stress Through Job Crafting

Abstract

As our working life becomes more digitalized, the issue of providing humane working conditions is raised. However, current research on digitalization and coping with stress conceptualises the players as individuals passively coping with stress. Contrary to that, recent technology research studies argue that technological systems do not come with an objectively ingrained function. In line with constructivist labour and stress research (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001; Moldaschl, 2005, 2010), we primarily seek to contribute to the discussion through a better understanding of actors’ job crafting (appropriation) practices in situations where digitalization processes threaten to reduce perceived autonomy. In particular, we suggest that the job crafting typologies developed in the literature (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001; Tims, Bakker, & Derks, 2012, 2015) do not sufficiently account for the practices employed by actors when appropriating their digitalized work environment. We use the case of a digital merchandise management system (‘“Shelvesfit”’) recently introduced in a retail trade group to demonstrate that the employees actively attempt to reduce their digital work stress. They do so primarily by attributing a function to this technological system that does not conflict with their professional self-perception as sales employees.