Impact of technostress on productivity from the theoretical perspective of appraisal and coping processes

Abstract

Transactional Theory of Stress (TTS) suggests that appraisal and coping processes determine the impacts of stressors. Prior research applies TTS at the technology level, where the presence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) triggers the above-mentioned two processes and technostress creators are appraisals of ICTs. We apply TTS at the application level, where the demand of using ICTs to accomplish work triggers the two processes and technostress creators are characteristics of the demand. Results suggest that technostress creators influence appraisal outcomes inconsistently. Problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies, respectively, mediate the influence of challenge and hindrance appraisal outcomes on ICT-enabled productivity.