Techno-Support, Techno-Stressors, and Employee Innovative Behavior: A Diary Study

Abstract

Based on affective events theory and conservation of resources theory, this paper examines how perceived daily techno-support and perceived daily techno-stressors are related to daily innovative employee behavior. Findings from a diary study with two daily surveys over the course of ten workdays with 1727 data points nested in 94 employees working fulltime showed a statistically significant and positive indirect effect of perceived daily support for communication and collaboration and perceived daily ease of effort on daily innovative employee behavior through daily high-activated positive mood. Furthermore, perceived daily information overload and perceived daily communication overload had a statistically significant and negative indirect effect on daily innovative behavior through daily high-activated positive mood and, contrary to our expectations, a statistically significant and positive indirect effect through daily high-activated negative mood. Thus, results provide support for perceived daily techno-support and daily techno-stressors being affective work events that cause affective reactions in the form of daily high-activated positive and negative mood which in turn trigger affect-driven behavior such as daily innovative employee behavior.