Information Technology Workplace Research Articles

Affect and information technology use: the impact of state affect on cognitions and IT use

PurposeThis paper investigates the dynamics between state affect and trusting cognitive beliefs on post-adoptive information technology (IT) use behaviors in the form of intention to explore and deep structure usage. That state affect can influence behaviors is recognized in practice. In fact, some studies examine the impact of affective constructs, but the way state affect impacts how individuals use IT remains largely unexplored. The authors theorize that state affect, in the form of positive and negative affect, will influence trusting cognitive beliefs regarding an IT artifact (in terms of perceived helpfulness, capability and reliability) and, more importantly, directly influence intention to explore and deep structure usage.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test the model using a sample of 357 IT users. Survey items were derived from established measures, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsResults of this study suggest that positive affect and negative affect impact trusting cognitive beliefs. Trusting cognitive beliefs positively impact intention to explore with an IT and deep structure usage of an IT. Even in the presence of trusting beliefs, though, positive affect directly impacts intention to explore. Positive affect and negative affect both also have various indirect, mediated effects on intention to explore and deep structure usage.Originality/valueIn order to maximize value from workplace IT, the results suggest managers foster an authentic, positive work environment in order to harness or redirect employees' emotional energies.

Challenging and Changing Discrimination Against Asian-American Cybersecurity and Engineering Employees in Information Technology Workplaces

Duvall Systems is a government information technology, and cybersecurity consulting firm focused on providing high-tech consulting support for U.S. federal government agencies. Duvall has experienced a series of discrimination complaints from Asian-American employees related to workplace mistreatment. These complaints relate to a hostile work environment, discrimination in promotions, and employee evaluations. Many of the complaints have been driven by racist attacks against Asian-American employees blaming them for COVID-19. The focus of the study is an exploration of diversity and inclusion in a cybersecurity consulting company. An action research approach used included fact-finding interviews, barrier analysis, company policy assessments, content analysis of the problem in the literature, and recommendations based on the amalgamation of the triangulated data.

Would you mind sharing your story? A narrative exploration of incivility experiences in the Information Technology workplace

PurposeUnfortunately, workplace incivility (WI) within the information technology (IT) sector has hardly been covered in extant literature. Therefore, through narratives, this study explored various situational and cultural attributes of WI in the Indian IT sector.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted among the IT professionals (N = 24; Males = 13, Females = 11) aged between 21 and 45 years (Mean = 31.20, SD = 6.56) working in the South Indian state of Karnataka (Bengaluru).FindingsThe narrative thematic analysis yielded the following themes: Experiences of managers' ill-treatment at the workplace, co-workers incivility: dominance in the IT sector and prevalence of gender-based interpersonal discrimination. Furthermore, many sub-themes emerged under each major theme.Research limitations/implicationsContexts and cultural attributes of WI experiences warrant reconsidering and redefining the concept's theoretical underpinnings, especially from multi-cultural contexts, i.e. India, unlike leading studies in the Western culture. Current study narratives would guide further explorations of how IT professionals wish to curtail these behaviours and suggest strategies to minimize these behaviours in the respective sector.Originality/valueThe findings pose an interesting question for further investigation such as: Do individuals who seek favours from co-workers, under certain conditions, invite the experiences of WI for themselves from potential favour-doer? In a first of its kind, the study also offered relevant insights into exploring whether intentional acts as uncivil behaviours are peculiar to multi-cultural contexts, such as in India.

The Environment of Task Procrastination

Procrastination is an important source of losses in organizational productivity. It is also an interpersonal concern in work teams, and often the cause of personal frustration. Rich accounts exist in the scholarly literature about an individual’s personality and behavioral traits able to explain procrastinatory attitudes, but the environmental factors that moderate procrastination are less understood, and especially not so in information technology (IT) research. Our study is a systematic review of the literature in four behavioral sciences. It seeks to organize procrastination-related factors that are external to the individual, and to present implications for the IT workplace. Broadly, we conclude that the IT workplace is a rich tapestry of positive and negative sources of procrastination influences weaved into the timely fulfillment of tasks. We also reach at a surprisingly new understanding of Leavitt’s system model (a model that has been in use for decades in the study of IT phenomena), i.e., the existence of forces that act in opposite directions regarding procrastination.

Cloud Disruption Impacts Business IT Role Requirements

ABSTRACT Cloud computing (Cloud) introduces new information technology (IT) optimization challenges for business management. The traditional supply of IT services is disrupted by more diverse and cost-efficient options where all IT services can be rented or leased on-demand to suit a business requirement. The implication is for a forecasted discontinuation of many IT workplace roles and the formulation of others to fit the new requirements. This exploratory research shows that the IT service supply chain has been disrupted and that Cloud is a driver for business structural change. We asked: What are the impacts of cloud computing on business information system (BIS) IT services roles? A targeted sample of industry Cloud professionals were consulted, and the data thematically analyzed. The data analysis showed seven general business impact categories and six classes for BIS IT role impacts. These findings contribute understanding of uncertainty around the new business IT role requirements.

Spillover of workplace IT satisfaction onto job satisfaction: The roles of job fit and professional fit

Abstract With information technology (IT) increasingly penetrating in workplaces, employee satisfaction with workplace IT becomes an integral part of work and significantly influences work-related outcomes. Scant attention, however, has been paid to whether and how employees’ IT satisfaction plays a role in generating job-related attitudinal changes among employees. Drawing upon satisfaction spillover theory, we developed and empirically tested a model to examine the relationship between individual satisfaction with workplace IT and job satisfaction. Specifically, we introduced two elements of user-task-technology fit—namely, job fit and professional fit—to examine the transition in employees’ satisfaction from the technological domain to overall satisfaction with work. We found that job fit not only mediated but also strengthened the effect of workplace IT satisfaction on job satisfaction, whereas professional fit did not play a moderating role in the relationship between workplace IT satisfaction and job satisfaction. The findings suggest that practitioners should emphasize workplace IT as a crucial ingredient of the work context and improve employee experiences with using IT. More importantly, the fit of IT with employees’ job and professional requirements is critical for this transition in satisfaction.

Bidirectional associations of sleep with cognitive interference in employees' work days

Studies have reported bidirectional associations of sleep with daily stressors and negative mood. Yet we know little about how sleep is associated with workers' daily cognitive interference, or the experience of off-task and distracting thoughts. This study examined whether nightly sleep was associated with next-day cognitive interference, and vice versa, during workdays and non-work days. Daily telephone interviews. US information technology workplaces. 130 middle-aged employees. On 8 consecutive days, participants reported the frequency of experiencing off-task and distracting thoughts during the day (0 = never to 4 = very often) and multiple sleep characteristics (bedtimes, wake times, sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep latency). Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics and work hours. Multilevel models revealed that, on days following earlier wake times (B = -0.32, P < .01), shorter sleep duration (B = -0.27, P < .01), or poorer sleep quality (B = -0.17, P < .01), participants reported more cognitive interference than usual. That is, waking 19 minutes earlier and sleeping 16 minutes less were associated with one additional point on the cognitive interference scale the next day. With cognitive interference predicting nightly sleep, more same day's cognitive interference was associated with earlier bedtimes (B = -0.19, P < .05) and earlier wake times (B = -0.30, P < .01) than usual. The temporal associations of nightly sleep duration and sleep quality with the following day's cognitive interference were significant on work days, but not on non-work days. Our results suggest bidirectional associations between poorer sleep and more cognitive interference, particularly on work days with implications for workday productivity and quality of life.

A theoretical framework for investigating the context for creating employment success in information technology for individuals with autism

AbstractThere is limited research that addresses the inclusion of individuals with autism in the workforce. Autism employment in information technology (IT) is a new phenomenon and there is no established theory to draw from to investigate this phenomenon. In this paper, we review the existing literature on autism employment and present a theoretical framework to study information technology workplace readiness to equitably include individuals with autism. Our proposed framework extends Annabi and Lebovitz’s organizational interventions mitigating individual barriers theoretical framework to include Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior constructs. The framework will contribute to advancing the knowledge and understanding of the needs of individuals with autism, the knowledge and attitudes of neurotypical information technology employees, and organization and employment characteristics. Ultimately, this work will lead to discoveries that broaden participation of individuals with autism in the information technology industry and beyond.

A tour of India in one workplace: investigating complex and gendered relations in IT

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the situation of women working as information technology (IT) professionals in different regions of India within multi-national enterprises (MNEs). The research is part of a cross-national study that compared gendered relations in the UK and Indian IT sectors. The complex roles that region, class and caste and gendered values and norms have in shaping women’s work and lives in India are discussed.Design/methodology/approachThe cross-national research assumed common themes as part of a programme of in-depth interviewing and observations during site visits. The “safari method” was adopted with research conducted by a sole fieldworker with intimate knowledge of the languages and cultures of both India and the UK. The research considered intersectionality and difference and aimed to understand material structures and cultural meanings evident from the research process.FindingsThere are significant differences in organisational culture even within MNEs sharing common legislative and policy environments. The IT sector in India offers opportunities for middle- and upper-class women professionals and the cultural – including identity – barriers to working in technical areas often experienced in western countries are not replicated in India. Nevertheless, this has not meant any significant improvements in gendered relations at work and in the Indian society. There are also particular influences of regional, class and caste differences manifested in IT workplaces, contributing to inequality.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the understanding of the situation of women in IT sector including within MNEs giving insights into the workings of global capitalist enterprises. The research offers appreciation of the complexity of social differences and whether opening up opportunities for women professionals in India can contribute to the inclusive growth or will maintain the current patterns of inequality.

A unified model of IT continuance: three complementary perspectives and crossover effects

This study presents a unified model of information technology (IT) continuance, by drawing upon three alternative influences that are presumed to shape continuance behavior: reasoned action, experiential response, and habitual response. Using a longitudinal survey of workplace IT continuance among insurance agents at a large insurance company in Taiwan, we demonstrate that the above influences are interdependent, complementary, and have crossover effects. This study advances IT continuance research by theorizing and validating a unifying model that extends prior perspectives and by explaining interrelationships between these perspectives.

Comparing the Mobile Device Security Behavior of College Students and Information Technology Professionals

Mobile devices are now a standard part of both personal and workplace information technology (IT) usage. However, they introduce a variety of security concerns that users are failing to address. This article examines and compares the security preparedness of 227 IT and non-IT college students about to enter the workforce and 83 predominately non-security-focused IT professionals. Results indicate that all groups put their data and connected networks at risk by failing to properly secure their personal mobile devices. Suggestions include organizational mobile device security policies and mobile device security awareness and training for both current and incoming employees.

Changing Work and Work-Family Conflict: Evidence from the Work, Family, and Health Network*

Schedule control and supervisor support for family and personal life are work resources that may help employees manage the work-family interface. However, existing data and designs have made it difficult to conclusively identify the effects of these work resources. This analysis utilizes a group-randomized trial in which some units in an information technology workplace were randomly assigned to participate in an initiative, called STAR, that targeted work practices, interactions, and expectations by (a) training supervisors on the value of demonstrating support for employees' personal lives and (b) prompting employees to reconsider when and where they work. We find statistically significant, though modest, improvements in employees' work-family conflict and family time adequacy and larger changes in schedule control and supervisor support for family and personal life. We find no evidence that this intervention increased work hours or perceived job demands, as might have happened with increased permeability of work across time and space. Subgroup analyses suggest the intervention brings greater benefits to employees more vulnerable to work-family conflict. This study advances our understanding of the impact of social structures on individual lives by investigating deliberate organizational changes and their effects on work resources and the work-family interface with a rigorous design.

Is the graduate attributes approach sufficient to develop work ready graduates?

Many universities have graduate attributes often referred to as generic skills, soft skills or work ready skills. Our study of the professional work experiences of recent Australian Information Technology (IT) graduates found that communication, time management, teamwork, working with people, working across cultures, project management and business skills are some of the major categories of professional skills IT graduates believe are required for their work. This paper describes the study details and findings which raise questions about the adequacy of the graduate attributes approach in the development of professional skills such as the ability of graduates to work across cultures and on multiple projects which are major requirements in many IT (and other) workplaces. IT graduates’ gave views on the challenges they face at work, the typical professional skills requirements of their practice and how they acquired or developed them, the elements of their university study that are relevant to their work professional skills requirements and how well their studies prepared them to meet the professional needs of their practice.

Acceptance and use of health information technology in Slovenian public health institutions: a national survey based on UTAUT model.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the use and acceptance of information technology (IT) in Slovenian public healthcare institutions. To our knowledge, this is the first national survey to estimate the willingness of employees to welcome new technology into their work routine. Methods: The survey was based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) methodology, according to which we designed a questionnaire. It consisted of 37 closed-ended questions and participants were asked to choose the single best answer to each. Out of one hundred public healthcare institutions across the country, 52 replied. We received 1,575 validly completed questionnaires. The results were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Statistically significant value of p was set at < 0.05. Results: The data revealed a high degree of acceptance and use of IT among healthcare professionals. Health IT use showed the highest degree of coincidence with previous IT experience (p< 0.001). Respondents graded highly the usefulness of IT (4.50 of 5) and their own IT skills (4.28). They were slightly less content with the performance of their workplace IT and the availability of technical help in case of difficulty (both 3.57). Conclusions: The results show a positive attitude toward IT among Slovenian healthcare professionals. These findings are especially relevant in view of the fact that all types of healthcare professionals from all kinds of public healthcare institutions across the country were included in the survey.

Associations between psychosocial risk factors and musculoskeletal disorders: application to the IT profession in India

The exponential growth of the information technology (IT) industry in India has been accompanied with a substantial increase in the reporting of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The purpose of the current study was to identify and assess the contributions of prevalent psychosocial factors on perceived WMSD outcomes among IT professionals from India. About 77 IT professionals from India completed a survey set consisting of 26 question items from the Job Content Questionnaire and 3 separate question items pertaining to WMSD outcomes (pain/discomfort and psychological stress scores). The findings suggest prevalence of existing pain (shoulder/neck and low back) in more than one-fourth of the respondents. Additionally two-thirds of the respondents had never had any ergonomics awareness training. Co-worker support and psychological work demands were found to be the strongest contributors of psychosocial risk factors towards pain/discomfort and psychological stress outcomes. Findings from this study highlight the influence of certain psychosocial traits of the Indian IT workplace on perceived WMSD outcomes. There is a need to develop and implement intervention strategies to address these factors that may help lower the risk of work-related musculoskeletal pain.

Marching in-step: Facilitating technological transitions through climate consensus

This study explored the benefits of strong and positive climate attitudes throughout the implementation of new workplace information technology (IT). Unit-level climate attitudes, perceived work stress, and training completion were measured in a field-setting over a 6-year period. Trends and moderating influences of climate consensus were estimated from data collected from several sources (employees, managers, supervisors, and technical coordinators) using multiple methods (archival records, interviews, and surveys). As expected, climate consensus weakened over time, and interacted with climate for innovation to predict training completion with varying effects that depended upon implementation period and training type (Internet versus general technology). More training completion occurred when climate consensus was strong prior to implementation and weak during and after implementation indicating that the merits of strong and positive climate attitudes may be specific to early implementation stages. Less attitudinal agreement may be more beneficial to units once implementation is underway.

Performance and strain levels of it workers engaged in rapidly changing environments

Technological changes ripple through information technology (IT) development environments. IT professionals must often incorporate these changes into their job or risk obsolescence. This paper looks at the effects of technological change, and focuses on job environment conditions which affect individual performance, health, and well-being by applying person-job fit theory to software developers that have moved to an object-oriented development approach. Heretofore, the literature on person-job fit has viewed its effects statically, disregarding the effects of change. The current research recognizes the dynamics of the IT workplace and investigates the impact of a rapidly changing job environment on individual IT workers by including a comparison of fit at two different points in time. Results indicate that for a change in job environment, individuals whose professional needs match what is supplied by the job fare better in terms of strain and performance. By devoting attention to supplying IT workers who are facing increasing amounts of change with job environment dimensions these workers need, managers are able to direct their efforts toward the job environment dimensions that may improve worker performance and reduce the ill-effects of stress and strain. This, in turn, may have positive effects on overall system development. This study provides insights for managers regarding the pressures felt by software developers moving to a new development environment, and contributes to the person-job fit literature by incorporating a technological change in job environment.

Reversing the landslide in computer-related degree programs

Reversing the landslide in computer-related degree programs

Information Technology and Organizational Practices: An Exploratory Sectoral Analysis

ABSTRACT Rapid price declines are likely to facilitate the increasing diffusion of information technology (IT) in industrial firms. Recent contributions by Bresnahan et al. (2002), however, have emphasized the interdependence between IT adoption and workplace organization. The present paper undertakes an exploratory analysis of the complementarities between IT adoption and the utilization of modern organizational practices. The analysis considers 3-digit sectoral data on the Brazilian manufacturing industry in 1996. A multivariate statistical analysis of canonical correlation analysis enabled the investigation of the overall relationship amongst a group of variables reflecting IT adoption (comprising the number of microcomputers per employee (median value), the percentage of firms providing computer training for employees, the percentage of firms with Internet connection and the percentage of firms with intranet (internal data communication network)), and amongst another group of variables reflecting the adoption of modern organizational practices (comprised of the percentage of firms adopting total quality management, statistical control of processes, internal just-in-time and improvement groups (Kaizen)). The results indicated a significant association between the two groups of variables, while the individual variables, in the majority of the cases, displayed positive and significant correlations within their own group. The evidence appears to support the perception that the adoption of IT is favored in an environment characterized by the utilization of modern organizational practices. RESUMEN. Es bien probable que las vertiginosa bajas sufridas por los precios, faciliten la creciente divulgación de la tecnología de la información (TI) en las empresas industriales. Sin embargo, recientes contribuciones de Bresnahan et al. (2002), han recalcado la interdependencia existente entre la adopción de la TI y la organización del entorno de trabajo. El análisis considera datos sectoriales de 3 dígitos sobre la industria fabril brasileña en 1996. La estadística analítica multivariada del análisis de la correlación canónica permitió investigar la relación general entre el grupo de variables que reflejan la adopción de la TI (considerando el número de microcomputadoras por empleado [valor medio], el porcentaje de firmas suministrando entrenamiento en computación a sus empleados, el porcentaje de empresas con conexión a la Internet y el porcentaje de empresas con intranet (red interna de comunicación de datos)), y entre otro grupo de variables que reflejan la adopción de prácticas organizacionales modernas (abarcando el porcentaje de empresas que adoptan la gestión de calidad total, el control estadístico de los procesos, Just-in-time interno y grupos de mejoría (Kaizen)). Los resultados indican la existencia de una asociación significativa entre ambos grupos de variables mientras que, en la mayoría de los casos, las variables individuales mostraron tener importantes correlaciones positivas dentro de su propio grupo. Las pruebas parecen respaldar la percepción de que, la adopción de la TI, favorece la existencia de un entorno que se caracteriza por el uso de prácticas organizacionales modernas. RESUMO. Rápidos declínios nos preços tendem a facilitar a difus$aUo crescente da tecnologia da informação (TI) nas empresas industriais. Contribuições recentes de Bresnahan et al. (2002), porém, enfatizaram a interdependência entre a adoção da TI e a organização do local de trabalho. Este artigo realiza uma análise exploratória das complement-aridades entre a adoção da TI e a utilização de práticas organizacionais modernas. A análise considera dados setoriais de 3 dígitos sobre o setor industrial brasileiro em 1996. Uma análise estatística multivariáveis de correlações can$oCnicas permitiu a investigação da relação geral entre um grupo de variáveis refletindo a adoção da TI (incluindo o número de microcomputadores por funcionário (valor mediano), a porcentagem de empresas fornecendo treinamento em informática aos funcionários, a porcentagem de empresas conectadas à Internet e a porcentagem de empresas com intranet (rede de comunicação de dados interna)) e outro grupo de variáveis refletindo a adoção de práticas organizacionais modernas (constituídas da porcentagem de empresas que adotam a gestão da qualidade total, o controle estatístico de processos, just-in-time interno e grupos de melhoria (Kaizen)). Os resultados indicaram uma associação significativa entre os dois grupos de variáveis, enquanto as variáveis individuais, na maioria dos casos, exibiram correlações positivas e significativas dentro de seus próprios grupos. Os dados parecem respaldar a percepção de que a adoção da TI é favorecida num ambiente caracterizado pela utilização de práticas organizacionais modernas.

A Psychometric Study of Information Technology Risks in the Workplace

As organizations become increasingly reliant on information technology (IT) they are exposed to a growing number of risks. Surprisingly, however, very few studies to date have investigated the psychometric representation of IT risks, and none have been undertaken in the workplace. Accordingly, the present study was designed to map the judgments of a representative group of workplace IT users. Fifty-seven participants evaluated 18 IT risk scenarios by means of 13 bipolar attribute-rating scales. Profile proximities derived from the raw data were submitted to a weighted multidimensional scaling analysis. The results indicated that a six-dimensional solution was required on both statistical and conceptual grounds to represent adequately the participants' judgments. The dimensions reflected the extent to which the various risk scenarios were perceived as: (1) serious or minor in nature; (2) having a high or low probability of occurrence; (3) causing a high or low degree of stress; (4) deliberate or accidental; (5) having an impact on the organization or on individuals; and (6) the product of human or technological causes. The data were also submitted to a series of hierarchical cluster analyses, using a variety of agglomeration techniques. This second approach revealed a robust structure in which the risk scenarios were grouped into two broad categories, based on whether the events depicted would be likely to have a major or minor impact. The major impact category broke down further, into two subcategories, based on whether the scenarios were seen to arise from deliberate causes or through negligence. In conclusion, we consider the implications of our findings for future research, the refinement of IT risk assessment frameworks and tools, and the training of risk management professionals.