The moderating role of cultural dimensions in cross-country research between technostress and job burnout

  • B.P.B. (Brandon) Smeets

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

The rapid pace of technological innovation impacts employees and organizations, forcing them to deal with the phenomenon of technostress. This paper uses Lazarus’ and Folkman’s Transaction Model of Stress and Coping to conceptualize external factors as Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and determine whether or not they impact the relationship between stressor and strain. The study hypothesizes that technostress increases job burnout and that the cultural dimensions of indulgence, individualism, and power distance moderate this relationship. Based on empirical survey data from 286 employees spread over Germany, Romania, and The Netherlands, the results indicate that the direct relationship between technostress and job burnout is highly significant, except for employees working within the research & development department. The cultural dimensions of individualism and power distance did not provide evidence for moderation, whereas the dimension of indulgence moderates the relationship with only a small effect – especially in The Netherlands. Although not all hypotheses are supported, there is evidence that cultural dimensions do influence the relationship between technostress and job burnout. These findings open the door for future research because it indicates that cultural dimensions have an impact on the relationship, and there are still other cultural dimensions and national contexts to explore.
Date of Award3 Jul 2020
Original languageEnglish
SupervisorLars Rieser (Examiner) & Remko Helms (Co-assessor)

Keywords

  • Cross-Culture
  • ICTs
  • Job burnout
  • Technostress

Master's Degree

  • Master Business Process management & IT (BPMIT)

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