From Productivity to Cyberdeviance: The Hidden Costs of Workplace Technology

By Prof. Christy M. K. CHEUNG

From Productivity to Cyberdeviance: The Hidden Costs of Workplace Technology From Productivity to Cyberdeviance: The Hidden Costs of Workplace Technology

Endless Zoom meetings, a relentless flood of emails, and the constant social media pings—both work and home life are increasingly consumed by technology. While some adapt seamlessly, others struggle with the unyielding demands of the digital age. How bad is it? A recent paper[1] explores the impact of “technostressors”, showing how these digital intrusions not only impair employee performance but may even drive some to cyberdeviance—behaviours harmful to their employers and colleagues.

While technology offers immense benefits, it comes at a steep cost. Up to 40% of employees face mental exhaustion from workplace tech, while in Singapore, 70% suffer from data overload, leading to an estimated $5.1 billion in lost productivity. The effects of technostressors—such as “techno-overload” (when employees are pushed to work harder and faster) and “techno-invasion” (which keeps employees reachable 24/7)—on productivity and morale are well-documented. Yet, these stressors can also have a more pernicious effect. Blending a lack of social presence and control over technology with expectations of constant connectivity, these technostressors have led to 87% of employees spending seven hours a day on screens and significant increases in after-hours work. Overwhelmed, some may then engage in cyberdeviance, from minor (cyberloafing and computer misuse) to serious and even illegal such as insider attacks, data breaches,  and  personal attacks on colleagues.

Recogonising the dynamic and episodic nature of technostressors, researchers combined insights from the Transactional Model of Stress, a well-established theoretical foundation, explaining how individuals handle workplace stress, with a self-regulation perspective (individuals’ ability to control themselves) to assess how technostressors contribute to cyberdeviance. After surveying 188 Chinese knowledge workers in telecommunication, internet services, and graphic design at three points each day over two weeks, the study identified daily exhaustion as a key driver: as technostress saps energy and psychological resources, employees’ ability to self-regulate weakens, leading to hopelessness and a higher likelihood of deviant behavior toward. Even worse, exhaustion from technostressors today may carry into the next day, as employees’ inability to disconnect also disrupts home life.

Finding a proper solution is far from simple. While an employee’s technology self-efficacy can alleviate the daily exhaustion induced by daily techno-overload, it fails to offset the lingering impact of the previous day’s tech intrusion and exhaustion. One possible reason is that workers still need to keep up with technological demands—especially in the Chinese context where employees are “always ready” to respond to any work emergency requiring their attention.

To combat cyberdeviance induced by technostress, companies should focus on creating a more relaxed work environment and design tools that reduce technostress, such as providing more frequent breaks and respecting employees’ time after work. Offering emotional management programmes and stress-coping strategies is also crucial. Additionally, hiring and training employees with strong tech skills is also critical, as this can serve as a buffer against technostress.

Time to go back to WeChat. Work is awaiting!

Reference:

[1] Chen, Y., Benitez, J., & Cheung, C. M. K. (2024). Understanding the dynamic and episodic nature of technostressors and their effects on cyberdeviance: A daily field investigation. Information Systems Research. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2020.0273