The increasing shortage of skilled workers has been discussed as a significant risk to the economy in Europe for years. Additional challenges, such as an aging population, a shift in values in the labor market, and the global war for talent, are forcing employers to find new approaches to remain competitive. Companies are increasingly relying on digitalization and process optimization to address these challenges. However, the constant use of digital technologies also leads to increased digital stress, which can negatively impact employee satisfaction. This master’s thesis investigates how digital stress affects employee satisfaction and which coping strategies prove to be particularly effective. The research is based on a literature review and the analysis of questionnaires to obtain results on the relationships between digital stress, coping, and employee satisfaction. A quantitative online survey was conducted to collect the constructs, followed by the testing of hypotheses. A total of 121 participants were surveyed, and the results were analyzed. The general findings of the three constructs indicate that the perceived digital stress among the sample is minimal. Job satisfaction is in the higher positive range, suggesting that employees are generally satisfied. Colleagues and tasks, in particular, show high positive values. Coping also falls within the positive range, with strong results in the categories of social support and positive thinking. Numerous studies, as well as this survey, have demonstrated a significant negative correlation between technostress and employee satisfaction. This means that a moderate 11.6% of the variance in employee satisfaction can be explained. However, this indicates that digital stress only partially explains job satisfaction, and there must be other, stronger influencing factors. Additionally, the effects of the control variables gender, age, and industry were examined for their moderation capability of this relationship. The industry emerged as a significant moderator, with a positive influence observed among individuals in the service sector. A more detailed analysis of all individual areas was hindered by the need for more comprehensive data. Previous studies have linked various coping strategies, such as emotion-focused or problem-focused coping, to employee satisfaction and digital stress. After evaluating these study results, no significant effect between coping and the other two variables could be determined. Due to the limited number of participants, only large effects can be recognized as significant. Additionally, the comprehensive measures and relationships involved in capturing coping strategies pose a challenge. Further surveys are needed to increase the level of knowledge and derive concrete recommendations for companies. In principle, companies must address this area to retain employees in the long term. Particularly during onboarding and the introduction of new systems, close support is required.
Date of Award | 2024 |
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Original language | German (Austria) |
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Supervisor | René Riedl (Supervisor) |
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Digitaler Stress und Mitarbeiterzufriedenheit – Die Auswirkungen von Coping-Strategien
Frisch, N. E. (Author). 2024
Student thesis: Master's Thesis