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Digital well-being of managers in the hybrid workplace

Katarzyna Mikołajczyk
Katarzyna Mikołajczyk
   | 28 cze 2024
International Journal of Contemporary Management's Cover Image
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Article Category: Research Article
Data publikacji: 28 cze 2024
Zakres stron: 138 - 153
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ijcm-2024-0006
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© 2024 Katarzyna Mikołajczyk, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Examples of Respondents’ Statements on the Perception of Technological Volatility

Code Behavior pattern Illustrative quote
Perception of technological volatility Being overwhelmed by the intensity and number of changes taking place It is hard to keep up with all the new software you work with. The fact that everyone uses different tools, and a person is not even able to prepare for them, to use them fully (…) is quite burdensome (R4).
A lot of things appear and are naturally promoted internally by the company in the context of sharing information, using various clouds, share drives, new applications for various types of reports. Also creating different communication groups. Sometimes it is a lot. Especially when it comes to such team groups, team folders, where various types of information are posted and then this Teams just beeps with information that there is an update somewhere (R5).
Unreflective acceptance of change (indifference) Every day I am forced to learn new technologies. In my case, it is a bit like this–I am used to it. When I see something new, I have to learn and start using all these new elements (R6).
It is like this, when I get into a new car, I just drive it, so whenever something technologically new appears, that I need to use, I just start using it (R11).
Positive attitude to intensity and ongoing changes I am used to it because I have been working in this mode for several years. I can understand and get used to new technologies very quickly (R8).
It seems to me that I manage to keep up with technological variability. I started a new job during the pandemic and immediately switched from a traditional work model to working in a hybrid environment with ICT (R12).

Examples of Respondents’ Statements about Techno-stress and Information Overload

Code Behavior pattern Illustrative quote
Techno-stress Overstimulation and information overload There’s an abundance of information from various sources. Numerous applications require a considerable amount of time to understand and operate, leading to a frequent sense of time scarcity and the associated stress, diminished motivation, and heightened irritability. It’s a common occurrence for me to initiate one task, only to be reminded of another task midway. As I start working on the second task, I recall the need to check another system, creating a cascade of tasks. The rapid flow of thoughts and the overwhelming amount of information to handle can be quite challenging (R4).
Fear of missing out I think that this element of such a fear of switching off, of losing information is quite large and I haven’t found a way to deal with it yet. On the other hand, this is also, in my case, related to the design and the matching of the team. If I have a high sense of trust in the team members I work with, it is easier for me to switch off (R10).
Autonomy in action I feel that I have more autonomy; the availability of email or Teams on a smartphone allows me to stay up to date and respond to any needs of employees somewhere, in various situations outside the office (R17).

Examples of Respondents’ Statements about Regeneration Practices and Online/offline Balance

Code Behavior pattern Illustrative quote
Regeneration practices Online/offline balance I like being online at work. It is a solution that gives me the feeling that I know who is at what stage. I have this feeling of blurring of time and such blurring of the day… these boundaries of work dissolve so much, and the messages come even late at night (R15).
I am consistently connected online, especially for access to essential communication and company management tools. Therefore, the idea of completely disconnecting from work, leaving, and shutting down my laptop doesn’t align with my approach. I send messages regularly, work during the night, and assign tasks, but I don’t anticipate anyone to complete them, especially over the weekend (R3).
Bottom-up practices of employees I find regeneration in the presence of forests and green landscapes. It allows me to completely disconnect. It feels like a source of significant regeneration for me. When I return, I genuinely feel recharged, and my mind operates differently. This, I believe, is the crucial factor that prevents me from feeling overwhelmed (R11).
Top-down organizational practices Meetings are highly engaging and time-consuming, and my organization has introduced two rules. One rule is not scheduling meetings during the hours of 12:00 to 13:00, during the lunch break, and the other after 16:00 when we finalize various matters and finish work (R14).
In my organization, there is a solution where when I go on an extended vacation, my access to the email inbox is intentionally blocked, and even if I wanted to, I cannot retrieve emails. Additionally. Thursdays are reserved for conceptual work, and there are no meetings scheduled on those days (R5).

Profile of Interview Participants

GENDER SIZE OF ENTITY
Woman Man Large Company Medium Company Small Company
14 6 17 2 1
INDUSTRY
Media Marketing Education Finance Pharmaceutical Technology
1 1 6 5 1 6

Examples of Respondents’ Statements about Work-life Balance

Code Behavior pattern Illustrative quote
Work-life balance Segmentation of work and life I make an effort to keep my personal and professional lives separate, but I still sense an imbalance. The intrusion of technology has undoubtedly disrupted this balance in my case. Private lives are affected because we are consistently connected to the network, and work-related issues can arise at any time, day or night (R1).
I like to have clear boundaries, but in reality, working with ICT makes it difficult to separate my private life from my work life. Both of these worlds influence each other, precisely because of modern technologies, and everything becomes blurred (R4).
Integration of work and life I do not approve of an attitude where we leave work, turn the phone and computer off, and I am away until Monday. Different situations can happen and sometimes a minute of conversation is enough, some short piece of information that can protect the organization from a difficult situation, so I am always available to my employees (R3).
Working from home, it’s very easy to blur that boundary between work and private life. And I end up working more. I find it challenging to disconnect from work, and my work stretches out, often overlapping with my family life (R6).

Examples of Respondents’ Statements on the Organization of Work with the Use of ICT and Hybrid Work Habits

Code Behavior pattern Illustrative quote
Organization of work using technology Conscious and intentional use of technology In my work, e-mail has always been the basis plus expert systems. In addition, I choose videoconferencing and other tools that allow me to achieve my goals (R4).
The possibility of online meetings, especially short ones, in a situation where more people from different units need to be brought together. I can explain something to them better than over the phone because I can share the screen, preview the system, and show an example of how they are supposed to prepare something and this is a big plus (R20).
Unreflective, compulsive use of technology People call me non-stop. My smartphone occasionally heats up significantly during consecutive phone calls, prompting me to switch to speakerphone as a precautionary measure to prevent any potential overheating issues or concerns about it exploding (R18).
These technologies have somehow taken over all of us. People started to contact via ZOOM, through Messengers. And as if they stopped being aware of what work is… what time is work, until when, and when life begins, and I could not get out of it either (R1).
The worst thing is when there is such a flood of information from different communicators. This is what makes my head spin a bit and I have the feeling that I have no control over it (R5).
Exploration and search for improvements I simply do not have the time-space that would allow me to play with it [technology] and see what I could implement, i.e., such exploration simply related to some curiosity, to improve my action (R15).
I am a supporter of maximum automation of all activities and the use of technology wherever possible. For me performing a task is an analysis of whether this task will be repeatable, if it is repeatable, it must be automated, if it is automated, then I am looking for solutions and tools we have (R3).

Examples of Respondents’ Statements on Concentration Management

Code Behavior pattern Illustrative quote
Concentration management Reducing stimuli I have all notifications off on my smartphone. So, for example, if I get something on WhatsApp, or Messenger from employees, I open it when I have a moment. And not that these push notifications always come whenever something appears there (R13).
Deep work If I am doing some more demanding work, then I try to focus hard on that and I don’t check my email during that work, ignore pop-ups with information about the next messages and try to finish this work, but I am on standby all the time, I am watching (R3).
Multitasking I do several activities at the same time, for example, a phone call, notifications or emails, getting acquainted with some data. Remote work is conducive to such situations, but stationary work in the office does not allow for so many different activities at the same time (R13).
Checking off subsequent tasks The sheer volume of information is just too much to handle. Digital tools contribute to this feeling. Nowadays, in the current age of digitization, we receive data through email, phone calls, messengers, and various systems. As a result, it feels like we’re in a perpetual work mode. I constantly have this sensation that I’m at work, and there are always various tasks demanding attention, seemingly without end (R17).
Extending working hours Usually, at home, my work lasts all day. Because in the office, I just come to the office at a certain time in the morning and leave at a certain time in the afternoon. I shut down my computer and that’s when the job ends. In contrast, at home, this computer is on all the time (R12).
eISSN:
2449-8939
Język:
Angielski
Częstotliwość wydawania:
Volume Open
Dziedziny czasopisma:
Business and Economics, Business Management, Management, Organization, Corporate Governance, other, Industries, Non Profit Organizations (NPO), Foundations, Charities, Associations, Public Sector, Public Private Partnerships, Public Administration
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