Exploring the influence of individual digitalization on technostress in Chinese IT remote workers: The mediating role of Information Processing demands and the Job Complexity

This research study explores the connection between individual digitalization and technostress among Chinese IT remote workers, focusing on the mediating roles of Information Processing volume and Job Complexity. Concurrently, the escalation in both the volume of Information Processing and the Job Complexity necessitates higher levels of individual digitalization, potentially influencing technostress. The study specifically examines how the digitalization levels of remote workers relate to their work-related stress, as well as the potential mediating role of Information Processing demands, encompassing Job Complexity and the quantity of Information Processing. The study involved two distinct groups of Chinese IT professionals (N = 972) working remotely in different sectors: tourism and hospitality (n = 317) and banking product sales (n = 655). The findings reveal that individual digitalization is negatively linked to technostress among Chinese IT remote workers and that Job Complexity and Information Processing mediate this relationship. Additionally, the direct effects of individual digitalization on Job Complexity and Information Processing varied significantly based on the type of organization, as predicted. Workers in the banking sector showed a more substantial effect of individual digitalization on Job Complexity compared to those in the tourism and hospitality sectors. Similarly, the impact of individual digitalization on Information Processing demands was lower for remote workers in the banking sector than those in the tourism and hospitality sectors, despite both being statistically significant. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on employee well-being, emphasizing the importance of the workplace environment and job design in effectively managing technostress.