From Digital Strings to Negotiated Wings: Consequences of Electronic Performance Monitoring and Development Idiosyncratic Deals

ABSTRACT The proliferation of electronic performance monitoring (EPM) has made digital surveillance ubiquitous in modern workplaces. Meta‐analytic evidence indicates that, on average, EPM leaves performance unchanged while consistently increasing employee stress. We propose that this null overall effect reflects two counterbalancing pathways triggered by the same monitoring stimulus. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory of stress, we posit that EPM is positively associated with employees' perception of objectification, which in turn triggers two divergent coping pathways: (a) an emotion‐focused path in which hostile affect positively predicts workplace incivility and negatively predicts job performance, and (b) a problem‐focused path in which problem‐focused reactance positively predicts job performance. Three complementary studies, an online experiment (Study 1, with two sub‐studies; N = 240), a multisource, multiwave field survey (Study 2; N = 224), and a 10‐day experience sampling study (Study 3; N = 96, yielding 612 daily observations), support this dual‐pathway model. Crucially, we identify development idiosyncratic deals (i‐deals) as a pivotal moderator: employees who secure personalized growth resources amplify problem‐focused behaviors while mitigating the interpersonal and performance costs of emotion‐focused responses. This research offers a nuanced understanding of EPM, providing organizations with insights into how to balance monitoring efficiency with employee initiative through human‐centric i‐deals.