MOOD DISTURBANCES AND MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT - EFFECTS OF ELECTRONIC PERFORMANCE MONITORING UNDER DIFFERENT LEVELS OF VDT DATA-ENTRY PERFORMANCE

The effects of electronic performance monitoring (EPM) work management on mood disturbances and musculoskeletal discomfort were evaluated un der three levels of data-entry task performance. EPM work management ( i.e., performance monitoring and feedback) was used to induce complian ce with data-entry performance standards of greater than or equal to 2 00 keystrokes per minute and less than or equal to six errors per minu te. Forty-seven female office workers who had difficulty maintaining t he data-entry speed standard were assigned at random to EPM work manag ement or no EPM work management. Participants in both work management conditions were divided into three keystroke performance groups (low, moderate, high). Self-ratings of mood disturbance and musculoskeletal discomfort were recorded at periodic intervals over three consecutive workdays. Regardless of the level of data-entry performance, the incre ase in perceived time pressure across the workdays was greater under E PM work management than under no EPM work management. Among workers wh o consistently failed to meet the performance standards (i.e., low and moderate performance), the increases in mood disturbances and musculo skeletal discomfort across the workdays were greater under EPM work ma nagement than under no EPM work management. These stress effects were more evident when keystroke rates were relatively close to the standar d (moderate performance) than when they were far below the standard (l ow performance). The results suggest that EPM work management should b e employed with performance standards that balance production requirem ents against the worker's skills and abilities.