Effects of the implementation of information technology on employees' strain and job satisfaction: a context-dependent approach

The effects on staff of the implementation of new office information techno logy were investigated in ten companies ii Vienna using a longitudinal desi gn. Strain and satisfaction of 331 employees (implementation sample: n = 21 2; control sample: II = 119) were measured at five points in time over a pe riod of 22 months. The study is based on a context-dependent approach. Pers onal factors (individual differences, external load) were assessed by quest ionnaires, and situational factors (job design, implementation content and implementation context) by objective measures. The impact of these factors on employees' strain responses was tested using structural equation modelli ng (SEM). While the implementation of new technology as such made no signif icant contribution to the explanation of strain variables, a reasonable mod el fit was achieved when implementation characteristics were taken into acc ount. The data suggest that negative effects of implementations must be exp ected if (1) adaptational demands do not include the enhancement of employe e qualifications, (2) character-based user interfaces are not replaced, and (3) employees have few or no opportunities to participate in the implement ation process.