Information systems and occupational stress: a theoretical framework

The information systems (IS) profession is a stressful profession. However, there is little theoretical or empirical research on the effects of occupa tional stress on IS professionals. A major reason is because IS professiona ls and researchers are unaware of the consequences of occupational stress a nd unfamiliar with the occupational stress literature. The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework of occupational stress for IS p rofessionals. Based on a review of the IS, psychology, and general manageme nt literature, 12 occupational stress models are identified. These stress m odels are analyzed along the two dimensions of focus and theoretical founda tion. The analysis shows that most of the occupational stress models consid er stress to be the consequence of the interaction between an environmental stimulus and the idiosyncratic response of the individual. Further analysi s of these models suggests that nine key points are critical in developing a theoretical framework of occupational stress for IS professionals. A mapp ing of how the existing stress models Incorporate the nine key points is al so presented. The findings of this paper can provide a theoretical basis fo r further research on the occupational stress of IS professionals. Finally, an agenda for further research into this issue is presented. (C) 2000 Else vier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.