Ward van Zoonen

The practical paradox of technology: The influence of communication technology use on employee burnout and engagement

ABSTRACT Technological advancements in the workplace frequently have produced contradictory effects by facilitating accessibility and efficiency while increasing interruptions and unpredictability. We combine insights from organizational paradoxes and the job demands–resources model to construct a framework identifying positive and negative mechanisms in the relationship between communication technology use (CTU) and employee well-being, operationalized as work engagement and burnout. In this study of Dutch workers, we demonstrate that CTU increases well-being through positive pathways (accessibility and efficiency) and decreases well-being through negative pathways (interruptions and unpredictability). We highlight the importance of (1) investigating CTU resources and demands simultaneously to grasp the relationship between CTU and employee well-being, and (2) considering CTUs downsides to successfully implement new communication technologies and flexible work designs.

Talking Engagement Into Being: A Three-Wave Panel Study Linking Boundary Management Preferences, Work Communication on Social Media, and Employee Engagement

Widespread use of social media across work and non-work boundaries has heightened concerns about employee engagement in the contemporary workforce. This study examines how employees’ boundary management preferences influence their work communication on social media, and how these factors impact their engagement. Results from three waves of survey data (N = 361) demonstrate that work communication mediates the relationship between employee boundary preferences and engagement, supporting the hypothesized causal structure over alternative models. Overall, the findings contribute a novel perspective on employee engagement by showing that mediated work communication plays a central role in constructing engagement, rather than merely demonstrating it. We discuss how organizations can leverage this knowledge to address critical concerns about workplace (dis)engagement in the digital age.

Explaining online ambassadorship behaviors on Facebook and LinkedIn

Abstract Due to technological advancement work is situated within a broader network where work communiques become public and observable by anyone at any time. This study draws on identity theory and boundary management preferences to examine the extent to which employees use their Facebook and LinkedIn accounts to share updates about their organization. This study reports on a two-wave panel study among Dutch employees (N = 515). Drawing on boundary theory and organizational citizenship literature this study shows that self-enhancement motives are important predictors for ambassadorship behaviors on Facebook and LinkedIn. Conversely, segmentation preferences and identification processes significantly affect ambassadorship behaviors on Facebook, but not on LinkedIn. Hence, social media afford similar behaviors across platforms but the antecedents may differ across social media platforms.