Investigating the impact of IT-mediated information interruption on emotional exhaustion in the workplace

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2020.102281Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • A multi-methods research design was conducted to investigate the “dark side” of online information interuption.

  • IT-mediated information interruptions increase individuals’ emotional exhaustion through interruption overload.

  • Different interruption processing mechanisms (preemptive & sequential) influence the relationship between information interruption and individuals’ interruption overload differently.

  • Preemptive processing negatively moderates the relationship between incongruent information interruption and interruption overload.

  • Sequential processing negatively moderates the relationship between congruent information interruption and interruption overload.

Abstract

Information technology-mediated interruptions have become widespread and ubiquitous in the workplace. However, our understanding of how these interruptions and individuals’ interruption processing mechanism impact individuals’ performance, especially psychological performance, is still limited. Leveraging Conservation of Resources Theory, this study focused on two types of IT-mediated information interruptions (congruent and incongruent) and examined the moderating effects of different process mechanisms on the relationship between information interruptions and individuals’ interruption overload. A multi-methods research design was conducted in this study: a qualitative study with 20 interviews in Study 1 and a quantitative study with 345 surveys in Study 2. The results show a positive indirect effect of IT-mediated information interruption on emotional exhaustion through interruption overload. Results also review the moderation effects of different processing mechanisms. The findings of this study advance the current understanding of the “dark side” of online information behavior. Additionally, this study provides practical and theoretical implications for both employers and employees on how to process IT-mediated information interruptions in the workplace.

Keywords

IT-mediated information interruption
interruption overload
processing mechanism
emotional exhaustion

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