The impact of techno-stressors on work-life balance: The moderation of job self-efficacy and the mediation of emotional exhaustion

Techno-stressors stemming from the use of information technology (IT) have become a major source of stress in the modern workplace. While research shows that techno-stressors negatively affect employees' work attitudes and performance, little is known about their effects on employees' non-work lives. This research investigates the impact of techno-stressors on work-life balance and examines job self-efficacy as a buffer of this negative impact via the attenuating effect of emotional exhaustion. We conducted two survey studies. Study 1 collected data through a paper-and-pencil survey from 316 IT workers in a northern China IT company. Study 2 replicated and strengthened Study 1 by collecting longitudinal data through an online survey platform from 646 southern China female workers across diverse occupations. The results showed that techno-stressors negatively affected work-life balance, but job self-efficacy buffered employees from this negative effect by reducing their emotional exhaustion. Our findings extend understanding of techno-stressors' effects on individuals' non-work domains and shed light on how to cope with techno-stressors.

Automated summary

The research findings demonstrate that techno-stressors have a negative impact on work-life balance, but job self-efficacy can mitigate this negative impact by reducing emotional exhaustion. These findings expand understanding of the effects of techno-stressors on individuals' non-work domains and provide insights on how to cope with techno-stressors.