Publication Type

PhD Dissertation

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

9-2025

Abstract

This study investigates the dual impact of information and communication technology (ICT) use intensity on employee outcomes in the workplace, with a particular focus on work autonomy, workload, work engagement, and work–family conflict (WFC). Drawing upon the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and conservation of resources (COR) theory, I propose a dual-pathway framework in which ICT use intensity acts as both a job resource and a job demand. The study also examines the moderating roles of perceived organizational support (POS) and conscientiousness.

Data were collected from 414 full-time employees across six companies in China through a three-wave survey with two-week intervals between waves. In this study, ICT use was conceptualized and operationalized specifically through the lens of use intensity, as preliminary analyses indicated it was the most behaviorally grounded and psychologically predictive dimension of ICT engagement. The results of structural equation modeling support the hypothesized dual pathway model: ICT use intensity enhances work engagement via increased work autonomy but also contributes to increased WFC via increased workload. Furthermore, POS and conscientiousness significantly moderate the ICT–autonomy relationship but have limited or no effect on the workload pathway.

These findings underscore the complex and ambivalent nature of ICT use intensity in modern work environments. While digital tools can foster autonomy and engagement when used intensively, they also risk intensifying workload and blurring the boundaries between work and personal life. Practical implications include the need for ICT governance policies and digital well-being initiatives that balance flexibility with protection from digital overload.

Keywords

ICT use intensity, work autonomy, workload, work engagement, work–family conflict, perceived organizational support, conscientiousness, job demands–resources model, digital well-being

Degree Awarded

SMU-SJTU Doctor of Business Administration

Discipline

Organizational Behavior and Theory | Organization Development

Supervisor(s)

BHAVE, Devasheesh Prakash

First Page

1

Last Page

99

Publisher

Singapore Management University

City or Country

Singapore

Copyright Owner and License

Author

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