The Management Lab

How Organizations Can Manage Technology-Induced Stress and Enhance Productivity

Techno-stress refers to the stress we feel because of our inability to adjust to the introduction of new technologies. It can reduce workers’ job satisfaction, increase attrition, and hinder organizations’ ability to innovate. Sean and Uri examine the science of the causes, nature, and implications of technostress, and how managers can mitigate its negative effects.
Research discussed in the episode:
Ayyagari, R., Grover, V., & Purvis, R. (2011). Technostress: Technological antecedents and implications. MIS Quarterly, 35(4), 831-858.
Califf, C. B., Sarker, S., & Sarker, S. (2020). The bright and dark sides of technostress: A mixed-methods study involving healthcare IT. MIS Quarterly, 44(2), 809-856.
Nastjuk, I., Trang, S., Grummeck-Braamt, J. V., Adam, M. T., & Tarafdar, M. (2023). Integrating and synthesising technostress research: a meta-analysis on technostress creators, outcomes, and IS usage contexts. European Journal of Information Systems, 1-22.
Tarafdar, M., Pullins, E. B., & Ragu‐Nathan, T. S. (2015). Technostress: negative effect on performance and possible mitigations. Information Systems Journal, 25(2), 103-132.

Why work is boring and how to make it more interesting

Workplace boredom refers to a state of low arousal and dissatisfaction, which is attributed to an inadequately stimulating work environment. It can lead to counterproductive behavior, job turnover, anxiety, and depression. Sean and Uri examine the science of the causes, nature, and implications of workplace boredom, and how managers can make it more interesting.

Beyond the Screen: Using AR and VR in the Workplace

With the launch of the Apple Vision Pro, excitement about the potential of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) is running hot. In this episode of The Management Lab, we explore these emergent technologies along with their most promising business applications and the challenges to their organizational use.
 
Research we discuss in the episode:
Adhyaru, J. S., & Kemp, C. (2022). Virtual reality as a tool to promote wellbeing in the workplace. Digital Health, 8, 2055-2076.
Berman, B., & Pollack, D. (2021). Strategies for the successful implementation of augmented reality. Business Horizons, 64(5), 621-630.
de Regt, A., Barnes, S. J., & Plangger, K. (2020). The virtual reality value chain. Business Horizons, 63(6), 737-748.
Porter, M. E., & Heppelmann, J. E. (2017). Why every organization needs an augmented reality strategy. Harvard Business Review, 95(6), 46-57.
Riches, S., Taylor, L., Jeyarajaguru, P., Veling, W., & Valmaggia, L. (2023). Virtual reality and immersive technologies to promote workplace wellbeing: a systematic review. Journal of Mental Health, 1-21.
Venkatesan, M., Mohan, H., Ryan, J. R., Schürch, C. M., Nolan, G. P., Frakes, D. H., & Coskun, A. F. (2021). Virtual and augmented reality for biomedical applications. Cell Reports Medicine, 2(7), 100348.

Echoes of Prejudice: Exploring and Combating Stereotype Threat

Stereotype threat refers to the performance-sapping impact of situations in which people feel they are at risk of confirming or reinforcing negative stereotypes about a social group of which they are a member. Sean and Uri investigate the science of the causes and nature of stereotype threat, and how managers can mitigate its effects.

The do’s and don’ts of giving effective employee feedback

Employee feedback is an essential component of work life that can be a source of individual growth and organizational success but also of anxiety and rigidity. Sean and Uri investigate the science of how managers can deliver effective feedback.

Speaking Up or Holding Back: Navigating Voice and Silence in the Workplace

Employee voice refers to the ways in which employees communicate their opinions and suggestions to their managers on how to improve their organization.
Conversely, employee silence occurs when employees withhold their views due to fear of negative consequences or a belief that their opinions are not valued.
Understanding these dynamics is critical for managers because encouraging employee voice can lead to better organizational outcomes, such as higher performance, innovation, and employee retention. On the other hand, addressing the reasons behind employee silence can prevent potential issues from escalating and improve the overall workplace environment.
In this episode, we delve into the research on employee voice and silence and address some of its main questions:
What are the primary drivers of voice and silence?
What are the effects of voice and silence behavior on individual employees and organizations?
What can organizational leaders do to encourage voice and decrease silence behavior?
How can we design organizational structures and processes to encourage voice and decrease silence behavior?
Do men and women differ in their propensity for voice/silence behavior?

The Soul of Business: Spirituality in Organizations

In our rapidly-evolving, digitally-dominated world, many of us seek meaning, purpose, and a deeper connection to our inner self. This quest is not confined to our personal lives; it extends to our professional environments as well.
Spirituality, therefore, is emerging as a vital component for organizational success and employee well-being.
In this episode, Sean and Uri discuss spirituality in the workplace and unpack why spiritual practices and principles are no longer just personal pursuits but essential organizational strategies.
Some of the topics covered include:
What is spirituality and how it relates to religious beliefs.
The difference between personal and organizational spirituality.
How spirituality in the workplace can positively affect employees’ cognition, emotion, and behavior, ultimately driving organizational performance.
The potential of promoting mindful practices to enhance employee empathy, leadership skills, and resilience.
In our discussion, we draw on the following research:
Anderson & Burchell (2021) The effects of spirituality and moral intensity on ethical business decisions: A Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of Business Ethics.
Good et al (2016) Contemplating Mindfulness at Work: An Integrative Review. Journal of Management
Harris (2014) Waking up: A guide to spirituality without religion.
Kolodinsky et al (2008) Workplace Values and Outcomes - Exploring Personal, Organizational, and Interactive Workplace Spirituality. Journal of Business Ethics.
Pourmola et al (2019) Investigating the impact of organizational spirituality on human resources productivity. Management Science Letters.

Getting to the Heart of the Matter: On human Emotions and AI

The explosion of generative AI in the past year has engendered plenty of emotional responses across the globe. Not surprisingly, the interaction of emotions and AI is a critical facet of our adaptation to this technology.
In this episode, we discuss the intersection between AI and human emotions, how AI can recognize and respond to emotion in users, and how human emotions can be leveraged to increase the use of AI.
Specific question we tackle include:
What makes emotional artificial intelligence distinctive from other emerging AI technologies?
To what degree can cultural and contextual factors be accounted for by emotional artificial intelligence?
What do people perceive to be the benefits and challenges of emotional artificial intelligence?
What issues does the use of EAI pose for personal privacy and autonomy?
Can AI devices function as a viable replacement for human companionship?
 

Beyond Profit: Exploring the Complexities of ESG

Over the past decade, businesses have made a concerted effort to improve their monitoring, analysis, and reporting of a wide range of non-monetary societal impacts collectively grouped under the label of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors.
Driven largely by the investment community, the ESG framework seeks to capture diverse, traditionally-overlooked aspects of organizational performance. In this episode of The Management Lab, we explore this emergent concept with key insights from some of the latest research on the topic. Specific topics discussed include:
What organizational activities fall under the ESG rubric?
How does ESG differ from the earlier movement of corporate social responsibilities (CSR)?
What does the evidence suggest regarding ESG efforts’ impacts on a firm’s overall performance?
How much do investors really care about the ESG activities of a firm?
Do current measures of ESG performance really get at meaningful impacts on society?
Give it a listen and see what you make of the ESG phenomenon. Are you a true believer, a persistent skeptic, or somewhere in between?

The Promise and Peril of People Analytics

Along with most other aspects of our business environment, the domain of human resource management is being fundamentally reshaped through the application of advanced data analytics. People analytics is a class of technology tools aimed at promoting evidence-based practices in organizations and allowing managers to make objective and rational decisions about their workforce. In this episode of The Management Lab, we explore the promise and perils of people analytics, and discuss these topics:
The assumptions that underlie the vision of people analytics.
What is people analytics good for and what applications may reflect an overreach of the technology?
The key drivers and impediments for effective implementation and use of people analytics in organizations.
The interaction of organizational culture and people analytics effectiveness.
The potential for the reinforcement of biases in the use of people analytics
Have a listen and see what you make of this emergent class of technology resources.