Effect of Technostress on Job Performance and Coping Strategies among Academic Staff of a Tertiary Institution in North-Central Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Technostress is a general feeling of anxiety and negative impact on thoughts, behaviours, attitudes and body when a person is expected to deal with technology. It can lead to poor job performance and decreased productivity among workers. Coping strategies for technostress include: getting adequate user friendly software; encouragement of employees to communicate, discuss and share their knowledge about computers; encouraging people to “experiment” and innovate in the context of computer use amongst others. This study aimed to assess its effect on job performance as well as presence of coping mechanisms among academic staff of University of Jos, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study involving 144 academic staff selected from all the 12 faculties of the University of Jos via multi-stage sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data which was entered and analyzed using Epi-info version 3.5.4 statistical software. A 95% confidence interval was used and a probability value of p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Seven-eight (54.2%) respondents said they experienced technostress while the others said they did not. Technostress significantly affected the job performance of 57 (39.6%) respondents to some extent, 47 (32.6%) to a very little extent, 27 (18.8%) to no effect and 13 (9.0%) to a great extent. Commonest symptoms of technostress experienced were neckache 66 (45.8%) and blurred vision 61 (42.4%). The respondents ranked technology-based training 87 (60.4%) and effective time management 87 (60.4%) the highest as strategies for coping with technostress. Conclusion: Stress management and technology-related training should be organized for the staff of the university. Easily accessible high speed internet network with wide coverage could be made available to all academic staff of the university in all campuses. Employment of more technological experts that can assist in result collation, data analysis and other technological supports is required to ease the burden of techostress on the academic staff.