Table 2 Characteristics of the included studies
From: Digitally connected work and its consequences for strain – a systematic review
First author, publication year, country | Sample, Size | Research Question | Design | Method | QATSDD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[4], The Netherlands | employees of automation sector, n = 3233 | - analysis of working conditions and career prospects of 32 different occupational groups within automation personnel - identification of the risk factors for stress and strain within these occupational groups - activity group*: different occupational groups in the automation sector | - quantitative - cross-sectional | - questionnaire (adapted and extended NIPG-Questionnaire; [38]) | 20 |
[17], Sweden | “computerized” employees in administration, n = 42 | - evaluation of work efficiency, work environment, and psychological strain before and after office automation in a participatory project - activity group: pre- and post-automation | - mixed - longitudinal (5 separate measures over 1,5 years) | GRID-interview; [48] physiological measurement (blood cortisol, blood pressure) questionnaire (not described; according to the authors with questions about computerization, reorganization, attitudes towards computers, current tasks and beliefs about future tasks, work content, job satisfaction, health/well-being, different symptoms of strain) | 19 |
[19], New Zealand | employees of the service sector, n = 120 | - analysis of how employees perceive STARA (Smart Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Algorithms)/job insecurity in relation to their own work and how they prepare for potential changes - analysis whether STARA-awareness/job insecurity is age dependent - analysis what possible effects STARA-awareness/job insecurity has on job and well-being outcomes (the feeling of STARA-Awareness, which “captures the extent to which employees views the likelihood of Smart Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Algorithms impacting on their future career prospects” ([19]: p. 241)) | - quantitative (plus one open-ended question) - cross-sectional | questionnaire (career satisfaction; [55]; cynicism; [77]; depression; [7]; job insecurity; [5]; organizational commitment; [82]; STARA Awareness; self-developed; turnover intentions; [68]) | 21 |
[29], Germany (former GDR) | die-casting foundry, n = 25 | - evaluation of flexible automation solutions compared to conventional production processes with regard to job demands, working conditions, and personality development - analysis of effects on mental well-being and job satisfaction - activity group: workers at conventional and flexible automated die-casting machines | - mixed - cross-sectional | interview (self-developed) questionnaire (BMS; [95], questionnaire on satisfaction with work conditions; self-developed; SAA; [1]) work analysis (TBS-K, BPA; [57]) | 14 |
[30], UK | employees of computer manufacturing company, n = 31 | - definition and measurement of advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT) in terms of the concept of coupling; coupling is a construct that describes the degree to which two parts are connected, four variables create this construct: synchronicity, workflow rigidity, method uniformity, and slack. - identification of differences in the working conditions of different AMT-jobs - exploration of the influence of coupling on psychological well-being | - quantitative - cross-sectional | - questionnaire (coupling: synchronicity [31, 32]; workflow rigidity, [61]; method uniformity, [118]; Slack, Hickson, [61]; intrinsic job satisfaction: “Job itself intrinsic satisfaction” scale, [121]; job complexity: Perceived Intrinsic Job Charcteristics Scale, [121]; mental health: version of General Health Questionnaire, [51, 52]; overall job satisfaction: Job satisfaction Scale, [121]; supervisory influence, self-developed; work role breadth, self-developed) | 25 |
office workers, n = 121 | - analysis of workers’ individual experiences with computers and their attitudes toward different aspects of computer work - identification of the relations of several aspects of work, in particular Video-Display-Terminal-time, and health complaints - activity group: employees using VDT (VDT = Video Display Terminal) to varying degrees | - mixed - longitudinal (repeated measurements on consecutive days and within one day) | - checklist (adapted and extended POMS; [80]) - physiological measurement (optometric screening procedure) - semi-structured interview following the “funnel” technique; [15] | 21 | |
[58], Germany (former GDR) | administration/Office, n = 240 | - assessment and evaluation of VDU (visual display unit) work differing in task-content/−structure and proportion of human-machine interaction - differentiation of effects on motivation and learning opportunities - identification of task characteristics changing due to computer technology and its implementation - identification of effects of these changes on employees - activity group: traditional and computer-aided data entry activities with varying degrees of task completeness; activities with human-computer interaction and varying degrees of autonomy | - mixed - cross-sectional | - questionnaire/checklist (AZA; [64], BFB; [62], BMS; [95], SAA; [1]) - work analysis (TBS-GA; [57]) | 12 |
[65], Germany (former GDR) | computer screen work activities, n = 25 | - examination of the relationship between current and long-term effects of stress caused by mental work demands - investigation whether the correlations found can be generalized and whether the consequences of stress are predictable - evaluation of influences beyond work demands (like factors outside the workplace or personal attitudes) - activity group: data entry via display terminal; computer-aided ticket sales; computer-aided activity for project planning of organizational processes (problem analysis) | - mixed - longitudinal (annual survey over a period of 3 years) | - interview [105], subjective job evaluation [86] - physiological measurement (e.g., heart rate and blood pressure); occupational health check-up; [122] - questionnaire/checklist (BFB; [62], BMS; [95, 96], EZ-Skala; [87]) - work analysis (occupational science checklist for computer workstations; Schönfelder and Rudolph, [108], psychological work analyses; [78], TBS-GA; [57]) | 18 |
[70], Germany | employees in areas with a high level of automation, n = 36 | - identification of potential stressors occurring with the introduction and use of new technologies in the manufacturing industry | - qualitative - cross-sectional | - semi-structured interview (self-developed) | 31 |
[99], Germany | operators from electric power supply system, n = 50 | - evaluation of reliability of human operators in highly automated systems using intra- and interindividual differences in physiological and psychological data for the identification of unreliability and action failures - activity group: operators in the electroenergy network with the different sub-activities “planned intervention”, “monitoring”, “fault processing”. | - mixed - longitudinal (repeated measurements within one day of examination) | - physiological measures (heart rate, blood pressure) - questionnaire ([98], EZ-Skala; [87]) - work analysis (TBS-GA; [108]) | 23 |
[109], Germany (former GDR) | plant operators, n = 119 | - evaluation and comparison of physical and mental strain during activities in the automotive industry with different levels of automation - activity group plant operators in vehicle body construction; plant operators in automated final assembly; plant operators in driverless transport systems; assembly workers in body and vehicle final assembly | - mixed - cross-sectional (physiological measurements repeated in the course of a shift) | - physiological measurements (cardiopulmonary capacity, physical activity, oxygen expenditure, biochemical parameters (e.g., adrenalin), heart rate) - work analysis (occupational science survey procedure for activity analysis; [107]) | 18 |
[111], Germany (former GDR) | plant operators at a metal factory, n = 10 | - evaluation of psychophysical stress and resulting health risks through changes in work content and extended work shifts in automated production processes - activity group: early shift 8 h; early shift 12 h; late shift 8 h; late shift 12 h | - mixed - longitudinal (repeated in the course of a shift) | physiological measurements (heart rate) questionnaire/checklist (rating scale), EZ-Skala; [87]) work analysis (workday recording, occupational science survey procedure for activity analysis; [107], objective/subjective stress screening, TBS; Hacker et al., [57]) | 12 |
[114], USA/Canada | female clerical workers, n = 1032 | - examination of the relationship between extent of video display terminal (VDT) use and employees’ perceptions of physical work environment, job characteristics and health/well-being - analysis of differences between health symptoms and job characteristics of supervisors and non-supervisors - activity group: part-day typist; all-day typist; clerical worker; part-day VDT user; all-day VDT user | - quantitative - cross-sectional | questionnaire (self-developed and according to the author with questions about physical environment, job characteristics, psychological/physical health, and job satisfaction) | 20 |
[117], Sweden | bank employees, n = 151 | - analysis of bank employees’ evaluation of the role of digitization in their daily work - analysis of bank employees’ evaluation of the role of digitization and its effects on well-being - exploration of the interaction between digitization and organizational culture (either individualistic or collectivistic) and its effects on well-being - examination of the influence of age, organizational tenure, and position | - quantitative - cross-sectional | - questionnaire (job satisfaction: Job Satisfaction Scale; [3]; life balance: Affect Balance Scale; [16]; life satisfaction: Satisfaction with Life Scale; [37]; use of digital tools; self-developed; organizational culture: seven-adjectives-Scale; [26])) | 22 |