From: Digitally connected work and its consequences for strain – a systematic review
First author, publication year, country | Main focus of the study | |
---|---|---|
work factors | health factors | |
Andries*, 1991 [4], The Netherlands | Focus: groups of different occupations in the automation sector - differentiation of risk factors for health | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: challenge of the job (e.g., engaging, offering pleasure), qualification (e.g., education, experience, training), autonomy (b) social factors: quality of leadership, contacts with colleagues (c) organizational factors: workload (e.g., working hours), hectic working conditions (time pressure, unexpected events), salary and prospects | (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: mental strain (e.g., feeling tense, nervous or agitated) (iii) physiological parameters/somatic complaints: health complaints, headaches, sleep | |
Brenner*, 1995 [17], Sweden | Focus: participatory introduction of computerization - changes in working conditions and health effects | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: qualification, responsibility, task variety, reorganization (b) social factors: contacts with fellow-workers and supervisors (c) organizational factors: computerization, beliefs about how future tasks would appear, workload (d) environmental factors/working tools: computer disturbances | (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: mental strain, experience with and attitudes toward computers, nervousness (iii) physiological parameters/somatic complaints: somatic symptoms (sleep, heart, fatigue, stomach, musculoskeletal), physiological measures (e.g., cortisol, blood pressure) | |
[19], New Zealand | Focus: STARA (Smart Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Algorithms)-Awareness - impact on job and well-being outcomes | |
(c) organizational factors: job insecurity/STARA-Awareness | (i) motivation and satisfaction: career satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intention (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: depression, cynicism | |
Claussner*, 1989 [29], Germany (former GDR) | Focus: different degrees of automation - consequences for health-promoting work design | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: decision latitude, task variability, transparency, responsibility, cognitive demands (b) social factors: social structure (social support, feedback) (c) organizational factors: workload (quantitative and qualitative overload), human-machine-division of labor, workflow (d) environmental factors/working tools: environmental conditions, usability of technologies | (i) motivation and satisfaction: satisfaction with different working conditions (e.g., work design, technical equipment, skill use, division of labor) (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: strain, monotony, saturation | |
[30], UK | Focus: coupling in the context of advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT) - effects on well-being and work demands | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: job complexity, work role breadth (b) social factors: supervisor influence (d) environmental factors/working tools: technological coupling (synchronicity, workflow rigidity, method uniformity, slack) | (i) motivation and satisfaction: intrinsic job satisfaction, overall job satisfaction (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression, low self-esteem) | |
Dainoff*, 1981 [32], USA | Focus: physical/mental stress and other effects of computer work (e.g., job pressure) as a function of VDT time | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: task variability (b) social factors: quality of leadership, atmosphere with coworkers, customers and supervisors (c) organizational factors: pressure, pay, benefits, job insecurity (d) environmental factors/working tools: ergonomic comments (e.g., light, noise, temperature, workplace arrangement), interruptions, problems with computer system (e.g., slow response time) | (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: mental stress (tension, mental strain), general fatigue (very tired, exhausted, drained after work) (iii) physiological parameters/somatic complaints: visual performance (measures of acuity, lateral phoria, and vertical phoria, visual strain (e.g. blurred vision)), physical stress (headaches) | |
Hacker*, 1985 [58], Germany (former GDR) | Focus: different task-content/−structure and proportion of human-machine interaction in different VDU work associations with task characteristics and strain | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: autonomy, task variability, transparency, qualification, excessive demands, learning requirements (c) organizational factors: cooperation requirements and opportunities, information on hardware/software | (i) motivation and satisfaction: job satisfaction, motivation (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: psychological complaints, experienced monotony, saturation, stress (iii) physiological parameters/somatic complaints: physical complaints | |
Jackisch*, 1989 [65], Germany (former GDR) | Focus: mental demands during VDU-work - predictability of long-term health effects | |
a) cognitive demands/work content: cognitive demands | (i) motivation and satisfaction: job satisfaction, behavioral parameter (e.g., performance) (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: current well-being, experienced monotony, saturation, stress (iii) physiological parameters/somatic complaints: physiological parameters (heart rate and blood pressure), complaints, sick leave | |
[70], Germany | Focus: human-machine-interaction - stress | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: deskilling, qualification requirements, situation awareness (c) organizational factors: general evaluation of human-machine interaction (d) environmental factors/working tools: technical problems (e.g., software/hardware problems) usability (e.g., self-descriptiveness) | (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: stress | |
Rau* (1996) [99], Germany | Focus: human reliability in complex automated systems and associated health effects | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: responsibility, cognitive demands | (i) motivation and satisfaction: motivation (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: mental tension, emotional state, locus of control, current intrinsic states (e.g., ready to exert, tensioned, self-assured) (iii) physiological parameters/somatic complaints: heart rate, blood pressure | |
Rutenfranz*, 1989 [109], Germany (former GDR) | Focus: changes in physical, mental, and emotional strain through automation | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: complexity, responsibility, variability, cognitive demands (c) organizational factors: breaks (d) environmental factors/working tools: disruptions | (iii) physiological parameters/somatic complaints: biochemical parameters (adrenalin/noradrenalin), heart rate, energy expenditure, cardiopulmonary performance (physical examination, bicycle ergometer) | |
Seibt*, 1988 [111], Germany (former GDR) | Focus: shift work - health effects | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: task content, action control (b) social factors: social integration (d) environmental factors/working tools: aggravating conditions (e.g., noise) | (i) motivation and satisfaction: readiness to make an effort (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: experienced strain (initiative, self-confidence, emotional tension, fatigue) (iii) physiological parameters/somatic complaints: heart rate | |
Stellman*, 1987 [114], USA/Canada | Focus: extent of video display terminal usage - description of job characteristics with analyses of health effects | |
(a) cognitive demands/work content: task variability, decision latitude, repetitious work, understanding of work process, learning new things, work “makes sense”, cognitive demands (c) organizational factors: workload (d) environmental factors/working tools: physical characteristics of the office (e.g., ergonomic stressors, air quality stressors, privacy) | (i) motivation and satisfaction: job satisfaction, office satisfaction (ii) reduced well-being/affective symptoms: psychological symptoms (irritation, anxiety, depression, hopelessness) (iii) physiological parameters/somatic complaints: health symptoms (eye-, musculo-skeletal-, gastrointestinal-, respiratory- symptoms) | |
[117], Sweden | Focus: perception of digitalization - the effect on subjective well-being of bank employees | |
(b) social factors: organizational culture (d) environmental factors/working tools: digitalization (degree of use of digital tools, subjective experiences associated with the use of digital tools) | (i) motivation and satisfaction: job satisfaction, life balance, life satisfaction |