The Ideal Worker Revisited

A Gender Perspective on Technostress at the Office

Abstract

This paper explores technostress in office work with a focus on gender dynamics. Employing an exploratory study design and focus group discussions, the research reveals that digitalization within organizations can lead to technostress through the emergence of techno-overload, techno-invasion, and techno-uncertainty. This paper highlights how employees, rather than organizations, develop individual strategies for coping with technostress, meaning that it is the former who are often burdened with managing technostress. Women, particularly mothers with dependent children, are disproportionately affected, juggling work and childcare through flexible schedules but facing invisible workloads and continuous connectivity. These challenges underscore a persistent gendered division of labor. We conclude that while digital technologies offer opportunities, an absence of consciously shaped strategies can heighten employee risks, particularly those related to gender disparities.