Remote Worker Communication Technology Use Related to Role Clarity, Coworker Support, and Work Overload

Abstract

Building upon the job demands-resources model, this study examines how communication technology (CT) use in remote work relates to role clarity, coworker support, work overload, and, in turn, burnout to enhance sustainable worker and organizational workplace practices. By analyzing non-experimental survey data from 447 U.S. workers transitioning to remote work in 2020, we found that job demands/resources mediated the relationships between CTs and burnout, with each CT linked to specific demands/resources. Phone calls, email, and instant messaging were associated with role clarity and coworker support, mitigating burnout. Video calls were linked to higher work overload and increased burnout which can decrease worker and organizational sustainability. Our findings highlight the importance of CT use in relation to employee well-being. Supported by affordance theory, we found that each CT had unique associations with job resources and demands when CTs served as key communication channels during organizational transitions.