Burnout in hybrid work arrangements: unpacking the role of technostress, psychological detachment, and organisational supports

Abstract

Purpose Since the lifting of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the hybrid work arrangement has become widespread globally, yet its impact on employee well-being remains unclear. We argue that the combination of stressful interactions with information and communication technology (ICT) when working remotely and onsite inhibits hybrid workers from psychologically detaching from work, which ultimately has a negative impact on their well-being in the form of burnout. In addition, we consider what organisational supports (i.e. hybrid work location autonomy, workplace social support) are effective in buffering the negative impact of hybrid work technostress. Design/methodology/approach Integrating the theoretical perspectives of technostress with the stressor-detachment model, this study develops and empirically tests the pathways which explain how and when the specific technostress experienced by hybrid workers is associated with burnout. We tested our model with survey data collected from 405 full-time hybrid workers. Findings Our findings indicate that hybrid workers' impaired psychological detachment mediates the relationship between technostress and burnout, but this effect is evident only in remote work settings. Moreover, greater hybrid work location autonomy buffers the negative effect of technostress on psychological detachment when working remotely but no effect was found for workplace social support. Originality/value The downside of hybrid work arrangements on worker well-being has rarely been examined in prior research. Applying the technostress lens to hybrid work enables our study to reveal more nuanced relationships between the demands of ICT and the well-being of hybrid workers, where we find evidence of the distinction between in-office and remote technostress.