Paper Number
ICIS2026-1397
Paper Type
Completed
Abstract
In coopetitive digital work environments–where collaboration and competition coexist–technology creates digital visibility where employees are constantly exposed to their peers’ achievements. Drawing on Transactional Theory of Stress and Social Comparison Theory, this study adopts a configurational perspective to examine how social comparison in such environments interacts with technostressors to shape psychological outcomes. We conducted a time-lagged survey of 1,979 employees across different industries and organisational levels. A fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) reveals that positive and negative psychological responses can sometimes ensue from counterintuitive configurations. For instance, configurations comprising both positive social comparisons (typically associated with positive outcomes) and negative social comparisons (typically associated with negative outcomes) can, alongside challenge technostressors, lead to positive psychological responses. Our study extends technostress and social comparison research by revealing the configurational pathways underpinning psychological well-being and offers practical, actionable insights for managing technostress in a coopetitive digital work milieu.
Recommended Citation
SIALA, HAYTHAM, "Visible Peers, Invisible Stress: The Interplay of Digital Visibility, Social Comparisons, and Technostressors in Coopetitive Work Environments" (2026). ICIS 2026 Proceedings. 4.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2026/hti/hti/4
Visible Peers, Invisible Stress: The Interplay of Digital Visibility, Social Comparisons, and Technostressors in Coopetitive Work Environments
In coopetitive digital work environments–where collaboration and competition coexist–technology creates digital visibility where employees are constantly exposed to their peers’ achievements. Drawing on Transactional Theory of Stress and Social Comparison Theory, this study adopts a configurational perspective to examine how social comparison in such environments interacts with technostressors to shape psychological outcomes. We conducted a time-lagged survey of 1,979 employees across different industries and organisational levels. A fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) reveals that positive and negative psychological responses can sometimes ensue from counterintuitive configurations. For instance, configurations comprising both positive social comparisons (typically associated with positive outcomes) and negative social comparisons (typically associated with negative outcomes) can, alongside challenge technostressors, lead to positive psychological responses. Our study extends technostress and social comparison research by revealing the configurational pathways underpinning psychological well-being and offers practical, actionable insights for managing technostress in a coopetitive digital work milieu.
Comments
13_Human_technology_interaction