The shadows of digitisation: on the losses of health-oriented leadership in the face of ICT hassles
Abstract
Research shows positive effects of health-oriented leadership (HoL) on employees. However, the increasing spread of working from home may challenge leadership effectiveness. This study examines whether ICT hassles weaken the positive relationships between HoL and follower outcomes. Effectiveness of HoL was tested as perceived by employees while working from home for 1) employee exhaustion with an experimental vignette study (N = 138), and 2) employee strain and engagement in a survey with two measurement points (N = 214). Results provided evidence for lower exhaustion and strain, and higher engagement with more HoL. Results also showed higher exhaustion and strain, and lower engagement with more ICT hassles. Moreover, the relationships of HoL with employee outcomes were weaker with more ICT hassles. Findings provide initial evidence that HoL positively affects employees when working from home, but that its effectiveness may be impaired by technical issues. Findings suggest that in order to maintain the effectiveness of HoL while working from home, organisations must provide reliable IT equipment and technical support. The study ties in with research on digital leadership and leadership effectiveness and contributes to the deeper understanding of situational contingencies of health-specific leadership during the process of digitisation.
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In Study 1, there is a negative relationship between staff care and exhaustion.
“Study 1: negative relationship between staff care and exhaustion which is moderated by ICT hassles in a way that the effect of staff care is weaker when ICT hassles are high Study 2: negative relationship between staff care and strain which lost significance when ICT hassles are high”
From Leadership and technostress: A systematic literature review (2025) · cites this paper as Klebe et al. (2023)
In Study 1, the negative relationship between staff care and exhaustion is moderated by ICT hassles such that the effect of staff care is weaker when ICT hassles are high.
“Study 1: negative relationship between staff care and exhaustion which is moderated by ICT hassles in a way that the effect of staff care is weaker when ICT hassles are high Study 2: negative relationship between staff care and strain which lost significance when ICT hassles are high”
From Leadership and technostress: A systematic literature review (2025) · cites this paper as Klebe et al. (2023)
In Study 2, there is a negative relationship between staff care and strain.
“Study 1: negative relationship between staff care and exhaustion which is moderated by ICT hassles in a way that the effect of staff care is weaker when ICT hassles are high Study 2: negative relationship between staff care and strain which lost significance when ICT hassles are high”
From Leadership and technostress: A systematic literature review (2025) · cites this paper as Klebe et al. (2023)
In Study 2, the negative relationship between staff care and strain lost significance when ICT hassles are high.
“Study 1: negative relationship between staff care and exhaustion which is moderated by ICT hassles in a way that the effect of staff care is weaker when ICT hassles are high Study 2: negative relationship between staff care and strain which lost significance when ICT hassles are high”
From Leadership and technostress: A systematic literature review (2025) · cites this paper as Klebe et al. (2023)
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Leadership and technostress: A systematic literature review
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- Authors
- Klebe, L., Felfe, J., Krick, A., & Pischel, S.
- Affiliations
- Helmut Schmidt University (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Klebe, Laura
- Venue
- Behaviour & Information Technology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2023-02-24
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 605-622
- ISSN
- 0144-929X (ISSN-L)
- 1362-3001
- OpenAlex
- W4321783447
- Cited by
- 23
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 4
- FWCI
- 6.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behaviour and Information Technology (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Digitalization and Technology Research Center of the Bundeswehr
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Technostress in Professional Settings
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Corporate Management and Leadership
- Keywords
- health-oriented leadership, working from home, employee exhaustion, employee strain, employee engagement, digital leadership, leadership effectiveness, digitization, technical support, situational contingencies
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