Salla Toppinen
Raija Kalimo
Information overload - a risk factor in the information society
The use of information technology has expanded tremendously during the past few decades. Although the computer is basically a tool, the development of information technology usually changes the work contents and the organization of work, and thereby affects also the well-being of the users. The cognitive demands of work increase along with the use of information technology. Especially the demands for memory, attention, selection and organization of information, and decision making increase. Presently there is only little information on how working in a continuous flow of information affects the well-being and functional capacity of the workers. More knowledge about these effects is needed in order to promote positive changes, and to avoid negative effects such as increased stressfulness of the work environment.
In the 1990s information technology is widely used in all kinds of jobs, including routine work tasks and demanding designing work. It has made our lives easier in many areas of daily life, making numerous new channels of information available. Children are acquainted with information technology already at school, and there is a computer in about every fourth household in Finland. The proportion of "information work" in society, by which we mean all kinds of jobs with information as the main subject, is increasing continuously, and is expected to increase even more in the future. The amount of information is vast, and the ways of getting it are diverse. In principle, almost everyone has a chance to use different sources of information. The term 'information flow' has become the topic of the day - as has the question of how to cope with the enormous amount of detailed information.
Information technology changes work
Working with information, using information technology, changes work contents and ways of working. The use of information technology increases the abstractive nature of work, and thereby the demands for mental capacity and conceptual mastery. People also need creativity and innovativeness in demanding problem-solving situations related to information usage - some of the solutions are unique and cannot be drawn from previously adapted working practices. Information technology also increases the requirements for attention, memory and other cognitive functions. Personal responsibility for work often expands along with the use of information technology. The possible effects of information technology on social relationships have been speculated, especially as regards isolation in telework. Information technology in itself is not, however, a primary cause of problems in work, if the organization of work contents and contexts is properly planned in advance.
Increasing work stress may be caused by many kinds of changes in work life, such as downsizing and intensifying of production. Nevertheless, an increase of the cognitive demands of work is a common, pervasive trend and its effects on health and well-being should be studied. Are there limits for personal cognitive capacities? Does information overload cause exhaustion? And how are people in different age groups and other subgroups able to cope with the demands of the information society?
Computer professionals report heavy information overload
Over 300 computer professionals and others were studied in a project conducted by the Department of Psychology at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. The subjects of this paper were 40-54-year-old women and men who had been tested for computer jobs in the '60s and '70s. About one third of them had been working in computer jobs during their entire work career. The other subjects had been working in computer jobs for some part of their career, or had not worked in computer jobs at all. The subjects filled out a questionnaire consisting of items on work demands, stressors, well-being, sense of competence and burnout. The computer professionals are the pioneers of information technology in Finland. They participated in the first phase of the computerization of banks and insurance companies, planning and implementing massive computer systems in the '60s and 70's. Since then information technology has developed rapidly, increasing the demands for continuous professional education and keeping up with the latest developments.
The work of the computer professionals was cognitively very demanding. The demands for keeping up with the latest information, as well as applying and producing new information were great. Strong demands were placed also on attentional capacity, problem-solving ability, and interaction skills. On the other hand, there were many control opportunities in these jobs: it was often possible for one to decide how to do a task or how and when to proceed. New information nevertheless seemed to be a source of stress: the computer professionals reported more information overload than other employees. About 70 % of the computer professionals felt that the bulk of relevant information was often or continuously greater than one could cope with. In addition, about 40 % of them felt that selecting the relevant information from the information flow was often or continuously tedious, and that keeping up with new information and working with a continuous flow of information caused strain.
Many computer professionals report symptoms of burnout
The computer professionals reported more burnout than those with only some or not at all experience in computer jobs. Burnout is a chronic overstrain symptom, which is characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism and lack of professional self-efficacy. About 15 % of the computer professionals felt themselves emotionally exhausted: they reported fatigue and experienced their work as too strenuous. Disappointment with the work and a decrease of enthusiasm about the work were reported only occasionally. Professional self-efficacy was strong among the computer professionals. Most of them felt they were doing a good job and felt they could accomplish something in their work.
Sense of competence can be promoted by counteracting sources of stress
Despite the symptoms of burnout, the computer professionals had a strong sense of competence. Positive work characteristics, such as challenging work and autonomy, were most common among employees in a superior's role. Also the superiors had sources of stress at work, but because they had better opportunities to manage their work and to use different kinds of coping strategies owing to their organizational position, they also had a better sense of competence than employees in a subordinate position.
It is not possible to reduce information flow in the society; it is not even a reasonable aim. But what can be done to prevent the negative, strainful effects of information overflow? One possibility is to keep professional skills and abilities updated with the help of vocational education. Information flow may require some novel arrangements and better planning of work. Reconsideration of values may also be needed in order to prioritize the production and usage of information according to its meaning and relevance.
Literature
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Kraemer KL & Danziger JN. The impacts of computer technology on the worklife of information workers. Soc Sci Computer Rev 8 (1990): 4, 592-613.
Tattersall AJ. Visual display units. In: Handbook of human performance. Vol 1 The physical environment. Academic Press Limited, London 1992, 297-324.
Toppinen S & Kalimo R. Work demands, job satisfaction and burnout in computer professionals. Proceedings of the international symposium From Research to Prevention, managing occupational and environmental health hazards 20-23 March 1995. People and Work, Research reports 4, Helsinki 1995:93-6.
Toppinen S & Kalimo R. Generalized and professional sense of competence in computer professionals and others. Proceedings of the international symposium Work in the Information Society, 20-22 May 1996 (in press).
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