An extensive literature review on the topic of physical and psychological strain experienced by engineering managers (EMs’) revealed a significant gap in understanding the impact of occupational strain on EMs’. This research closes the existing gap by analyzing the impact of psychological occupational strains on EMs’ stress feeling. Based on Karaseks’ Job demand – Job control model, a research project with 153 German EMs’ was conducted. Therefore, a modified version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire was used to identify relevant strains for EMs’ and to evaluate their impact on EMs’ stress feeling. The research found out that meaning of work, demands for hidings emotions, emotional demands as well as the possibility for development mainly affect EMs’ stress feeling. Furthermore, this contribution compares these insights with the status quo of occupational strain load for EMs’.

Online or e-tests are an important component of new digital learning approaches. E-tests enable efficient ways to facilitate the examination process and provide immediate feedback to the students. Also, with students being more and more proficient in applying e-learning methods it can be expected that e-tests are generally higher accepted by students. However, aspects such as perceived stress and negative impacts on the concentration performance of students may arise through an online test environment. In addition, the e-test situation potentially invites academic dishonesty as test results are sometimes visible to others on various monitors and not permitted web-resources might be used. Aim of the research was to improve effectiveness of university education through enhancing the examination processes in digital teaching approaches. The authors have analyzed three business courses on bachelor and master levels in which e-tests are applied. The students were asked how comfortable they feel with the test situation and how the e-test situation creates stress and potentially limits their performance. Also, students were asked to compare e-tests against traditional ways of exams. In addition to this, students were surveyed with regards to the possibilities of cheating during an e-test. As a general result, students still prefer slightly paper-based exams but accept and adapt to e-test scenarios. While undergraduate students often feel less stressed than graduate students in e-tes

An extensive literature review on the topic of physical and psychological strain experienced by engineering managers revealed a significant gap in understanding the impact of occupational strain on EMs.

Online or e-tests are an important component of new digital learning approaches. E-tests enable efficient ways to facilitate the examination process and provide immediate feedback to the students. Also, with students being more and more proficient in applying e-learning methods it can be expected that e-tests are generally higher accepted by students. However, aspects such as perceived strain and negative impacts on the concentration performance of students may arise through an online test environment. In addition, the e-test situation potentially invites academic dishonesty as test results are sometimes visible to others on various monitors and not permitted web-resources might be used. Aim of the research was to improve effectiveness of university education by enhancing the examination processes in digital teaching approaches. The authors have analyzed three business courses on bachelor and master levels in which e-tests are applied. The students were asked how comfortable they feel with the test situation and how the e-test situation creates strain and potentially limits their performance. Also, students were asked to compare e-tests against traditional ways of examination. In addition to this, students were surveyed with regards to the possibilities of cheating during an e-test. As a general result, students still prefer slightly paper-based exams but accept and adapt to e-test scenarios. While undergraduate students often feel less strained than graduate students in e-te

Executives, especially in the technical work environment, are influenced by different psychological strains at the workplace. The negative effects on health have been studied in recent years. Predominantly, the effects on physical well-being have been investigated and there are few studies on the effects of chronic psychological strains on information processing and decision-making behaviour. This paper presents the results of a study that examined the decision-making behaviour of 53 engineering managers. The participants can be divided into three groups according to their chronic psychological occupational strain load (high, medium, low). The decision-making behaviour of the participants was investigated using a quasi-experimental research design. It has been established that the decision-making behaviour at low or high loads is becoming increasingly extreme and unpredictable.

An extensive literature review on the topic of physical and psychological strains for executives, showed a significant gap in analyzing the impact of occupational strains on executives information processing. Most of all the occupational specific job strains are not sufficiently investigated. This contribution demonstrates the theoretical linkage between the information processing and occupational strains as influence factors. As a consequence, this research provides a new clustering of occupational strains and the related symptoms for executives.

Almost every knowledge worker can relate to feelings of Information Overload (IO) and as a result some knowledge worker feel stress as a result of IO. Thereby IO and stress have both various effects on individuals and organizations. Despite intensive research during the last decades the complex relationship of both scientific disciplines still lacks comprehensive research about their connections. This research presents therefore a conceptual framework to analyze this relationship. A case study approach has been conducted to examine the connection between IO and the effect on individual stress feelings of management accountants. The research found out that IO has an effect on stress. Furthermore the different causes, coping strategies and countermeasures in the environment of management accountants were analyzed. The contribution to the field of stress research is a better understanding of the IO concept and the impact of IO to stress.

Almost every knowledge worker can relate to feelings of Information Overload (IO), but in reality the phenomenon is not well understood. IO can be critical for individuals and organizations. Despite intensive research during the last decades this complex scientific discipline lacks comprehensive research for parts of the possible impact factors. This research presents a conceptual framework and some variables to the type of information. A case study approach has been conducted to examine the relationship between bad-, irrelevant-and relevant information with IO. The research found out that too much bad information as well as relevant information has a positive effect on IO. The contribution to the field of IO research is a better understanding of the concept and the impact of the type of information to IO.

Managing the constant flow of incoming messages is a daily challenge faced by knowledge workers who use technologies such as e-mail and other digital communication tools. This study focuses on the most ubiquitous of these technologies, e-mail, and unobtrusively explores the ongoing inbox-management activities of thousands of users worldwide over a period of 8 months. (more…)

E-mail is one of the most successful computer applications ever developed. Despite its success, it is now dogged by numerous problems. Users complain about feeling overwhelmed by the volume of messages they receive, they have difficulties too in organizing and managing their e-mail data but, most importantly, they have problems in using e-mail to manage collaborative tasks. These require extended interaction with others for their definition and execution. As a result, users are often concurrently working on multiple outstanding tasks as they await responses from others concerning these tasks. This requires users to (a) create reminders, (b) identify messages that relate to the same task, and (c) combine information from these related messages. (more…)