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Previous studies have firmly established the technological gatekeeper to be a key node in the innovation

The IT workforce of a company may embody its most important strategic asset. Such an asset needs to be managed. At a company level, measures that support and encourage knowledge transfer amongst employees can help minimise the effect of the loss of skilled staff. This paper details the results of a survey administered to 200 employees across 39 software companies in Ireland. The study assessed the impact of training practices on employee retention, gathered data on the effects of training initiatives, the types of training in use, and the influence of training on knowledge retention. Results demonstrate that organisational attitudes and provision for training relate positively to employee expectations and requirements. Well‐engineered training initiatives lead to increased organisational strength, job‐related employee competencies, and job satisfaction. Training helps in retaining knowledge within the organisation, but may not help in retaining employees. Almost one third of respondents believe that training received has not helped to reduce job‐related stress and more than one quarter indicate that their organisation does not structure training based on employee feedback on requirements.

This paper examines how the digitisation of the social network, and the resulting interplay between its online and offline components, has impacted the role of the technological gatekeeper in research and development (R&D) settings. Previous studies have firmly established the technological gatekeeper to be a key node in the innovation process -acquiring, translating and disseminating novel information throughout the R&D social network. Drawing on social network analysis and interview evidence from a software R&D group, we find that the gatekeeper role has undergone a division of labour. Theoretically, we contribute to the body of knowledge by developing an updated technological gatekeeper conceptual framework. For practitioners, we identify the competencies exhibited by the small number of communication specialists who are largely responsible for diffusing novel information. We then advise practitioners how to maximise the contribution of these 'stars' to the information flow network.

PurposeSocial networking sites (SNS) are heavily used by university students for personal and academic purposes. Despite their benefits, using SNS can generate stress for many people. SNS stressors have been associated with numerous maladaptive outcomes. The objective in this study is to investigate when and how SNS use damages student achievement and psychological wellbeing.Design/methodology/approachCombining the theoretical perspectives from technostress and the strength model of self-control, this study theoretically develops and empirically tests the pathways which explain how and when SNS stressors harm student achievement and psychological wellbeing. The authors test the research model through a two-wave survey of 220 SNS using university students.FindingsThe study extends existing research by showing that it is through the process of diminishing self-control over SNS use that SNS stressors inhibit achievement and wellbeing outcomes. The study also finds that the high use of SNS for academic purposes enhances the effect of SNS stressors on deficient SNS self-control.Originality/valueThis study further opens up the black box of the social media technostress phenomenon by documenting and validating novel processes (i.e. deficient self-control) and conditions (i.e. enhanced academic use) on which the negative impacts of SNS stressors depend.