The Effect of Technostress on the Motivation to Teach Online in Higher Education Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceptions of Business Faculty

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships among technostress creators (techno-complexity, techno-insecurity, techno-invasion, techno-overload, and techno-uncertainty) on the motivation to teach online using the Motivation to Teach Online – Faculty Version scale. Data were collected from faculty members of the Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS), a member of the AACSB Business Education Alliance, and the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences (ASBBS), an interdisciplinary professional organization comprised of faculty teaching in accounting, finance, management, marketing, organizational behavior, and computer information systems early 2020 (N = 307). The findings indicated that techno-stressed faculty are less motivated to teach online. Techno-insecurity and techno-overload subconstructs were statistically significant pre-pandemic. Techno-insecurity was statistically significant during the pandemic. Gender and years of teaching online were not observed among faculty to modify online teaching motivations. Results are presented to supply institutions of higher learning with evidence to support faculty with online learning undertakings while leveraging opportunities to manage enrollment.

Technostress and Determinants of Academic Success among University Students: Mediation Role of Technological Literacy

“…Academic motivation can be categorised into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Mahapatra et al, 2023). Intrinsic motivation is characterised by students' internal desire for learning and personal growth, while extrinsic motivation involves external rewards or consequences influencing students' behaviour (Boyer-Davis et al, 2023). Various factors contribute to academic motivation, including students' self-efficacy beliefs, goal orientation, perceived autonomy, and the perceived value of academic tasks.…”

“…According to Saleem et al (2024), technostress is a determining factor in students' motivation levels in higher education institutions. Technostress has been found to significantly impact academic motivation, influencing students' drive, enthusiasm, and commitment to engage in academic tasks and pursue their educational goals (Boyer-Davis et al, 2023). Researchers who support this view argue that technostress-induced information overload may diminish students' motivation to seek out additional resources, conduct research, or explore new topics, as they may perceive such tasks as daunting and mentally exhausting (Upadhyaya, Vrinda, 2021;Vallone et al, 2023).…”

Looking Back, Looking Forward

“…This increased emotional labor and workload interfered with faculty personal lives, creating work-life conflicts that affected faculty burnout and job satisfaction (Boamah et al, 2022). Similarly, a survey of 307 faculty in business and behavioral science disciplines found faculty experienced higher levels of technostress, the negative effects of technology on mental and physical health, due to the pandemic (Boyer-Davis, 2020). Although increased, time-sensitive, and altered workload caused fatigue and emotional labor for many faculty, some experienced technostress more severely than others.…”