Remote Worker Communication Technology Use Related to Role Clarity, Coworker Support, and Work Overload

Inyoung Shin, Sarah E. Riforgiate (), Emily A. Godager and Michael C. Coker
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Inyoung Shin: Department of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
Sarah E. Riforgiate: Department of Communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
Emily A. Godager: Department of Communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
Michael C. Coker: Department of Communication, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: Building upon the job demands-resources model, this study examines how communication technology (CT) use in remote work relates to role clarity, coworker support, work overload, and, in turn, burnout to enhance sustainable worker and organizational workplace practices. By analyzing non-experimental survey data from 447 U.S. workers transitioning to remote work in 2020, we found that job demands/resources mediated the relationships between CTs and burnout, with each CT linked to specific demands/resources. Phone calls, email, and instant messaging were associated with role clarity and coworker support, mitigating burnout. Video calls were linked to higher work overload and increased burnout which can decrease worker and organizational sustainability. Our findings highlight the importance of CT use in relation to employee well-being. Supported by affordance theory, we found that each CT had unique associations with job resources and demands when CTs served as key communication channels during organizational transitions.

Keywords: communication technology; burnout; affordance theory; job demands-resources model; remote work; sustainable work practices; communication channel (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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