The impact of desktop personal computer technology on the factors that contribute to job satisfaction and motivation

Abstract

This research study had three aims. The first aim was to identify if any changes in job characteristics and the motivating potential of jobs occurred when workers were provided with their own personal desktop computers for accessing automated integrated information management systems, wordprocessing and spreadsheeting facilities. The second aim of the study was to determine if any changes in job satisfaction occurred as a result of such changes in job characteristics and the motivating potential of jobs. The third aim of the study was to determine whether changes in job satisfaction that resulted from changes in job characteristics and changes in the motivating potential of jobs were moderated by the following factors: workers’ perceptions of the impact of the new technology on their work practices, workers’ prior knowledge of computing, and workers’ age, gender and job category.
A survey questionnaire was used to collect information for this research study. The complete version of the Job Diagnostic Survey formed the major portion of this questionnaire. The additional portions of the questionnaire were designed to collect information relating to workers’ perceptions of the impact of the new technology, their prior computing knowledge and their age, gender and job category.
A quasi-experimental multiple time-series research design was used to fulfill the aims of this study. The experimental group comprised 19 workers who had been using the new technology for no longer than five months. In order to maximise discrimination between effects that resulted from the introduction of the new technology and effects that resulted from other organisational factors, two control groups were used in this research study. The “established users” group comprised 10 workers who had been using the new technology in their jobs for at least six months, and the “non-users” group comprised 22 workers who had not used the new technology in their jobs and would not do so for the duration of the study. A period of 18 months elapsed between the pretest and the posttest. In total, 51 respondents completed both the pretest and posttest questionnaires. These respondents’ results were analysed using Statview 512+ and JMP (version 2).
The participants of this research study were all employees of the National Library of Australia (NLA). Although computer technology has been in use at the NLA since the 1980s, the new technology that has been the focus of this research study differs from previous technology because it provides staff of the NLA with instant access to an information system that is both fully automated and fully integrated. This has been achieved in two ways. Firstly, the development of a local area network, the installation of a Dynix Integrated Library Management System, and the provision of Epsom personal computers equipped with Word for Windows and Excel for Windows have collectively made it possible for staff of the NLA now to access all the NLA’s existing and new automated systems from a single personal computer instead of having to use different equipment for different automated tasks as has previously been the case. Secondly, rather than having to share equipment with other staff, each staff member has been supplied with their own PC.
The study found that the introduction of the new technology did not have any significant effects on job characteristics and the motivating potential of jobs. However, there was a significant decrease in job satisfaction after the introduction of the new technology. It was found that workers had very positive perceptions of the effects of the technology on their jobs, and very high levels of prior computing knowledge, and therefore it was concluded that these factors did not have any moderating effects on the relationship between the introduction of the new technology and job satisfaction. No relationships were found between the decrease in job satisfaction and workers’ age, gender and job category. Results of further analysis, however, reveal that there was a relationship between the decrease in job satisfaction after the introduction of the new technology and two other factors. These were a reduction in workers’ perceptions of the value of the skills required to complete their work tasks and a decrease in their social satisfaction. Further research is suggested in order to determine the general applicability of these results to other organisations and other occupational groups.

Date of Award	1994
Original language	English
Supervisor	Peter Clayton (Supervisor) & Margaret Hyland (Supervisor)