Managing Constant Connectivity: A Cross-National Comparison of Employee Experiences

Abstract Book of the 10th World Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities

Year: 2026

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Managing Constant Connectivity: A Cross-National Comparison of Employee Experiences

Biswadeep Tamang, Aradhna Malik, Piyush Sharma, and Jaya Dantas

ABSTRACT:

Work in organizations is shaped by the interaction between technical and social systems. An effective socio-technical system aligns with the organization’s values and culture as technological systems evolve. Misalignment between these systems can lead to unintended behaviours among organizational members. This study adopts a sociotechnical systems perspective to understand and compare the experiences of knowledge workers in Australia and India. Open-ended survey questions were used, yielding a total of 393 responses (N), with 196 (n₁) from Australia and 197 (n₂) from India. Five themes emerged from the data, identified through reflexive thematic analysis: the psychological impact of availability expectations, digital disengagement as coping, perceived control, learning and adaptation, and sociotechnical conditions shaping work experiences. Conservation of Resources theory was also used to interpret employee experiences of constant connectivity and technology-related overload and anxiety as outcomes of an imbalance between the technical and social systems. The study also discusses key theoretical implications, such as the role of organizational norms in shaping employee experiences of constant connectivity and prevalent coping mechanisms among Indian knowledge workers. Finally, we outline limitations and directions for future research, including the use of methods that could yield richer data, such as focus groups and interviews, as well as the implications of laws such as the right to disconnect.

Keywords: Constant Connectivity, Cross-Country Study, Employee Experience, Sociotechnical System Approach, Techno-Overload