ICT and advanced technology in the contemporary digital work environment and its association with health and work-life balance

For most people in the West, the contemporary work environment is characterised by support from digital device and technology.

Despite this fact, the knowledge about how the digital work environment is associated with employee health and wellbeing is still insufficient.

Research about how work assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) is associated with work health is currently almost non-existing.

Given that the work environment of the future will be increasingly influenced by AI and robotics, it is important to conduct research about how the use of AI and robotics impacts on the health. A healthy and satisfying work environment is highly valuable from an economical- as well as a humanitarian perspective.

The aim of this project is to explore how information- and communication technology (ICT) and advanced technology at work are associated with mental health and work-life balance among gainfully employed people in Sweden. This will be explored in two sub-studies with quantitative and qualitative research design, respectively.

The aim of sub-study 1 is to examine the association between technostress operationalised as ICT demands and health outcomes involving depression and sleep disturbances, and whether this association is modified by work-life balance. The data will be derived from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) (n~16 000).

The SLOSH is superior of its kind in Sweden regarding national data of the working environment and health.

The aim of sub-study 2 is by explore employee experiences of working in a high-tech work environment influenced by AI and robotics, by field studies and in-depth interviews (n~15) with employees.

The mixing of quantitative and qualitative research design will enable a more comprehensive picture with regard to the study aim, which is also a strength of the project.

The knowledge that will be gained for the planned project will be of benefit for the society, organisations as well as the research area itself.