Abstract
Modern life is almost unthinkable outside of information systems. New information technologies enable the simultaneous use of multiple media, which leads to a revolution in the common way of working with people in order to create a successful organization. Today, information technologies are becoming a strategic element in the development of the organization and society as a whole, and are becoming a basic management resource. The aim of this chapter is to present the possibilities of predicting burnout and chronic fatigue based on the professional style of the employee, as well as examining the differences in the severity of burnout, chronic fatigue and circadian rhythmics, programmers working at home, so-called freelancers, and those working in companies. The results show that there are differences between employees who work from home and freelancers in terms of problems in everyday functioning, and differences between employees working in different working conditions at different levels of the variable application of preventive measures to prevent fatigue.
TopIntroduction
Since ancient times, people have used various types of aids to solve everyday problems, starting from primitive tools for work and fighting to the most recent technologies. During the development of civilization, both the problems that humans faced and the tools they used became more complicated. At the moment when the need to transmit messages and perform basic computational operations emerged, there was also a need to develop a discipline that would deal with it. The real revolution in the development of human civilization was caused by the development of information technologies. All types of information technology aimed to help solve problems whose manual solution would be time-consuming or practically impossible.
Modern life is almost unthinkable outside of information systems, so most employees encounter some form of information technology in their workplace. New information technologies allow today’s computers to simultaneously use multiple media, such as audio, text, or video, as well as to access remote databases, leading to a revolution in the way people work together to create a successful organization. The most significant changes in the business and work leading to information technology include team work, the ability to work outside the office, creation of a non-hierarchical organization, and delegation of the portion of the external organizations. Today, information technologies have become a strategic element in the development of the organization and society as a whole, and at the same time they have become a basic resource of management (Hip & Idlbek, 2011).
Professions in the field of information systems are stressful. Most general models of occupational stress indicate that the consequence of the interaction between stimuli coming from the environment and the individual’s response to them is the same (Thong & Yap, 2000). According to the data published by a computer magazine in 1997, 95% of all senior managers, 90% of all middle managers, and 80% of junior managers described their working day as stressful (Garner, 1997). Developers, system analysts, database administrators, and IT managers are faced with long working hours, unexpected needs of customers, unmet deadlines, and knowledge that is rapidly becoming obsolete (Ivancevich, Napier, & Wetherbe, 1983).
Such high work demands are often combined with low control of the end effect (which is a consequence of working online), which burdens the IT sector with another psychosocial risk (Živković et al., 2021), all of which results in relatively high rates of fluctuation and absenteeism in this industry (Thong & Yap, 2000). IT employees have the option of working for another company in case of dissatisfaction, so they are not led by fear of losing their jobs and they often ask their company’s management for better working conditions (Rakić et al., 2017).
An early study conducted by Weiss (1983) showed that the stressful job of an IT manager is positively correlated with psychological and physiological efforts. A related study (Sonnentag et al, 1994) also found a connection between occupational stress and burnout syndrome and the specific mental health condition present in software developers. Studies conducted in subsequent years consistently showed that the level of stress among IT professionals was increasing (Thong & Yap, 2000).
Furthermore, the pronounced and long-lasting presence of stress can result in burnout, which has become especially present in the current time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The occurrence of occupational burnout is almost inevitable in the modern business system. Various factors play a role in its occurrence, for instance, job requirements, working conditions, multiple roles or vaguely defined roles at work, overtime work, unattainable deadlines, as well as some personality traits of employees, such as perfectionism, emotional instability, neuroticism, or high ambition (Brody, 2002; Persaud, 2002; Potter, 1998, according to Mazzi & Ferlin, 2004). These factors were examined by Moore (2000) among employees in the IT industry. According to the results of his research, work exhaustion among IT professionals was closely connected with low levels of job satisfaction and high turnover rates.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Burnout Syndrome: It is a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged and intense stress. In such moments, a person feels that they cannot cope with the constant demands that are imposed on them. Burnout drains a person’s energy and reduces their productivity, leading to feelings of helplessness, listlessness, resentment, and, ultimately, complete exhaustion.
Professional Styles: When performing their professional duties in the work environment, employees usually prefer a certain style of action, which is conditioned on the one hand by the action of behavioral drivers, defined in early childhood through parental responsibilities, and on the other hand by one’s environment. The professional style is conditioned by the management style of the managers and the characteristics of the culture of the organization in which the employee works. In the process of career development, managers form their own professional style, wherein the most important thing is to harmonize their strengths, weaknesses, values, and the desired lifestyle with the requirements of the profession, organization, and the workplace.
Professional Stress: The emphasis is on the psychological aspect of work, which has adverse effects on the mood, motivation, and general health of the employee. Thus, there is increased talk concerning the approach of superiors, interpersonal relations, and the balance between private and professional life, as well as the traditional influences of monotony, working conditions, and opportunities for advancement.
Occupational Fatigue: It is associated with physical or mental exertion that occurs at work. It can be caused by longer working hours, extraordinary physical or mental activities, insufficient breaks between shifts, insufficient rest, excessive stress, chronic illnesses, monotonous work tasks, or any combination of these factors.
Stress: An individual’s response to experiences and events in their environment. It can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. Stress is the body’s response to anything that requires attention or action. Everyone experiences stress to some degree. The way one respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to one’s overall well-being.
Individual Differences: They explain why some people are more successful than others, how someone will react, and how someone will treat others; in fact, they ultimately determine work performance. Individual differences that affect work behavior include the level of motivation for work, perception and attribution, abilities and skills that a person possesses to perform the job, personal attitudes, interests and values, and hereditary and diversity factors such as age, gender, education, and the like; personality traits are among these differences.
Circadian Rhythm: In humans, it provides the optimal level and duration of sleep and rest during the dark (night) period, so that they are ready to optimally perform all functions during the light (day) period. There are patterns of brain wave activity in the body that are influenced by secreted hormones, cell regeneration, and other biological activities related to the 24-hour time cycle. Circadian rhythm is therefore an important physiological process in all living beings, because it determines the sleep pattern, or the time when one is asleep and awake, every 24 hours. The operation of a normal circadian clock determines the 24-hour cycle of light and darkness (day and night).