Do stressors stifle or facilitate employees' innovative use of enterprise systems: the moderating role of IT mindfulness

Abstract

Purpose

Innovative use of enterprise systems (ES) by employees is essential for organisations to benefit from huge investments in such systems. Drawing on job demands-resources (JDR) theory, this study explores how stressors (i.e. challenge and hindrance stressors) influence employees' innovative use of ES, as well as considering the moderating effects of IT mindfulness.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a longitudinal survey of 152 employees in a large financial service company in China. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test the research model.

Findings

Results showed that challenge stressors exerted a positive effect and hindrance stressors had no significant effect on innovative use of ES. Furthermore, we found that IT mindfulness weakened the positive effect of challenge stressors and the negative effect of hindrance stressors on innovative use of ES.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to extend the research of innovative use of ES by considering two types of stressors based on the JDR theory. Besides, new insights are provided on how to promote employees' innovative use of ES in the post-acceptance stage according to the different levels of IT mindfulness of employees.

Citation

Wei, S., Zhu, F. and Chen, X. (2021), "Do stressors stifle or facilitate employees' innovative use of enterprise systems: the moderating role of IT mindfulness", Information Technology & People, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 955-977. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-09-2019-0499