Encouraging positive emotions to cope with technostress’s adverse effects: insights into the broaden-and-build theory

This study investigates the role of positive performance feedback for information and communications technology (ICT) users, who could have either low or high levels of self-control. It could, moreover, explain the impact of that technological pressure on the users’ performance, resulting in their achieving less. This study employs three techno-stressors, i.e. complexity, system errors, and work-overload in the experimental setting. By applying a contrast analysis, we confirm that the broaden-and-build theory explains that positive emotion can build the capabilities of ICTS users to cope with the pressured technostress. This research concludes that users with low self-control who receive positive feedback perform better than those who receive negative feedback. It implies that to succeed with the implementation of information systems and their applications. The users must undergo therapy to feel good in their cognitive flow and believe that this ICT cannot harm them. Likewise, the development managers could boost the users’ positive emotions, so they have more trust and better engagement with the information systems and applications. This research finally infers that the users’ cognition should be broadened and built with experiential values, improving their positive emotions.