The Hidden Costs of Technostress: Linking Employee Resilience, Organizational Cynicism, Knowledge Hiding, and Innovation Performance

Abstract

Background: The digital workplace is now a crucial component of contemporary businesses. However, a greater dependence on technology may lead to technostress, which could impair workers' ability to innovate. Purpose of the Research: In addition to evaluating the moderating impacts of psychological capital and employee polychronicity, this study investigates the impact of technostress on employee innovation performance through the mediating roles of employee resilience, organizational cynicism, and knowledge hiding. Design & Techniques: Purposive sampling was used to gather data from Pakistani software company employees via structured online and offline questionnaires. PLS-SEM was conducted using SmartPLS 4.0, while Artificial Neural Network (ANN) analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS. Contribution to Theory: The study incorporates behavioral and psychological factors to explain how technostress affects employee innovation performance, drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. Contribution and Consequences: By investigating several mediating pathways between technostress and innovation performance, the study expands on previous research. The results provide useful information for companies looking to lessen the negative impacts of technostress, especially by tackling organizational cynism and knowledge hiding. Limitations: Causal inference and generalizability are limited by the cross-sectional design, self-reported data, and exclusive emphasis on Pakistani software companies. Longitudinal, multi-source, and cross-industry research approaches should be taken into account in future studies.