Comments on: Stress, Emotional Labor and Information Technology Workers http://spin.theuntangledweb.net/trends/stress-emotional-labor-and-information-technology-workers/ Simple, Powerful Solutions. Untangle Your Webs. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:25:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Ben http://spin.theuntangledweb.net/trends/stress-emotional-labor-and-information-technology-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-1187 Ben Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:53:20 +0000 http://spin.theuntangledweb.net/?p=510#comment-1187 This is somewhat reminiscent of what I went through working claims for an insurance company and as the receptionist at a vet's office. In both jobs I was the frontline for customers with questions and problems (often urgent ones). In both cases my job was looked down upon by other branches of the company. Claims is the only part of an insurance company that brings in no revenue and the receptionist is the only person at a vet's office whose job does not require some kind of license or certification. The result in both cases was inadequate resources and training to do the job and a generally abusive attitude from other parts of the company. Sadly this generally translated into a diminshed quality of service for the customer due to lack of resources and excessive stress. The undervaluing of IT is clearly demonstrated by the fact that in many companies IT is often off shored while sales is not. This is somewhat reminiscent of what I went through working claims for an insurance company and as the receptionist at a vet’s office. In both jobs I was the frontline for customers with questions and problems (often urgent ones). In both cases my job was looked down upon by other branches of the company. Claims is the only part of an insurance company that brings in no revenue and the receptionist is the only person at a vet’s office whose job does not require some kind of license or certification. The result in both cases was inadequate resources and training to do the job and a generally abusive attitude from other parts of the company. Sadly this generally translated into a diminshed quality of service for the customer due to lack of resources and excessive stress. The undervaluing of IT is clearly demonstrated by the fact that in many companies IT is often off shored while sales is not.

]]> By: Andrew http://spin.theuntangledweb.net/trends/stress-emotional-labor-and-information-technology-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-1186 Andrew Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:45:36 +0000 http://spin.theuntangledweb.net/?p=510#comment-1186 Cyrelle, That's a good question and is actually the second part of the research that I am currently working on. From what I've seen thus far I can give a preview, though nothing is set in stone yet. Researchers examined IT professionals’ relationships with other groups such as managers and clients, including conflicts that arise. For example management often loses faith in IT projects when new implementations fail to live up to expectations, have continual delays and cost overruns. These circumstances lead managers to view IT professionals and their work as an overhead expense, and there is little appreciation of IT’s contribution to the organization. When dealing with users, their frustrations are various and three factors seem predominately problematic. First is the amount of unnecessary work due to users’ unskillfullness (“I-D-10-T errors”) and accidents requiring IT professionals’ time and effort (“the stupid and avoidable”). Second, computer configurations (“You are never quite sure what you are going to run into”) surprise IT professionals, forcing them to make sense of equivocal situations. Finally, as often happens, the IT professionals feel as if they are being blamed by their clients for the failure of the computing system. As one IT pro put it: "“One of the things I’m sick of is people giving me an attitude about things that are not my fault. It isn’t my fault that Windows degrades over time. It isn’t may fault that spyware exists. It isn’t my fault that I don’t have the needed manpower or money to make needed purchases. It isn’t my fault that technology changes faster than users can keep up with. But I get attitude about it anyway, like just because I work in technology I am responsible for everything and can fix anything. " Cyrelle,

That’s a good question and is actually the second part of the research that I am currently working on. From what I’ve seen thus far I can give a preview, though nothing is set in stone yet.

Researchers examined IT professionals’ relationships with other groups such as managers and clients, including conflicts that arise. For example management often loses faith in IT projects when new implementations fail to live up to expectations, have continual delays and cost overruns. These circumstances lead managers to view IT professionals and their work as an overhead expense, and there is little appreciation of IT’s contribution to the organization.

When dealing with users, their frustrations are various and three factors seem predominately problematic. First is the amount of unnecessary work due to users’ unskillfullness (“I-D-10-T errors”) and accidents requiring IT professionals’ time and effort (“the stupid and avoidable”). Second, computer configurations (“You are never quite sure what you are going to run into”) surprise IT professionals, forcing them to make sense of equivocal situations. Finally, as often happens, the IT professionals feel as if they are being blamed by their clients for the failure of the computing system.

As one IT pro put it:

““One of the things I’m sick of is people giving me an attitude about things that are not my fault. It isn’t my fault that Windows degrades over time. It isn’t may fault that spyware exists. It isn’t my fault that I don’t have the needed manpower or money to make needed purchases. It isn’t my fault that technology changes faster than users can keep up with. But I get attitude about it anyway, like just because I work in technology I am responsible for everything and can fix anything. “

]]> By: cyrille http://spin.theuntangledweb.net/trends/stress-emotional-labor-and-information-technology-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-1180 cyrille Wed, 07 Jul 2010 05:44:12 +0000 http://spin.theuntangledweb.net/?p=510#comment-1180 ....'can i ask..?? how is the relationship of IT workers to their clients.?? thanks..^^, ….’can i ask..?? how is the relationship of IT workers to their clients.?? thanks..^^,

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