Abstract:

Digitalization is the inexorable trend for organizations, and the broad application of digital technology has exerted conflicting impact on employees’ psychology and behaviors. On the psychological level, digital technology extends personal ability and promotes positive self-evaluations and fairness, but aggravates materialism, brings about job burnout and low organizational commitment as well. In terms of behaviors, employees prefer and are habituated to gamification, multitasking and collaborating, but they also exhibit problem behaviors, such as depending on technology, checking habits, cyberloafing and so on. Finally, we suggest that future research should notice the discrepancy of individual digital experience, distinguish psychological motivation, focus on proactive behaviors, emphasize advanced cognitive functions, and managers should cultivate the climate of openness to attenuate the negative impact brought by digitalization.

Key words: digitalization, psychological empowerment, materialism, collaborating, unhealthy habits