Preliminary Report

Startling Results of Our 43-Month Study of Business Attitudes Show Clerical/Support Staff, Managers and Executives Becoming More Hesitant and Resistant Toward Technology

Larry D. Rosen, Ph.D. & Michelle M. Weil, Ph.D.

July 1999

Four field studies were performed with 2,228 fulltime employees of a cross-section of companies in the urban Southern California area. The first study (n=542) was completed in October 1995. A replication was completed with 178 clerical/support staff, managers and executives 18 months later in May 1997, another 18 months later in October 1998 (n=717) and the final study 43 months after the first in May 1999 (n=791). The first two studies plus information about the measurement tools have been reported on in detail at another location in this web site. This preliminary report includes an analysis of the attitudes toward technology across all three studies. Information about the delineation of Eager Adopters, Hesitant "Prove-Its" and Resisters can be found at http://www.technostress.com/study4.htm.

Business Group	Study 1	Study 2	Study 3	Study 4
	October 1995	May 1997	October 1998	May 1999
	(n=542)	(n=178)	(n=717)	(n=791)
Clerical/Support Staff:	Fewer Eager, More Hesitant and Resistant
Eager Adopters	32%	28%	36%	26%
Hesitant "Prove-Its"	59%	65%	53%	62%
Resisters	9%	8%	11%	12%
Managers/Executives:	Fewer Eager, More Hesitant
Eager Adopters	42%	40%	28%	42%
Hesitant "Prove-Its"	52%	59%	65%	53%
Resisters	6%	1%	7%	5%

As seen in the table above and fitting a linear regression line to the four data collection periods, there were fewer Eager Adopters in both groups. The Clerical/Support Staff showed a decrease from 32% to 26% (a 19% decrease) while Managers and Executives showed a drop from 42% to 28% over the first three studies and then an increase back to 42% for the fourth. For the Clerical/Support Staff, the gains were equally split between Hesitant "Prove-Its" and Resisters. For Managers and Executives, however, nearly all of the gain was seen in the Hesitant "Prove-Its".

Thus, over a 43-month period, Clerical/Support Staff have become more hesitant and resistant toward technology while Managers and Executives have become more hesitant.

Additional results will be released soon comparing changes in other attitudinal variables as well as in technology utilization at work and after working hours. Early analyses indicate that:

1. Clerical/Support Staff and Managers/Executives both showed an increase in the use of all technologies over the 43-month period with a steady, linear increase shown by the former and a more rapid increase by the latter.
2. Clerical/Support Staff indicated increased usage of fax and e-mail after working hours while Managers/Executives reported increased after-hours usage of fax, e-mail, voice-mail, pagers and the Internet.
3. Clerical/Support Staff maintained an average of 46 hours per month online while Managers/Executives increased from 49 to 72 hours per month over the 43-month period.
4. Both groups displayed a gradually increasing understanding of online services, the Internet and the Information Superhighway across the 43 months.

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For further information about this study contact Dr. Rosen or Dr. Weil.