ABSTRACT
The proliferation of information technology (IT) at the workplace constitutes an extraordinary opportunity for access to information and new ways of working. At the same time, IT presents work-related and social challenges which are, as yet, not adequately addressed. This chapter outlines major work-related challenges that management has to contend with and the published literature has to acknowledge. In particular, the focus is on issues related to information overload, responding to demands in real time, working in 'lean' organisations and these impacts on individual effectiveness.
A review is carried out to see whether these issues are over-stated. In order to work 'smarter', not harder, using IT effectively and lowering the individual and social cost of technostress and burnout, there is a need to identify critical value-adding in organisations and in individual roles. Reexamining current ways of working is proposed as a way forward in overcoming many of these unexamined IT-related issues. 1
