Digital Transformation Stress Scale (DTSS)

Abstract

The Digital Transformation Stress Scale (DTSS) is a concise, self-report psychometric instrument designed to quantify stress specifically arising from the implementation and management of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools within the context of digital transformation. This stress is conceptualized in relation to factors such as time pressure, high workload, and expectations of heightened efficiency. The DTSS assesses employees’ emotional responses to the digital transformation process in their workplace.

The development of the DTSS involved an initial pool of 20 items, derived from existing perceived stress scales, namely the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983) and Perceived Stress at Work (Chirkowska-Smolak, 2016). These items were contextualized using theoretical frameworks such as stress appraisal theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) and conservation of resources (CoR) theory (Hobfoll et al., 2018). Through expert feedback and a panel of judges, six final items were selected. The psychometric properties of the resulting DTSS were evaluated across two studies: an initial psychometric properties study and an advanced psychometric properties study, utilizing a sample of employees. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional structure comprising 6 items. The scale’s reliability and validity were also reported.

Keywords

Conservation of Resources Theory, Digital Transformation, Divergent Validity, Employees, Information and Communication Technologies, Items Difficulty and Discrimination, Perceived Stress, Stress Appraisal Theory

Authors

Makowska-Tłomak, Ewa; Bedyńska, Sylwia; Skorupska, Kinga; Nielek, Radosław; Kornacka, Monika; Kopeć, Wiesław

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Purpose

The Digital Transformation Stress Scale (DTSS) is a short self-report psychometric tool targeted to measure stress caused by the style and manner of ICT tools’ implementation and management, related to time pressure, high workload, and expectations of high efficiency in the context of Digital Transformation (DT).

Validity

Convergent and Criterion Validity: A moderate and positive correlation was observed between general workplace stress and the DTSS, with Pearson’s r = .45, p < .001. Indicators of general stress and digital transformation stress shared a moderate percentage of common variance (R2 = .20), indicating that they can be identified as separate constructs.

Divergent Validity: The level of Digital Transformation Stress (DTS) was found to be higher in employees working in organizations that had implemented IT solutions compared to those in organizations without ongoing implementation. A significant difference in DTS levels was also noted between respondents who reported that COVID-19 impacted their professional lives and those who did not report that COVID-19 modified their working conditions. No correlation was observed between the DTSS and the self-assessment of ICT skills inventory (Makowska-Tłomak et al., 2023).

Reliability

Internal Consistency: For the initial psychometric properties study, Cronbach’s Alpha was α = .91. For the advanced psychometric properties study, Cronbach’s Alpha was α = .90. Reliability was high for the highest levels of DTS.

Factor Analysis

Exploratory Factor Analysis: A single factor was extracted, confirming the predicted one-dimensional structure of the scale. This factor explained over 68% of the total variance, with 6 items. All item factor loadings of the DTSS were high.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis: The preliminary model initially showed a poor fit to the data. However, adding a covariance between two items (item 5 and item 6) with similar wordings improved the model fit. This modified model demonstrated a good fit to the data. All factor loadings significantly contributed to one factor. The covariance between item 5 and item 6 was .48.

Items Difficulty and Discrimination: All items exhibited similar discrimination parameters. Overall, the scale provided precise measurement for individuals with moderate to high DTS levels but relatively imprecise measurement for individuals with low DTS levels. Item characteristic curves for all items revealed a similar pattern of curves.

Instrument: Digital Transformation Stress Scale

Test Type: Original
Format: Items are rated on a five-point scale.
Language Available: English; Polish
Population Group: Human; Male; Female
Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older); Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs); Thirties (30-39 yrs); Middle Age (40-64 yrs); Aged (65 yrs & older)
Population Details: Age Range: 20-69; Respondents: Professionally Active Individuals
Test Methodology: Test Validity, Convergent Validity, Criterion Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Item Response Theory, Structural Equation Modeling.

Keywords

Conservation of Resources Theory, Digital Transformation, Divergent Validity, Employees, Information and Communication Technologies, Items Difficulty and Discrimination, Perceived Stress, Stress Appraisal Theory

Authors

Makowska-Tłomak, Ewa

• Author ORCID Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6010-4210

• Affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities

• Email Address: [email protected]

• Correspondence Address: [email protected]

Bedyńska, Sylwia

• Author ORCID Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8255-1946

• Affiliation: Center for Research on Social Relations, Institute of Psychology SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities

• Email Address: No data is Available

Skorupska, Kinga

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Polish Japanese Academy of Information Technology

• Email Address: No data is Available

Nielek, Radosław

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Polish Japanese Academy of Information Technology

• Email Address: No data is Available

Kornacka, Monika

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Emotion Cognition Lab, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities

• Email Address: No data is Available

Kopeć, Wiesław

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Polish Japanese Academy of Information Technology

• Email Address: No data is Available

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: May use for Research/Teaching
Commercial Use: No
Fee: No
Test Year: 2023
Web Site for Permissions: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

References

Makowska-Tłomak, E., Bedyńska, S., Skorupska, K., Nielek, R., Kornacka, M., & Kopeć, W. (2023). Measuring digital transformation stress at the workplace–Development and validation of the Digital Transformation Stress Scale. PLoS ONE, 18(10), Article e0287223. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287223

Items of the Digital Transformation Stress Scale

This measure consists of 6 items. Test items are available in Table 2, Page 10 of the source reference.

Note. Respondents are asked to indicate on a five-point scale (1 = Never; 5 = Very often) the frequency of perceived stressful situations concerning the ICT implementation which they experienced during the last four weeks. The general indicator of digital transformation stress is prepared by averaging the answers of the participants.