Communication Channels and Repeated Supervisory Messages in Digital Work Communication: Mediation Effects of Telepressure and Psychological Reactance
As organizational communication environments transition from email-based asynchronous exchanges to r...
Communication Channels and Repeated Supervisory Messages in Digital Work Communication: Mediation Effects of Telepressure and Psychological Reactance
As organizational communication environments transition from email-based asynchronous exchanges to real-time interactions via mobile messengers, employees are increasingly exposed to expectations for rapid replies and repeated supervisory instructions. While such communication may enhance work efficiency, it simultaneously creates psychological burden by pressuring employees to respond immediately. This study investigates how, within supervisor–subordinate digital work contexts, communication channels and message repetition shape employee responses, and tests whether telepressure and psychological reactance function as mediating mechanisms. Using the Stressor–Strain–Outcome (SSO) model as the primary analytical framework, we examine how different channels (email vs. mobile messenger) and repeated message exposure influence psychological strain and relational outcomes. Psychological reactance theory is additionally employed to explain how perceived autonomy threat operates as an underlying mechanism in digital communication. A 2 (communication channel: email vs. messenger) × 2 (message repetition: single vs. repeated) experimental design was conducted, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the hypothesized paths.
Results indicate that message repetition produced the most distinctive effects. Repeated exposure to the same work instruction (three exposures) significantly elevated telepressure and psychological reactance relative to a single exposure. Moreover, psychological reactance was negatively associated with supervisor liking, demonstrating a detrimental effect on the supervisor–subordinate relationship. In contrast, the effect of communication channel itself was limited. Mobile messenger use produced higher telepressure than email, but did not significantly increase psychological reactance, suggesting that perceived pressure and autonomy threat stem primarily from repeated exposures rather than channel characteristics. Mediation analysis confirmed a negative indirect effect whereby repeated messages reduced supervisor liking via increased psychological reactance, demonstrating that excessive repetition of supervisory instructions can undermine relational quality.
Theoretically, this study extends prior research that has focused mainly on media attributes or channel characteristics by emphasizing employees’ psychological strain—telepressure and perceived autonomy violation—as key explanatory mechanisms. The findings highlight that it is not the channel itself, but the psychological reactance triggered by repeated messages that leads to relational deterioration. Practically, while repeated communication may convey urgency, it can simultaneously heighten perceived autonomy intrusion and weaken supervisor–subordinate relationships. Given the close association between relational quality, communication satisfaction, and organizational outcomes, digital communication norms in the workplace should balance efficiency and responsiveness with employees’ need for psychological well-being and autonomy preservation.