TECHNOSTRESS AND PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF AI PLATFORMS ON HIGHER EDUCATION STAFF

<doi>10.24250/jpe/SI/2026/GSV/LRM/</doi>

Abstract

The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
platforms within higher education institutions has
fundamentally altered the occupational landscape for
academic and administrative staff. Grounded in the
Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and the Job
Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study investigates
the relationship between AI-induced technostress creators
(techno-overload, techno-invasion, techno-complexity,
techno-insecurity, and techno-uncertainty) and
professional performance among higher education staff (N
= 342). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was deployed
to analyze the mediating role of psychological burnout and
the moderating effect of organizational digital support. The
findings indicate that techno-overload and technocomplexity
exert a significant negative impact on task
performance, largely mediated by emotional exhaustion.
Conversely, digital support mechanisms significantly
attenuate these adverse effects. Implications for
institutional policies and psychological interventions in
academic settings are discussed.