Impact of Web-Based Meeting Platform Usage on Overall Well-Being among Higher Education Employees
During the ongoing global pandemic, faculty, staff and administrators at colleges and universities experienced an increase in meetings using web-based platforms. Challenges were identified related to the changes from face-to-face to web-based meetings, including internet connectivity, inadequate tec...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/11/2/28 |
| _version_ | 1797537164699893760 |
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| author | Martha E. Kershaw Shannon P. Lupien Jennifer L. Scheid |
| author_facet | Martha E. Kershaw Shannon P. Lupien Jennifer L. Scheid |
| author_sort | Martha E. Kershaw |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the ongoing global pandemic, faculty, staff and administrators at colleges and universities experienced an increase in meetings using web-based platforms. Challenges were identified related to the changes from face-to-face to web-based meetings, including internet connectivity, inadequate technology and distractions in the online environment, which led to questions about how meetings that use web-based platforms may contribute to overall stress and well-being during the pandemic. The research related to the use of web-based meeting platforms is limited. However, some anecdotal evidence suggests that impacts from web-based meeting platforms could include frustration, sleep issues and fatigue, which contribute to overall well-being. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between a number of potentially related web-based meeting factors including the frequency and length of the meetings and comfort level with the platform and overall well-being. This study involved (<i>N</i> = 164) male, female and nonbinary participants over 18 years of age who worked as tenured, tenure-track, or nontenure track faculty, staff and administrators at colleges/universities in the United States during the global pandemic. The participants were recruited via both social media and email and were provided with a link to the survey tool, which included demographic and web-based meeting questions (e.g., frequency, length, and comfort) along with scales to measure perceived stress, subjective well-being, mental fatigue and sleep quality. The current study did not find a relationship between the frequency of meetings and overall well-being (<i>p</i> = 0.294). However, statistically significant relationships were found between meeting length and overall well-being (<i>p</i> = 0.003) and between comfort with the web-based meeting platform and overall well-being (<i>p</i> = 0.030). Based on the findings of this study, meeting organizers may consider scheduling meetings for less than two hours and providing training to ensure participants are proficient in the web-based meeting platform in order to support overall well-being. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:11:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14cff3e645024642a4eb2fe18f3f2eec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2174-8144 2254-9625 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:11:13Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-14cff3e645024642a4eb2fe18f3f2eec2023-11-21T16:09:11ZengMDPI AGEuropean Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education2174-81442254-96252021-04-0111237238110.3390/ejihpe11020028Impact of Web-Based Meeting Platform Usage on Overall Well-Being among Higher Education EmployeesMartha E. Kershaw0Shannon P. Lupien1Jennifer L. Scheid2Department of Nursing, Daemen College, Amherst, NY 14226, USADepartment of Psychological Sciences, Daemen College, Amherst, NY 14226, USADepartments’ of Health Promotion and Physical Therapy, Daemen College, Amherst, NY 14226, USADuring the ongoing global pandemic, faculty, staff and administrators at colleges and universities experienced an increase in meetings using web-based platforms. Challenges were identified related to the changes from face-to-face to web-based meetings, including internet connectivity, inadequate technology and distractions in the online environment, which led to questions about how meetings that use web-based platforms may contribute to overall stress and well-being during the pandemic. The research related to the use of web-based meeting platforms is limited. However, some anecdotal evidence suggests that impacts from web-based meeting platforms could include frustration, sleep issues and fatigue, which contribute to overall well-being. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between a number of potentially related web-based meeting factors including the frequency and length of the meetings and comfort level with the platform and overall well-being. This study involved (<i>N</i> = 164) male, female and nonbinary participants over 18 years of age who worked as tenured, tenure-track, or nontenure track faculty, staff and administrators at colleges/universities in the United States during the global pandemic. The participants were recruited via both social media and email and were provided with a link to the survey tool, which included demographic and web-based meeting questions (e.g., frequency, length, and comfort) along with scales to measure perceived stress, subjective well-being, mental fatigue and sleep quality. The current study did not find a relationship between the frequency of meetings and overall well-being (<i>p</i> = 0.294). However, statistically significant relationships were found between meeting length and overall well-being (<i>p</i> = 0.003) and between comfort with the web-based meeting platform and overall well-being (<i>p</i> = 0.030). Based on the findings of this study, meeting organizers may consider scheduling meetings for less than two hours and providing training to ensure participants are proficient in the web-based meeting platform in order to support overall well-being.https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/11/2/28meeting fatigueweb-based meeting platformpandemicwell-being |
| spellingShingle | Martha E. Kershaw Shannon P. Lupien Jennifer L. Scheid Impact of Web-Based Meeting Platform Usage on Overall Well-Being among Higher Education Employees European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education meeting fatigue web-based meeting platform pandemic well-being |
| title | Impact of Web-Based Meeting Platform Usage on Overall Well-Being among Higher Education Employees |
| title_full | Impact of Web-Based Meeting Platform Usage on Overall Well-Being among Higher Education Employees |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Web-Based Meeting Platform Usage on Overall Well-Being among Higher Education Employees |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Web-Based Meeting Platform Usage on Overall Well-Being among Higher Education Employees |
| title_short | Impact of Web-Based Meeting Platform Usage on Overall Well-Being among Higher Education Employees |
| title_sort | impact of web based meeting platform usage on overall well being among higher education employees |
| topic | meeting fatigue web-based meeting platform pandemic well-being |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/11/2/28 |
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