Prior research on the relationship between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use and job satisfaction has shown inconsistencies. This warrants retesting the relationship with larger, more representative multinational samples, and considering potential moderating factors, such as national culture. Using data from two multinational surveys (28 countries/regions and 32 countries/regions, respectively), we examine the relationship between ICT use and job satisfaction in a cross-cultural context, focusing on the role of cultural egalitarianism in this relationship. Results from multilevel analyses show a positive association between ICT use and job satisfaction. This association was moderated by the level of cultural egalitarianism: in more egalitarian cultures, the link between ICT use and job satisfaction is weaker. We conjecture that this pattern is due to the inherent satisfaction provided by the egalitarian culture itself, thereby reducing the perceived contribution of ICT use to job satisfaction. These findings hold significant implications for organizations and policymakers, particularly in an increasingly globalized and digitized work environment. This study emphasizes the importance of considering local cultural contexts in ICT strategy implementation and of cultivating an egalitarian culture to enhance job satisfaction.
Amankwah-AmoahJ.KhanZ.WoodG.KnightG. (2021). COVID-19 and digitalization: The great acceleration. Journal of Business Research, 136, 602–611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.08.011
2.
BenedettiI.LauretiT.RegoliA. (2020). The native-migrant gap in job satisfaction across European countries. International Journal of Manpower, 42(4), 604–627. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijm-09-2019-0432
3.
Berg-BeckhoffG.NielsenG.Ladekjær LarsenE. (2017). Use of information communication technology and stress, burnout, and mental health in older, middle-aged, and younger workers–results from a systematic review. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 23(2), 160–171. https://doi.org/10.1080/10773525.2018.1436015
4.
BorleP.Boerner-ZobelF.Voelter-MahlknechtS.HasselhornH. M.EbenerM. (2021). The social and health implications of digital work intensification. Associations between exposure to information and communication technologies, health and work ability in different socio-economic strata. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 94(3), 377–390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-020-01588-5
5.
BryanM. L.JenkinsS. P. (2016). Multilevel modelling of country effects: A cautionary tale. European Sociological Review, 32(1), 3–22. https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcv059
6.
BrykA. S.RaudenbushS. W. (1992). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods. Sage Publications, Inc.
7.
CallerstigA. C. (2014). Making equality work: Ambiguities, conflicts and change agents in the implementation of equality policies in public sector organisations. Linkopings Universitet (Sweden).
8.
ChanH. W. (2020). When do values promote pro-environmental behaviors? Multilevel evidence on the self-expression hypothesis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 71, 101361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101361
9.
CohenJ. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Eribaum.
10.
CohenJ.CohenP.WestS. G.AikenL. S. (2003). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
11.
DolbierC. L.WebsterJ. A.McCalisterK. T.MallonM. W.SteinhardtM. A. (2005). Reliability and validity of a single-item measure of job satisfaction. American Journal of Health Promotion: AJHP, 19(3), 194–198. https://doi.org/10.4278/0890-1171-19.3.194
12.
EndersC. K.TofighiD. (2007). Centering predictor variables in cross-sectional multilevel models: A new look at an old issue. Psychological Methods, 12(2), 121–138. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.12.2.121
FischerR.VauclairC. M.FontaineJ. R.SchwartzS. H. (2010). Are individual-level and country-level value structures different? Testing Hofstede’s legacy with the Schwartz Value Survey. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 41(2), 135–151. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022109354377
15.
FisherG. G.MatthewsR. A.GibbonsA. M. (2016). Developing and investigating the use of single-item measures in organizational research. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 21(1), 3–23. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039139
16.
GadeyneN.VerbruggenM.DelanoeijeJ.De CoomanR. (2018). All wired, all tired? work-related ICT-use outside work hours and work-to-home conflict: The role of integration preference, integration norms and work demands. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 107, 86–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.03.008
17.
GuM.Li TanJ. H.AminM.MostafizM. I.YeohK. K. (2022). Revisiting the moderating role of culture between job characteristics and job satisfaction: A multilevel analysis of 33 countries. Employee Relations: The International Journal, 44(1), 70–93. https://doi.org/10.1108/er-03-2020-0099
18.
HaarJ. M.RussoM.SuñeA.Ollier-MalaterreA. (2014). Outcomes of work–life balance on job satisfaction, life satisfaction and mental health: A study across seven cultures. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 85(3), 361–373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.08.010
19.
HalbeslebenJ. R.NeveuJ. P.Paustian-UnderdahlS. C.WestmanM. (2014). Getting to the “COR” understanding the role of resources in conservation of resources theory. Journal of Management, 40(5), 1334–1364. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314527130
20.
HauffS.RichterN. F.TressinT. (2015). Situational job characteristics and job satisfaction: The moderating role of national culture. International Business Review, 24(4), 710–723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.01.003
HobfollS. E. (2001). The influence of culture, community, and the nested-self in the stress process: Advancing conservation of resources theory. Applied Psychology, 50(3), 337–421. https://doi.org/10.1111/1464-0597.00062
JiangL.XuX.WangH. J. (2021). A resources–demands approach to sources of job insecurity: A multilevel meta-analytic investigation. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 26(2), 108–126. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000267
25.
KarimM. S.NaharS.DemirbagM. (2022). Resource-based perspective on ICT use and firm performance: A meta-analysis investigating the moderating role of cross-country ICT development status. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 179, 121626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121626
26.
KendeJ.PhaletK.Van den NoortgateW.KaraA.FischerR. (2018). Equality revisited: A cultural meta-analysis of intergroup contact and prejudice. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 9(8), 887–895. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550617728993
27.
KoE. J.KimA. H.KimS. S. (2021). Toward the understanding of the appropriation of ICT-based Smart-work and its impact on performance in organizations. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 171, 120994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120994
28.
KomisarofA.AkaliyskiP. (2025). New developments in Hofstede’s Individualism-Collectivism: A guide for scholars, educators, trainers, and other practitioners. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 107, 102200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102200
29.
LeeY. (2023). ICT use, internal communication satisfaction, and engagement of working-from-home employees: The moderating role of affiliative tendency. Computers in Human Behavior, 138, 107472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107472
30.
LimbuY. B.JayachandranC.BabinB. J. (2014). Does information and communication technology improve job satisfaction? The moderating role of sales technology orientation. Industrial Marketing Management, 43(7), 1236–1245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2014.06.013
31.
LiuZ.ZhengW. (2025). Narcissistic Admiration, Narcissistic Rivalry, and Self‐Esteem Across Cultures: The Moderating Role of Individualism–Collectivism. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 19(10), e70088. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.70088
32.
MartinL.OmraniN. (2015). An assessment of trends in technology use, innovative work practices and employees’ attitudes in Europe. Applied Economics, 47(6), 623–638. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2014.978072
33.
Mateos-RomeroL.Salinas-JiménezM. D. M. (2018). Labor mismatches: Effects on wages and on job satisfaction in 17 OECD countries. Social Indicators Research, 140(1), 369–391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-017-1830-y
34.
MiaoC.HumphreyR. H.QianS. (2016). Leader emotional intelligence and subordinate job satisfaction: A meta-analysis of main, mediator, and moderator effects. Personality and Individual Differences, 102, 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.06.056
35.
MiddletonC. A. (2007). Illusions of balance and control in an always-on environment: A case study of BlackBerry users. Continuum, 21(2), 165–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/10304310701268695
36.
MinkovM.KaasaA. (2022). Do dimensions of culture exist objectively? A validation of the revised Minkov-Hofstede model of culture with World Values Survey items and scores for 102 countries. Journal of International Management, 28(4), Article 100971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2022.100971
37.
NinausK.DiehlS.TerlutterR. (2021). Employee perceptions of information and communication technologies in work life, perceived burnout, job satisfaction and the role of work-family balance. Journal of Business Research, 136, 652–666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.08.007
38.
RachmawatiR.ChoirunnisaU.PambagyoZ. A.SyarafinaY. A.GhiffariR. A. (2021). Work from home and the use of ICT during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia and its impact on cities in the future. Sustainability, 13(12), Article 6760. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126760
39.
RaudenbushS. W.BrykA. S.CongdonR. (2013). HLM 7.01 for windows. [Computer software]. Scientific Software International, Inc.
40.
SchwartzS. (2006). A theory of cultural value orientations: Explication and applications. Comparative Sociology, 5(2-3), 137–182. https://doi.org/10.1163/156913306778667357
SchwartzS. H. (2009). Culture matters: National value cultures, sources, and consequences. In WyerR. S.ChiuC.-y.HongY.-y. (Eds.), Understanding culture: Theory, research, and application (pp. 127–150). Psychology Press.
43.
ShahjehanA.AfsarB.ShahS. I. (2019). Is organizational commitment-job satisfaction relationship necessary for organizational commitment-citizenship behavior relationships? A meta-analytical necessary condition analysis. Economic Research-Ekonomska istraživanja, 32(1), 2657–2679. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677x.2019.1653784
44.
ShenF.LiJ.SunG. (2023). The impact of ICT use on entrepreneurial performance: Evidence from Chinese microenterprises. Asia Pacific Business Review, 29(4), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602381.2023.2188766
SiegelJ. I.LichtA. N.SchwartzS. H. (2013). Egalitarianism, cultural distance, and foreign direct investment: A new approach. Organization Science, 24(4), 1174–1194. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1120.0776
47.
SortheixF. M.SchwartzS. H. (2017). Values that underlie and undermine well–being: Variability across countries. European Journal of Personality, 31(2), 187–201. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2096
48.
SousaM. J.RochaÁ. (2019). Digital learning: Developing skills for digital transformation of organizations. Future Generation Computer Systems, 91, 327–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.future.2018.08.048
49.
SteckermeierL. C.DelheyJ. (2019). Better for everyone? Egalitarian culture and social wellbeing in Europe. Social Indicators Research, 143(3), 1075–1108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-018-2007-z
50.
StobbeE. J.GroenewegenP. P.SchäferW. (2021). Job satisfaction of general practitioners: A cross-sectional survey in 34 countries. Human Resources for Health, 19(1), Article 57. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-021-00604-0
51.
SulemanQ.SyedM. A.MahmoodZ.HussainI. (2020). Correlating emotional intelligence with job satisfaction: Evidence from a cross-sectional study among Secondary School Heads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 240. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00240
52.
TamK. P.ChanH. W. (2018). Generalized trust narrows the gap between environmental concern and pro-environmental behavior: Multilevel evidence. Global Environmental Change, 48, 182–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2017.12.001
53.
TarafdarM.Bolman PullinsE.Ragu-NathanT. S. (2014). Examining impacts of technostress on the professional Salesperson’s behavioural performance. Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 34(1), 51–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2013.870184
54.
TedoneA. M. (2022). Keeping up with work email after hours and employee wellbeing: Examining relationships during and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Occupational Health Science, 6(1), 51–72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-021-00107-3
55.
Ten BrummelhuisL. L.BakkerA. B. (2012). A resource perspective on the work–home interface: The work–home resources model. American Psychologist, 67(7), 545–556. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027974
56.
Ter HoevenC. L.van ZoonenW.FonnerK. L. (2016). The practical paradox of technology: The influence of communication technology use on employee burnout and engagement. Communication Monographs, 83(2), 239–263. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2015.1133920
57.
TorreT.SartiD. (2019). The effect of ICT usage on employees’ satisfaction: A job characteristics perspective. In BaghdadiY.HarfoucheA. (Eds.), ICT for a better life and a better world: The impact of information and communication technologies on organizations and society (pp. 99–113). Springer.
58.
TorresC. C. (2021). Adaptation and validation of technostress creators and technostress inhibitors inventories in a Spanish-speaking Latin American country. Technology in Society, 66, 101660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101660
59.
VauclairC. M.FischerR. (2011). Do cultural values predict individuals’ moral attitudes? A cross-cultural multilevel approach. European Journal of Social Psychology, 41(5), 645–657. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.794
60.
WestoverJ. H. (2012). Comparative welfare state impacts on work quality and job satisfaction: A cross-national analysis. International Journal of Social Economics, 39(7), 503–525. https://doi.org/10.1108/03068291211231687
61.
WichtA.RederS.LechnerC. M. (2021). Sources of individual differences in adults’ ICT skills: A large-scale empirical test of a new guiding framework. PLoS One, 16(4), Article e0249574. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249574
62.
WongR. M. M.OwuamalamC. K.Stewart-WilliamsS. (2023). Right-leaning egalitarians are just as susceptible to social justice-induced product patronage! evidence from the US and Malaysia. Acta Psychologica, 237, 103935. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103935
XuP.JiangY. (2022). Information and communication technology use on new generation teachers’ job satisfaction and psychological emotion. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 941218. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.941218
65.
XuX.JiangL.ProbstT. M.ShossM. K.JalilD. (2022). How national culture shapes employee reactions to job insecurity: The role of national corruption. European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology, 32(1), 60–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432x.2022.2090344
66.
YousefD. A. (2017). Organizational commitment, job satisfaction and attitudes toward organizational change: A study in the local government. International Journal of Public Administration, 40(1), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2015.1072217
67.
ZhengW. (2023). Cultural religiosity moderates the relationship between trust and altruism: A study in 64 countries. Current Psychology, 43, 481–485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04333-6
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
