A sense of control over workplace technology may be linked to wellbeing and productivity

A sense of control over workplace technology may have a significant impact on people’s wellbeing, productivity and attitudes towards technological change, according to new global research from Logitech. The technology company’s inaugural Ctrl Tomorrow Study suggests a growing divide between people who feel confident and in control of the technology they use and those who feel overwhelmed or frustrated by it. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of respondents agreed that people who feel more in control of their technology get more out of life, while around three in five said problems with technology can affect their mood after work and their sense of control over their personal lives.

The findings also suggest that poorly functioning or difficult-to-use technology can have a considerable emotional impact. Some 64 percent of respondents reported feelings of frustration, anxiety or anger, while 46 percent said technology failures could leave them feeling helpless, embarrassed, exhausted or as though they were falling behind. Conversely, 52 percent said having control over their technology had enabled them to accomplish something they previously thought was beyond them.

The research comes as organisations and employees adapt to increasingly rapid technological change, particularly the adoption of artificial intelligence. Logitech argues that the ability to exercise agency over technology may become increasingly important as more tasks and interactions are mediated by AI and software.

“With so much technological change happening so rapidly, it’s understandable that people feel it is happening to them, not with them,” said Logitech chief executive Hanneke Faber. “Technology can either limit people’s potential, or unleash it, at an individual, organisational or global scale. This is truer than ever in the age of AI. The deciding factor is control: when humans control the tech of today, we control tomorrow.”

As part of the research, Logitech has developed what it calls a “Ctrl Score”, intended to measure how much control individuals feel they have over technology. The score assesses three broad factors: how deliberately people construct their technology setup; their confidence in and openness towards new tools; and whether they regard technology as enabling or limiting what they can achieve.

According to Logitech, only 30 percent of respondents displayed what it describes as a high degree of agency over their technology, while 10 percent were classified as being fully “in command”. The company says the remaining 70 percent are either less intentional in their use of technology or less confident about it.

The research also points to a potential relationship between automation and wellbeing. Some 41 percent of respondents said that, if technology took care of more routine tasks, they would use the additional time to improve their wellbeing, mental health or work-life balance. The proportion was higher among people recording lower Ctrl Scores.

Physical interaction with technology also appears to remain important despite the growth of AI and software-based services. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they felt most in control when interacting with physical hardware, while 42 percent said they rely on physical devices more than they did five years ago. The finding suggests that the growth of increasingly abstract software and AI interfaces has not necessarily diminished the importance of tangible workplace technology and peripherals.

Gamers emerged as one of the groups reporting particularly high levels of technological confidence. According to the study, 81 percent said gaming increased their confidence in the physical world and reduced anxiety, with Logitech claiming these benefits can also translate into workplace performance.

The research also identifies marked geographical differences in attitudes towards technology. Globally, 61 percent of respondents agreed that technology helps them fulfil their personal potential, including their ability to work, create, develop and connect with others. The figure rises to 80 percent in China and 78 percent in Brazil, compared with 45 percent in France, 55 percent in the US and 56 percent in Germany.

Similar differences emerged when respondents were asked whether technology creates opportunities rather than additional pressures. Some 84 percent of respondents in both India and Brazil took an optimistic view, compared with a global average of 74 percent. France recorded the lowest level of technology optimism among the countries surveyed, at 60 percent.

Attitudes towards AI showed an even sharper divide. In India, 41 percent of respondents said they were excited about AI expanding what they could achieve. That compares with 16 percent in the US, 15 percent in the UK and 13 percent in Australia. Switzerland was somewhat more positive than other European markets, although only 23 percent of respondents there expressed excitement about the potential of AI.

The findings add to the debate about how organisations should approach technology adoption as AI becomes embedded in everyday working practices. While much of that discussion has focused on the capabilities of new technology, Logitech’s research suggests that employees’ sense of agency over the tools they use may be just as important to their experience of work.