Beyond Burnout: Human Capital Fragility and the Limits of Adaptation in Digital Organizations
Keywords:
human capital fragility, technostress, resource depletion, cognitive overload, adaptive fatigue, job demands resourcesAbstract
This study addresses the growing vulnerability of human capital in contemporary organizations characterized by continuous pressure, rapid technological change, and escalating performance demands. While prior research has examined burnout, resilience, work engagement, and adaptive performance, these perspectives remain fragmented and insufficient to explain the systemic nature of human sustainability challenges. To bridge this gap, the study introduces the concept of human capital fragility, defined as a condition in which adaptive capacity progressively deteriorates under sustained demand exposure and insufficient resources. Drawing on job demands resources theory, conservation of resources theory, technostress literature, and adaptive performance research, the study develops a mechanism based conceptual framework. The model identifies three core processes, namely resource depletion, cognitive overload, and adaptive fatigue, which collectively explain how continuous demand exposure erodes human capacity over time. The framework further conceptualizes fragility as a higher order construct that manifests through burnout, disengagement, and reduced adaptive performance. In addition, the model highlights the moderating role of job resources, psychological capital, and human centered system design. The study contributes by integrating fragmented research streams into a unified framework and by shifting the focus from performance maximization to capacity sustainability in digital work environments.
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