Work connectivity behavior after-hours spills over to cyberloafing: the roles of motivation and workaholism
Journal of Managerial Psychology
ISSN: 0268-3946
Article publication date: 3 November 2023
Issue publication date: 27 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The authors investigated how and when work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA) spilled over to cyberloafing, considering ego depletion as a mediator and motivations and workaholism as moderators. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned objective.
Design/methodology/approach
In Study 1, 380 employees participated in a scenario experiment with a 2 × 2 between-subjects design. Studies 2 and 3 involved 483 and 406 employees, respectively in two two-wave surveys.
Findings
WCBA was indirectly linked to cyberloafing via ego depletion. However, when WCBA was driven by high autonomous and low controlled motivation, it exerted less influence on ego depletion, thus weakening the mediating effect of ego depletion. Moreover, the association between WCBA and ego depletion was not significant among employees accustomed to excessive work. The indirect effect of ego depletion also operated contingently on the level of excessive work.
Originality/value
The findings shed light on the spillover effects of WCBA, suggesting that WCBA may lead to cyberloafing by depleting resources. However, the influence of WCBA on ego depletion is concealed when employees engage in WCBA autonomously or are habituated to excessive work.
Keywords
Citation
Wang, R., Li, Z., Bu, C. and Zhu, W. (2023), "Work connectivity behavior after-hours spills over to cyberloafing: the roles of motivation and workaholism", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 38 No. 8, pp. 597-610. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-11-2022-0602
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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