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When Too Little or Too Much Hurts: Evidence for a Curvilinear Relationship Between Cyberloafing and Task Performance in Public Organizations

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Listed:
  • Zhuolin She

    (Renmin University of China)

  • Quan Li

    (Nankai University)

Abstract

Cyberloafing, a new type of deviant workplace behavior, has become widespread across organizations. Although there has been an increasing amount of research on cyberloafing, it is unclear whether its influence on employee task performance is linearly positive or negative. To reconcile such an inconsistency, we developed and tested a model, grounded in the effort-recovery model, considering a potential curvilinear relationship between cyberloafing and task performance while also examining the mediating role of relaxation. We further reasoned that this indirect curvilinear effect is contingent on employees’ time management skill. To test our theoretical model, we conducted two studies. In Study 1, multi-time data collected from 243 Master of Public Administration (MPA) students showed that cyberloafing had an inverted U-shaped (curvilinear) relationship with task performance, and relaxation mediated this relationship. In Study 2, using a sample of 392 public sector employees, we replicated the results of Study 1 and found that time management skill moderated the curvilinear effect of relaxation on task performance, as well as the indirect curvilinear effect of cyberloafing on task performance via relaxation. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are further discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhuolin She & Quan Li, 2023. "When Too Little or Too Much Hurts: Evidence for a Curvilinear Relationship Between Cyberloafing and Task Performance in Public Organizations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(4), pages 1141-1158, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:183:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-022-05038-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-022-05038-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bao Cheng & Xing Zhou & Gongxing Guo & Kezhen Yang, 2020. "Perceived Overqualification and Cyberloafing: A Moderated-Mediation Model Based on Equity Theory," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 565-577, July.
    2. Fuller, Christie M. & Simmering, Marcia J. & Atinc, Guclu & Atinc, Yasemin & Babin, Barry J., 2016. "Common methods variance detection in business research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 3192-3198.
    3. Wu, Jinnan & Mei, Wenjuan & Liu, Lin & Ugrin, Joseph C., 2020. "The bright and dark sides of social cyberloafing: Effects on employee mental health in China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 56-64.
    4. Shahidul Hassan & Sheela Pandey & Sanjay K. Pandey, 2021. "Should Managers Provide General or Specific Ethical Guidelines to Employees: Insights from a Mixed Methods Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(3), pages 563-580, September.
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