Abstract
Previous research implies a positive relationship between job stressors and cyberloafing, but that may be half the story. Under the challenge-hindrance stressors framework and conservation of resources theory, we propose that the impact of stressors on cyberloafing depends on the nature of stressors that employees encountered. Using a sample of 498 employees from various fields, we tested a conceptual model in which challenge stressors and hindrance stressors have differential effects on cyberloafing through resilience and emotional exhaustion separately. The results revealed that challenge stressors have a negative direct effect on cyberloafing, whereas hindrance stressors have a positive direct effect. Both two types of stressors have positive indirect effects on cyberloafing through emotional exhaustion. However, even though challenge stressors were positively related to resilience and hindrance stressors were negatively related to resilience, our data did support the mediating role of resilience between job stressors and cyberloafing. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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Notes
Exclusion of control variables does not significantly change the results reported in the entire model.
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This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71771102).
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Appendix
Appendix
Cyberloafing Scale (originally in Chinese, translated by the author).
1. At work, I tend to be easily distracted by Internet information and put down tasks at hands.
2. At work, I can’t help but go online and do something irrelevant to work.
3. When I’m at work, my attention tends to be drawn to non-work-related information on the Internet.
4. When I’m at work, I inadvertently put my tasks on hold due to the attraction of Internet messages.
5. At work, I tend to be drawn to and immersed by my computer or phone pop-ups.
6. At work, I take some work time to go online and deal with some personal matters.
7. At work, I purposefully complete some non-work tasks through the Internet.
8. When I am at work, I actively search for information unrelated to work on the Internet.
9. At work, I go online as planned to deal with things outside of work.
10. When I’m at work, I go to the Internet upon convenience to cope with some personal life matters.
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Zhou, B., Li, Y., Hai, M. et al. Challenge-hindrance stressors and cyberloafing: A perspective of resource conservation versus resource acquisition. Curr Psychol 42, 1172–1181 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01505-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01505-0