Exploring cyberloafing as a coping mechanism in relation to job-related strain and outcomes: A study using the mediational model of stress

Abstract

Cyberloafing refers to the act of using the internet for personal purposes, such as browsing social media or engaging in non-work-related online activities, while pretending to be engaged in work. While it is often seen as a form of procrastination or a way to escape from work-related tasks, it can also serve as a way for individuals to cope with emotions or alleviate stress. Based on the mediational model of stress, this study proposes that cyberloafing may mediate the impact of work stressors (role ambiguity, role conflict, and role overload) on job-related strain which in this case is employees’ emotional exhaustion, and then emotional exhaustion will influence work outcomes. Subsequently, the responses to a survey by 299 employees from Malaysian public-listed organisations were gathered, while the structural equation modelling through partial least squares (PLS) was utilised to test the hypotheses of the direct and mediating effect. As a result, it was found that some work stressors might lead to cyberloafing among employees, while emotional exhaustion was found to influence job satisfaction and work efficiency. Additionally, the findings highlighted the underlying factor of the relation between cyberloafing among employees and different forms of cyberloafing. However, no support was found regarding the serial mediation effect of cyberloafing between work stressors and emotional exhaustion.