The Dual Effects of Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours on Employee Behaviors: Balancing Psychological Job Control and ICT Anxiety

Abstract

The dual effects of work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA) on employees’ in-role and extra-role behaviors were investigated using the framework of the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model. A two-wave cross-sectional design with a one-week interval was employed, and data were acquired from a survey of 402 Chinese employees. The results showed that WCBA positively influenced in-role and extra-role behaviors through enhanced psychological job control (β = 0.1908 and β = 0.1356, respectively), while also exerting negative effects via increased ICT anxiety (β = −0.0190 and β = −0.0434, respectively). The findings indicate that although WCBA can foster work outcomes through increased job control, it also carries the risk of undermining these benefits due to the psychological strain from ICT-related stress. Therefore, organizations should support employees in managing WCBA effectively by balancing potential productivity gains with an awareness of its psychological costs. This research uniquely provides a simultaneous investigation of both behavior types within a unified dual-pathway framework based on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model. This research also extends our knowledge of the nuanced influence of after-hours connectivity and has potential application in the optimization of the performance and welfare of employees in digitally connected work environments.