Workplace loneliness, ego depletion and cyberloafing: Can leader problem-focused interpersonal emotion management help?

Yang, HongLing; Lin, Zhibin; Chen, Xiao; Peng, Jian

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to explore whether and how workplace loneliness leads to cyberloafing and the role of leader problem-focused interpersonal emotion management in buffering this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on ego depletion theory, we propose that employees’ workplace loneliness leads to cyberloafing via ego depletion, while leader interpersonal emotion management (i.e., leadership behavior targeted at managing employees’ negative emotions) can help to alleviate the situation. To test our predictions, we collected multisource data at three time points from a sample of 219 employee-colleague dyads. Finding: The results show that workplace loneliness is positively related to cyberloafing and that ego depletion mediates this relationship. Leader problem-focused interpersonal emotion management weakens the relationship between workplace loneliness and ego depletion and the indirect relationship between workplace loneliness and cyberloafing via ego depletion such that the above relationships are weak (versus strong) when leader problem-focused interpersonal emotion management is high (versus low). Originality/value: The study results suggest that workplace loneliness is an important hidden danger that leads to cyberloafing because lonely employees suffer more from ego depletion. Leaders’ interpersonal emotion management strategy serves as a potential buffer for such a negative effect.

Citation

Yang, H., Lin, Z., Chen, X., & Peng, J. (2023). Workplace loneliness, ego depletion and cyberloafing: Can leader problem-focused interpersonal emotion management help?. Internet Research, 33(4), 1473-1494. https://doi.org/10.1108/intr-01-2021-0007

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 16, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Oct 25, 2022
• Publication Date: Jul 17, 2023
• Deposit Date: Sep 20, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 20, 2022
• Journal: Internet Research
• Print ISSN: 1066-2243
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 33
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 1473-1494
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/intr-01-2021-0007
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1191057