Information and communication technology has revolutionised modern businesses, making them more competitive and customer-centric. The Internet enables seamless collaboration, real-time communication, and 24×7 accessibility, enhancing customer satisfaction and organisational performance. However, despite these benefits, the internet has introduced a new workplace challenge: cyberloafing. Cyberloafing refers to employees using workplace internet resources for non-work-related activities, such as browsing social media, checking personal emails, or streaming entertainment during work hours. While cyberloafing may seem harmless, its implications for productivity, employee performance, and workplace stress warrant closer examination.
This study adopted a quantitative methodology utilising convenience sampling to obtain a sample of 322 merchandisers from the apparel manufacturing sector in Sri Lanka. A Likert scale questionnaire was used to extract data, which was analysed with PLS-SEM.
Understanding Cyberloafing in the Apparel Manufacturing Sector
Cyberloafing is often considered a deviant workplace behaviour as it diverts employees’ attention from their primary responsibilities. This behaviour can disrupt workflow, reduce efficiency, and even cause security concerns if employees engage in unauthorised or risky online activities. Excessive cyberloafing can consume significant work time, leading to unmet deadlines, decreased employee performance, and lower organisational productivity.
Despite these negative aspects, cyberloafing is not always detrimental. It is suggested that brief online breaks may enhance employee well-being. Short diversions allow employees to disengage momentarily from work-related stressors, aiding mental recovery and improved focus. Cyberloafing may provide cognitive respite in knowledge-intensive industries, such as technology and finance, boosting creativity and problem-solving skills. However, cyberloafing could increase workplace stress rather than alleviate it in roles that demand constant focus and immediate responsiveness, such as customer service or manufacturing.
The Link Between Cyberloafing and Apparel Manufacturing Sector Stress
The relationship between cyberloafing and stress is complex and highly dependent on job nature, individual self-regulation, and workplace policies. While occasional cyberloafing can serve as a mental break, excessive or poorly managed cyberloafing can lead to mental fatigue.
1. Cognitive Fatigue and Overload: Frequent interruptions caused by cyberloafing can drain cognitive resources. Employees who engage in excessive online activities may struggle to focus on tasks, leading to psychological stress and diminished performance. This continuous switching between work and Cyberloafing can cause negative emotions, reducing work engagement and job satisfaction.
2. Increased Work Pressure: Cyberloafing can lead to delays in task completion, resulting in mounting workloads and tight deadlines. Employees who engage in excessive cyberloafing may experience anxiety over unfinished work, creating a cycle of stress where they attempt to compensate for lost time by working longer hours or rushing through tasks.
3. Impact on Workplace Relationships: Cyberloafing may cause friction among colleagues, mainly if certain employees engage in non-work activities while others carry a heavier workload. This imbalance can lead to workplace conflicts, anger, and overall dissatisfaction, contributing to a stressful work environment.
4. Performance Expectations and Responsibility: Employees who cyberloaf frequently may feel guilty about their behaviour, particularly if they perceive it as violating workplace norms. This guilt, managerial monitoring, and performance expectations can increase stress levels, reducing overall job satisfaction and well-being.
When Cyberloafing Reduces Stress
While excessive cyberloafing can increase stress, moderate and strategic use of online diversions can have positive effects. Brief cyberloafing breaks allow employees to recharge, reducing work-related tension and improving focus upon returning to tasks. In high-cognitive-demand roles, minor distractions can prevent burnout by providing mental relief. For example:
1. Mental Refreshment: Short breaks to browse non-work-related content can help employees detach temporarily, improving cognitive function and motivation.
2. Work Engagement: Employees allowed periodic cyberloafing breaks may feel less restricted, encouraging a positive work culture and reducing stress linked to rigid work environments.
3. Creativity Improvement: Engaging with diverse online content can inspire employees in creative industries, leading to innovative problem-solving and fresh perspectives.
Industry-Specific Variations in Cyberloafing’s Impact
The effects of cyberloafing vary by industry and job function. Cyberloafing can stimulate innovation and idea generation in creative fields, such as marketing and the Information communication sector. Employees in these sectors often use the Internet for professional development, industry news, creative inspiration, and social networking, making cyberloafing a potential asset rather than a liability.
Conversely, cyberloafing is often disruptive in highly structured environments like manufacturing, retail, or healthcare. Employees in these roles must adhere to strict schedules and deadlines, meaning distractions can result in operational inefficiencies and increased pressure to meet performance targets. In such cases, cyberloafing can contribute to stress rather than alleviating it.
Organisational Approaches to Managing Cyberloafing
Given cyberloafing’s dual nature—both beneficial and detrimental—organisations should adopt balanced policies that promote well-being while maintaining productivity.
1. Clear Internet Usage Policies: Employers should establish guidelines that define acceptable levels of personal Internet use. Policies should not be overly restrictive but ensure that cyberloafing does not interfere with performance.
2. Encouraging Unstructured Breaks: based on the type of employment, employers can consider non-restrictive working arrangements to enable workers to schedule breaks as they wish, based on their requirements, rather than imposing strict tea and mealtimes.
3. Workload Management: Ensuring employees have manageable workloads can reduce the temptation to cyberloaf excessively as a coping mechanism for stress.
4. Employee Training and Digital Well-Being Initiatives: Educating employees on responsible internet use and stress management techniques can help them develop self-regulation strategies.
5. Flexible Work Models: Remote or hybrid models can provide employees with autonomy over internet usage, potentially reducing workplace stress associated with strict monitoring.
6. Impose Restrictions on Undesirable Websites: Employers can consider restricting Websites using technologies such as DNS filtering, content filtering software, firewalls with web content filtering capabilities, etc., to prevent browsing them.
Recommendations
1. For Organisations: Employers should carefully assess how cyberloafing affects job roles. In creative and knowledge-intensive industries, implementing non-restrictive work schedules encourages employees to arrange their breaks during office hours based on their personal needs rather than specific scheduled times for tea and meals. This can be implemented in other roles, ensuring all job commitments and performance standards are maintained. However, in roles such as assembly line operations and customer services, which require continuous attention, cyberloafing could be disallowed to prevent serious negative consequences. These employees should be allowed scheduled breaks to avoid stress, cognitive overload and reduced performance. Organisations should strike a balance by setting clear policies to enhance worker acceptance and participation and prevent excessive distractions during work.
2. For Employees: Employees need to manage their cyberloafing habits to avoid digital fatigue. While brief disengagement can be beneficial, prolonged non-work-related internet use may lead to increased stress due to time mismanagement and unmet work expectations. Employees should develop self-regulation strategies to use cyberloafing as a recovery tool rather than a source of anxiety. They also take responsibility for preventing smartphones from becoming a hindrance to performance.
3. For Society: The increasing use of smartphones and digital platforms in professional settings highlights the need for digital well-being education. Encouraging responsible internet use at work can improve job satisfaction and mental health. Additionally, policymakers and human resource professionals should consider flexible work models that accommodate the evolving nature of workplace behaviour in a digitally connected world.
Conclusion
Cyberloafing presents both opportunities and challenges in the workplace. While moderate cyberloafing can act as a stress relief mechanism, excessive or poorly managed cyberloafing can contribute to workplace stress, decreased productivity, and cognitive overload. The impact of cyberloafing is highly dependent on job roles, industry norms, and individual self-regulation. Organisations must adopt a balanced approach, allowing for mental breaks while ensuring high productivity. Further research is needed to explore the optimal strategies for managing cyberloafing in different work settings, ensuring that it serves as a tool for employee transformation rather than a source of stress.
By: Parakrama Jayasuriya-Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Prof.(Dr.) Dinoka Perera-Department of HRM, FMSC, University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Dr. Amitha Padukkage-Department of Information Technology, FMSC, University of Sri Jayewardenepura
