Why Do People Cyberloaf?
The causes of cyberloafing are different and variable for each individual. Find out if you are a cyberloafer here. Research has identified several areas where cyberloafing might occur, and some trends that may predict future cyberloafing behaviors.
Maintaining the work-life balance:
Ivarsson and Larsson (2011) claim that employees might use the Internet for personal reasons if they lack the spare time to balance their personal life outside of work. However, this isn’t the best theory because the internet is often used more for leisure than for maintaining family life.
Job attitudes:
According to Liberman et al. (2011), employees who have pessimistic job attitudes are more likely to be involved in deviant behavior as a way to exert control over their job. Ivarsson and Larsson (2011) also claim that cyberloafing is a form of resistance to the control exerted by bosses. Liberman et al., (2011) states that cyberloafing, as a deviant behavior, can occur when an employee:
Encouragement of internet use:
When managers encourage employees to utilize the internet for work purposes, they are more likely to “interpret this type of support to include using the Internet for both work related and nonwork related purposes” (Liberman et al., 2011, p. 1297). The lack of differentiation between workplace usage and personal usage is positively related to cyberloafing.
Need for recovery:
Another explanation that Ivarsson and Larsson (2011) posit is that personal internet use can energize employees and give them a moment to recover from high work intensity. Recovery has positive effects, including productivity and the reduction of stress.
Lack of sleep:
Two studies by Wagner et al. (2012) linked cyberloafing to a lack of sleep. They predicted that lacking a sufficient amount of sleep, which would limit one's ability to self-regulate, would make individuals more likely to cyberloaf. This was proven in a study of daylight savings time that showed that personal internet use increased the Monday following the DST change. The loss of sleep associated with DST, then, suggests that it leads to more cyberloafing than usual. Much of cyberloafing can be predicted how long and how well an individual seeps the night before.
Social Learning Theory:
Liberman et al. (2011) claim found that employees cyberloafed more when they perceived their coworkers to be doing it. Cyberloafing can thus occur as a repetition of the behaviors one perceives as the norm in their work environment.
Other loafing behaviors:
Liberman et al. (2011) found that other forms of loafing were related to cyberloafing. Therefore, other slacking behaviors are often predictive of cyberloafing.
Maintaining the work-life balance:
Ivarsson and Larsson (2011) claim that employees might use the Internet for personal reasons if they lack the spare time to balance their personal life outside of work. However, this isn’t the best theory because the internet is often used more for leisure than for maintaining family life.
Job attitudes:
According to Liberman et al. (2011), employees who have pessimistic job attitudes are more likely to be involved in deviant behavior as a way to exert control over their job. Ivarsson and Larsson (2011) also claim that cyberloafing is a form of resistance to the control exerted by bosses. Liberman et al., (2011) states that cyberloafing, as a deviant behavior, can occur when an employee:
- does not perceive high levels of justice within the organization
- is not mentally engaged in the present task or job
- is not committed to the job or the organization
Encouragement of internet use:
When managers encourage employees to utilize the internet for work purposes, they are more likely to “interpret this type of support to include using the Internet for both work related and nonwork related purposes” (Liberman et al., 2011, p. 1297). The lack of differentiation between workplace usage and personal usage is positively related to cyberloafing.
Need for recovery:
Another explanation that Ivarsson and Larsson (2011) posit is that personal internet use can energize employees and give them a moment to recover from high work intensity. Recovery has positive effects, including productivity and the reduction of stress.
Lack of sleep:
Two studies by Wagner et al. (2012) linked cyberloafing to a lack of sleep. They predicted that lacking a sufficient amount of sleep, which would limit one's ability to self-regulate, would make individuals more likely to cyberloaf. This was proven in a study of daylight savings time that showed that personal internet use increased the Monday following the DST change. The loss of sleep associated with DST, then, suggests that it leads to more cyberloafing than usual. Much of cyberloafing can be predicted how long and how well an individual seeps the night before.
Social Learning Theory:
Liberman et al. (2011) claim found that employees cyberloafed more when they perceived their coworkers to be doing it. Cyberloafing can thus occur as a repetition of the behaviors one perceives as the norm in their work environment.
Other loafing behaviors:
Liberman et al. (2011) found that other forms of loafing were related to cyberloafing. Therefore, other slacking behaviors are often predictive of cyberloafing.