You have got a nerve: examining the nexus between coworkers' cyberloafing and workplace incivility
基于情绪认知评价理论，研究了同事网络闲逛如何通过引发员工负面情绪导致职场不文明行为，并发现任务相互依赖性会强化这一过程，对管理者理解并遏制网络闲逛的负面影响有参考价值。
Purpose While cyberloafing has emerged as a prevalent issue in numerous workplaces, research on its consequences is still underdeveloped, highlighting a need for further exploration and analysis. Drawing upon the cognitive appraisal theory of emotion, this study investigates the influence of coworkers' cyberloafing on employees' workplace incivility, mediated by negative emotions and moderated by task interdependence. Design/methodology/approach In Study 1, the hypothesized research model was tested utilizing three-wave time-lagged survey data collected from 333 employees and their coworkers. In Study 2, an additional sample of 274 employees was surveyed. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis and the bootstrap method. Findings The results indicated that coworkers' cyberloafing positively influenced employees' workplace incivility, with this relationship mediated by negative emotions. Additionally, task interdependence was found to positively moderate both the direct relationship between coworkers' cyberloafing and negative emotions and the indirect path from coworkers' cyberloafing to employees' workplace incivility through negative emotions. Practical implications This study helps managers gain a deeper understanding of cyberloafing's effects, enabling them to manage and curb it more effectively. Originality/value Prior research has predominantly explored the effects of cyberloafing on its implementers. However, this study innovatively shifts focus to the observer perspective, empirically demonstrating whether and how coworkers' cyberloafing affects employees' workplace incivility, enriching and expanding the existing literature.