Cyberloafing Research Review: Antecedents, Mechanisms, and Management Strategies

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-811-0_93How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Cyberloafing; Employee Behavior; Counterproductive Work Behavior; Organizational Management

Abstract

With the rapid development of Internet technologies and the deepening digital transformation of enterprises, the boundaries between work and non-work activities have become increasingly blurred. A growing number of employees engage in “cyberloafing”—using the internet for non-work-related purposes during work hours—which has become a common phenomenon in modern workplaces. This paper conducts a comprehensive literature review to examine the concept of cyberloafing, its antecedents, behavioral patterns, and its dual impact on organizational performance and employee well-being. While cyberloafing is often perceived as detrimental to productivity and organizational discipline, research has also revealed its potential to reduce work-related stress, enhance creativity, and improve job satisfaction when it occurs in moderation. Grounded in theories of organizational behavior, including psychological contract theory and motivation theory, this study analyzes the organizational and individual factors contributing to cyberloafing. Furthermore, the paper proposes management strategies such as flexible work arrangements, clearer internet use policies, and improved employee engagement to mitigate negative effects. The findings aim to provide practical insights for organizations seeking to manage cyberloafing effectively without undermining employee autonomy or morale. This study contributes to a more balanced understanding of employee internet usage behavior in the context of the modern digital workplace.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Xiangkun Dai
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/08/14
TI  - Cyberloafing Research Review: Antecedents, Mechanisms, and Management Strategies
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 5th International Conference on Enterprise Management and Economic Development (ICEMED 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 855
EP  - 862
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-811-0_93
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-811-0_93
ID  - Dai2025
ER  -