Cyberloafing: A review and research agenda

Abstract

In an increasingly digitized world, the concept of cyberloafing has gained much attention as employees use the Internet for personal purposes during work hours. Over the last two decades, scholars have examined different aspects and types of cyberloafing in a variety of contexts, developed typologies to categorize them, and discussed the antecedents, consequences, and regulation of cyberloafing. Due to the growing interest in this topic, a comprehensive and updated review of existing literature is much needed. In this review, we examine research on cyberloafing at the workplace settings. We also developed and presented a research model that integrates existing studies and propose directions for future research.

A commentary on Lim and Teo's (2022) review of cyberloafing: Further discussion on its concept and potential impact

“…Although Lim's (2002, p. 676) original definition of cyberloafing as “any voluntary act of employees using their companies' Internet access during office hours to surf nonwork‐related websites for personal purposes and to receive, check, and send personal e‐mails” still applies, Lim and Teo's (2022) recent review of cyberloafing discusses and updates some specific aspects related to its conceptualization, definition, and impact.…”

“…Lim and Teo (2022) updated the definition of cyberloafing as “personal Internet use in the workplace” (Huma et al, 2017 p. 98), which primarily focuses on the personal aspect of using the company's Internet access. They see the central idea behind cyberloafing as “online activities done during work hours” (Lim & Teo, 2022 p. 3).…”

“…Lim and Teo (2022) updated the definition of cyberloafing as “personal Internet use in the workplace” (Huma et al, 2017 p. 98), which primarily focuses on the personal aspect of using the company's Internet access. They see the central idea behind cyberloafing as “online activities done during work hours” (Lim & Teo, 2022 p. 3). In my view, both Lim's (2002) original definition and the above‐mentioned central idea of cyberloafing seems to build the conceptual architecture of cyberloafing by solely listing some behaviors (e.g., surf non‐work websites, check non‐work email) that can be considered cyberloafing if they meet certain temporal and attitudinal requirements.…”

“…As such, they conceptualize cyberloafing as a form of job neglect, involving the “withholding of effort in favor of a focus on other interests [such as] managing a personal portfolio of auctions on eBay” [online activities] (Bennett & Naumann, 2005, p. 115). On this basis, the paper contends that cyberloafing has two dimensions, which includes (a) “online activities that are done during the time when one is supposed to be working” (Lim & Teo, 2022, p. 3) and also (b) offline activities that “passively allow conditions at work to deteriorate through a focus on nonwork interests [online activities]” (Bennett & Naumann, 2005, p. 115). These offline activities include the avoidance or withholding of effort in fulfilling job duties and responsibilities, such as neglecting to serve a customer or attending a meeting offline, in order to focus on nonwork online activities of personal interest.…”

“…This has led to a blurred line between work and personal time and made it challenging to determine the extent to which employees engage in personal online activities during work hours and using company resources. Lim and Teo (2022) conducted a comprehensive review of 20 years of research on cyberloafing. They agree with the definition established by Huma et al (2017, p. 98) and define cyberloafing as “online activities done during work hours.” The availability of mobile devices and personal mobile data has made it easier for employees to access the Internet for both work and personal purposes.…”