Responsible leadership and cyberloafing: the mediating role of felt obligation and the moderating role of organisational identification

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to advance the understanding of the relationship between responsible leadership and cyberloafing (defined as employees’ non-work-related online activities during work hours) through the mediating effect of felt obligation by drawing on the social identity theory of leadership. Also, organisational identification is also examined as the moderator of the relationship between felt obligation and cyberloafing.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a survey research design, 261 full-time employees were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk to examine the direct, indirect and interaction effects. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data.

Findings

The results demonstrate that responsible leadership does not affect cyberloafing. However, responsible leadership positively affects felt obligation and felt obligation negatively affects cyberloafing. In addition, it is found that felt obligation mediates the relationship between responsible leadership and cyberloafing. Furthermore, organisational identification moderates the relationship between felt obligation and cyberloafing.

Originality/value

This study explores the mechanism through which responsible leadership leads to cyberloafing through felt obligation. Apart from that, organisational identification plays a crucial moderating variable in the relationship between felt obligation and cyberloafing.

Citation

Koay, K.Y. (2024), "Responsible leadership and cyberloafing: the mediating role of felt obligation and the moderating role of organisational identification", International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-07-2024-4687