THE ROLE OF STRESS ON CYBERLOAFING AND JOB PERFORMANCE: RESEARCH GAPS AND A PRAGMATIC CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: This research review aims to identify research gaps, develop a pragmatic conceptual framework for the mediating effect of stress on cyberloafing and job performance and identify relevant theories related to the concepts. Design: This review adapted Callahan’s (2014) ‘Six W’ and ‘Five C’ methods to consider the current definitions of cyberloafing, job performance and stress and literature related to the mediating effect of stress on the above relationship. A total of 500 articles were initially reviewed, and 102 were retained for further exploration. Twenty-one (21) articles were selected for the final review. Main outcomes: The review identified five (5) gaps among the concepts, and the discovered theories related to them, namely, ego-depletion for cyberloafing, general strain for stress and social exchange theory for job performance. Results: The identification of the gaps has enabled the development of the pragmatic conceptual framework to determine the impact of stress on the relationship between cyberloafing and job performance in the future. Conclusion: There is enormous scope for empirically testing this model in various global contexts, and it is a vibrant contribution to the entire framework of Human Resources Management. Future research will enable researchers to identify the gravity of stress as a mediator in the above relationship and help develop appropriate actions to mitigate the impact of stress on job performance.

 Keywords: Cyberloafing, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Job performance, Mediating effect, Pragmatic conceptual framework, Research gaps, Stress.