Workplace internet leisure browsing, recovery experiences and occupational well-being

Date
2021-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Historically, major breakthroughs in technology have led to significant improvements in the productivity of organisations. These technological breakthroughs have also completely changed the way that organisations, as well as the people in them, function. The latest improvements in communication technologies, like the internet, are continuing with this trend. With an estimated 5 billion internet users globally on December 31, 2020, it would be difficult to overestimate the effect that the internet has had on both organisations and their employees (Internetworldstats, 2021). As with many things however, the improvements in internet access have brought about several benefits, but also many challenges. One of the most prevalent challenges that organisations are facing as a result of the internet, is the ease with which employees can now surf the internet for personal reasons during working hours. This is often referred to as workplace internet leisure browsing (WILB). It is estimated that employees on average spend between 9.4% and 13.3% of their worktime on WILB (Jandaghi et al., 2015; Lim & Chen, 2012). Traditionally WILB research, as well as the managerial practices that stemmed from it, was underpinned by the belief that any worktime spent on non-work activities will automatically lead to a loss of productivity. More recently however, research on the impact of WILB, as well as the effects and effectiveness of WILB countermeasures, has suggested that the way that we think about WILB might need to be reconsidered (Coker, 2013; Janicke et al., 2017; Sheikh et al., 2015). The disparities in the literature led to the genesis of the present study, which aims to gain a better understanding of the impact that WILB has on employees. The present study is centred around the following research initiating question: “Why is there variance in the occupational well-being amongst South African office workers?”. It attempts to answer this question by analysing the relationship between WILB, recovery experiences and occupational well-being. An ex post facto correlational design with a convenience sample of 101 office workers was utilised. The results revealed that two of the eight hypothesised paths in the structural model were statistically significant. These findings indicated that WILB has a substantial influence on the two recovery experiences variables that were employed in the study. The results of this research calls for further empirical studies on the included variables, especially under circumstances where the country isn’t in a state of a national lockdown.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Groot deurbrake in tegnologie het histories tot aansienlike verbeterings in die produktiwiteit van organisasies gelei. Hierdie tegnologiese deurbrake het ook die manier waarop organisasies, sowel as die mense in daardie organisasies funksioneer, heeltemal verander. The latest improvements in communication technologies, like the internet, are continuing with this trend. Die jongste verbeterings in kommunikasietegnologie, soos die internet, sit hierdie neiging voort. Met 'n geraamde 5 miljard internetgebruikers wêreldwyd op 31 Desember 2020, sou dit moeilik wees om die effek wat die internet op beide organisasies en hul werknemers gehad het, te oorskat (Internetworldstats, 2021). Soos met baie dinge het die verbeterings in internettoegang egter verskeie voordele meegebring, maar ook baie uitdagings. Een van die mees algemene uitdagings wat organisasies as gevolg van die internet in die gesig staar, is die gemak waarmee werknemers nou vir persoonlike redes gedurende werksure op die internet kan blaai.. Hierna word dikwels as werkplek internet ontspanningsrondblaai (WILB) verwys. Daar word beraam dat werknemers gemiddeld tussen 9,4% en 13,3% van hul werktyd aan WILB bestee (Jandaghi et al., 2015; Lim & Chen, 2012). WILB-navorsing, asook as die bestuurspraktyke wat daaruit voortgespruit het, is tradisioneel deur die oortuiging onderskraag dat enige werktyd wat aan nie-werkaktiwiteite bestee word nie outomaties tot 'n verlies aan produktiwiteit sal lei. Meer onlangs het navorsing oor die impak van WILB, sowel as die effekte en doeltreffendheid van WILB-teenmaatreëls, egter voorgestel dat die manier waarop ons oor WILB dink dalk heroorweeg moet word (Coker, 2013; Janicke et al., 2017; Sheikh et al., 2015). Die uitlopendheid in die literatuur het tot die ontstaan van die huidige studie gelei, wat daarop gemik is om 'n beter begrip van die impak wat WILB op werknemers het te verkry. Die huidige studie is op die volgende navorsingsinisierende vraag gesentreer: “Waarom is daar variasie in die beroepswelstand onder Suid-Afrikaanse kantoorwerkers?” Dit poog om hierdie vraag te beantwoord deur die verband tussen WILB, herstelervarings en beroepswelstand te ontleed. 'n Ex post facto korrelasie-ontwerp met 'n geriefsteekproef van 101 kantoorwerkers is gebruik. Die resultate het aan die lig gebring dat twee van die agt hipotese paaie in die strukturele model statisties betekenisvol was. Hierdie bevindinge het aangedui dat WILB 'n wesenlike invloed uitoefen op die twee herstelervaringsveranderlikes wat in die studie gebruik is. Die resultate van hierdie navorsing vra vir verdere empiriese studies oor die ingeslote veranderlikes, veral onder omstandighede waar die land nie in 'n staat van 'n nasionale inperking is nie.
Description
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Quality of work life, Psychological well-being, Personal Internet use in the workplace, Computer users -- Psychological aspects, UCTD
Citation