The relationship between perceived crowding and cyberloafing in open offices at Iranian IT-based companies

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore whether aspects of the physical work environment cause employee cyberloafing, which is defined as employee misuse of the company’s Internet connection for personal purposes. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, the paper proposes that perceived crowding arises as a result of scarce physical space resources, which lead employees to engage in cyberloafing through feelings of stress and emotional conflict, as well as through their experiences of lack of trust and compassion at work. Data were collected from 299 respondents working in open offices at four Iranian IT-based companies in Tehran. Structural equation modelling results showed a significant positive association between crowding and cyberloafing, stress, and emotional conflict, while there was a negative association with trust, and compassion. Only trust and compassion mediated the relationship between crowding and cyberloafing. Findings suggest that crowding is certainly an unlisted cause of cyberloafing and, hence, that not only psychosocial but also physical arrangements at work need to be taken into consideration to guard against its emergence.