The two sides of Cyberloafing: A qualitative analysis of workers' perceptions of the negative and positive consequences of ICT usage behavior for personal purposes in the workplace

Abstract

Abstract: There is a growing interest on the part of organizations and researchers in understanding the use of ICTs for personal purposes in the workplace, a phenomenon called cyberloafing. In this sense, the present research aimed to investigate the perception of ICT users in organizations about the negative and positive consequences of cyberloafing behavior. A qualitative study was carried out through interviews that were submitted to a content analysis. Five companies in the ICT sector located in Rio Grande do Sul were adopted as contexts of analysis, which differed in terms of the number of employees, time of operation in the market and positioning in relation to cyberloafing behavior. In these companies, 20 workers who admitted to engaging in such behavior were established as the unit of analysis. Regarding the negative consequences of cyberloafing behavior,  losses in productivity and efficiency were perceived by the interviewees. Although this aspect was manifested in a significant way, positive consequences were also perceived, such as recovery in situations of fatigue and stress and the balance between the personal and professional spheres. Therefore, when considering the context in which the phenomenon occurs, it can be inferred that its negative and positive effects coexist and both affect the individual's productivity.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.018-010