The Effects of Work-Related Electronic Communication during NonWork Time on Workplace Deviance

Abstract

Advances in electronic communication technologies have made organizations more efficient and flexible. However, such technologies have not only changed the way employees work but also blurred the lines between work and nonwork domains. Drawing from relative deprivation theory and moral disengagement theory, the current study investigates when and how work-related electronic communication received during nonwork time leads to negative cognitive and behavioral consequences of employees. Using a daily survey across two work weeks, we found that work-related electronic communication during nonwork time enhanced one’s tendency of moral disengagement, which in turn resulted in increased workplace deviance in the next day. Moreover, segmentation preference, a stable personal factor, strengthened the relation between work-related electronic communication during nonwork time and enhanced moral disengagement. Implications of these findings for theory, practice and future research on work-related electronic communication during nonwork time are discussed.