The Impact of Stress and Loneliness on Cyberloafing of Health Workers in Malawi: The Moderating Role of Age

Abstract

Employee intensification of internet use within working hours on personal endeavours other than work (cyberloafing) continues to harm productivity. Drawing from the General Strain Theory and the Social Resources Theory, the current study thus sought to explore the psychological and social factors that induce cyber-loafing among health workers in Malawi. The study had three main aims. First, to examine the impact of stress on the cyberloafing of health workers. Second, to examine the impact of loneliness on the cyberloafing of health workers. Third, to examine the moderating role of age in the stress and cyberloafing as well as loneliness and cyberloafing relationships. The study adopted a quantitative research design targeting health care workers in Malawi. The data was collected using a cross-sectional approach from a sample size of 210 health workers using online questionnaire. The collected data was analysed using the linear regression technique in the tool SPSS version 26. The direct effect results of the study indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between stress of the health workers and cyber-loafing (B=0.230, p<0.5). The direct effect results of the study also indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between loneliness of the health workers and cyber-loafing (B=0.324, p<0.5). In terms of moderating effect, the findings revealed a significant interaction term of stress and age on cyberloafing (B=-0.187, p<0.05) implying that age weakens the positive relationship between stress and cyberloafing. The moderating effect results also revealed a significant interaction term of loneliness and age on cyberloafing (B=-0.152, p<0.05) implying that age weakens the positive relationship between loneliness and cyberloafing. The paper confirms that stress and loneliness are strong triggers of cyber-loafing among health workers but that these triggers have a much stronger effect on younger employees compared to older employees. These findings offer important pointers for the need for hospital management to come up with stress management as well as social connectivity programs that would reduce stress and loneliness, thereby reducing cyber-loafing.