The paradox of using public social media for work: The influence of after-hours work communication on employee outcomes

Abstract

This study examined employees’ after-hours work-related social media communication through the lens of their consumption, contribution, creation, and conversation, and it explored in great depth the paradoxes inherent in how employees use public social media for professional purposes outside of normal working hours. Specifically, this study investigated the effect of work-related social media use (WRSMU) outside regular work hours on various employee outcomes. An online survey was conducted with 815 employees in the U.S. The findings revealed two opposing mechanisms through which after-hours WRSMU affected employees’ work engagement. On the one hand, WRSMU was positively related to organizational identification, which in turn positively affected work engagement. On the other hand, after-hours WRSMU also led to more work-family conflict, which in turn decreased work engagement.