How and when illegitimate tasks lead to cyberloafing: The role of meaningful work and appreciative leadership

Abstract

This study examined how and when illegitimate tasks are related to employee cyberloafing with meaningful work and appreciative leadership. Participants were 289 employees of a Chinese energy firm (female = 59.5%; bachelor's degree = 75.8%; mean age = 30.86 years, SD = 6.99 years). Employees completed the following surveys: Bern Illegitimate Task Scale, The Work and Meaning Inventory, Personal Recognition Scale, and the Cyberloafing scale. Following a moderated mediating model, results revealed that a higher level of illegitimate tasks were associated with more cyberloafing, but that meaningful work mediated the relationship and led to less cyberloafing. Appreciative leadership served as a moderator of the association between illegitimate tasks and meaningful work, so that employees with a low level of appreciation from their supervisors perceive less meaning in their work when faced with illegitimate tasks, and so tend to engage in more non-work-related cyber activities. The results of this study contribute to the evidence on work productivity strategies for reducing workplace illegitimate tasks and cyberloafing, offering valuable insights that can guide managers in mitigating employee cyberloafing behaviour.