The Effect of Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours on Employee Psychological Distress: The Role of Leader Workaholism and Work-to-Family Conflict
BackgroundThe work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA) has become increasingly intense among Chinese employees in recent years, especially in the rapidly developed internet industry. This has made the after-hours work connectivity behavior, a popular topic in the organizational psychology field...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.722679/full |
| _version_ | 1818331316965343232 |
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| author | Mingchao Dong Tianlu Zhang Yingwu Li Yingwu Li Zhengzheng Ren |
| author_facet | Mingchao Dong Tianlu Zhang Yingwu Li Yingwu Li Zhengzheng Ren |
| author_sort | Mingchao Dong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThe work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA) has become increasingly intense among Chinese employees in recent years, especially in the rapidly developed internet industry. This has made the after-hours work connectivity behavior, a popular topic in the organizational psychology field. Based on boundary theory, we explored the mechanism of after-hour work connectivity behavior on employees' psychological distress and identified the work-to-family conflict (WFC) as mediator. Besides, leader characteristics are essential environmental variables and always play as moderators, among which leader workaholism is prevalent in the internet industry. However, the impact of leader workaholism on employees' behavior is still inconsistent and even contradictory. Thus, this study further examines the moderating effect of leader workaholism between the after-hour work connectivity behavior and employees' psychological distress.MethodsWe conducted a multitime, multisource questionnaire survey in Internet companies in China. Before collecting the data, all participants were assured that their responses would be confidential and used only for academic research. At time 1, the team leader rated his or her workaholism, and team members rated WCBA. At time 2 (3 weeks later), team members were asked to complete the questionnaire containing scales of WFC, psychological distress. The two rounds of data collection resulted in 211 matched team leader–team member responses. We performed a path analysis using Mplus 7.4.ResultsBoth the duration and frequency of WCBA can positively predict employees' psychological distress through WFC (the mediating effect = 0.628, 95% CI = [0.593, 0.663]). Specifically, WCBA can increase the level of WFC, which leads to the employees' psychological distress further. Leader workaholism can negatively moderate the relationship between WCBA and WFC, further moderating the mediating effect of WFC.ConclusionsWork-to-family conflict played as a mediator in the relationship between WCBA and employees' psychological distress. These results may be helpful to recognize the negative effect of WCBA and the role of leader workaholism in the relationship. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:17:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-03fb9c5f0606469b9941728bb4e69709 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:17:55Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-03fb9c5f0606469b9941728bb4e697092022-12-21T23:44:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-02-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.722679722679The Effect of Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours on Employee Psychological Distress: The Role of Leader Workaholism and Work-to-Family ConflictMingchao Dong0Tianlu Zhang1Yingwu Li2Yingwu Li3Zhengzheng Ren4Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, ChinaThe Laboratory of Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, ChinaBackgroundThe work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA) has become increasingly intense among Chinese employees in recent years, especially in the rapidly developed internet industry. This has made the after-hours work connectivity behavior, a popular topic in the organizational psychology field. Based on boundary theory, we explored the mechanism of after-hour work connectivity behavior on employees' psychological distress and identified the work-to-family conflict (WFC) as mediator. Besides, leader characteristics are essential environmental variables and always play as moderators, among which leader workaholism is prevalent in the internet industry. However, the impact of leader workaholism on employees' behavior is still inconsistent and even contradictory. Thus, this study further examines the moderating effect of leader workaholism between the after-hour work connectivity behavior and employees' psychological distress.MethodsWe conducted a multitime, multisource questionnaire survey in Internet companies in China. Before collecting the data, all participants were assured that their responses would be confidential and used only for academic research. At time 1, the team leader rated his or her workaholism, and team members rated WCBA. At time 2 (3 weeks later), team members were asked to complete the questionnaire containing scales of WFC, psychological distress. The two rounds of data collection resulted in 211 matched team leader–team member responses. We performed a path analysis using Mplus 7.4.ResultsBoth the duration and frequency of WCBA can positively predict employees' psychological distress through WFC (the mediating effect = 0.628, 95% CI = [0.593, 0.663]). Specifically, WCBA can increase the level of WFC, which leads to the employees' psychological distress further. Leader workaholism can negatively moderate the relationship between WCBA and WFC, further moderating the mediating effect of WFC.ConclusionsWork-to-family conflict played as a mediator in the relationship between WCBA and employees' psychological distress. These results may be helpful to recognize the negative effect of WCBA and the role of leader workaholism in the relationship.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.722679/fullwork connectivity behavior after-hourswork-to-family conflictleader workaholismpsychological distressmental health |
| spellingShingle | Mingchao Dong Tianlu Zhang Yingwu Li Yingwu Li Zhengzheng Ren The Effect of Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours on Employee Psychological Distress: The Role of Leader Workaholism and Work-to-Family Conflict Frontiers in Public Health work connectivity behavior after-hours work-to-family conflict leader workaholism psychological distress mental health |
| title | The Effect of Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours on Employee Psychological Distress: The Role of Leader Workaholism and Work-to-Family Conflict |
| title_full | The Effect of Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours on Employee Psychological Distress: The Role of Leader Workaholism and Work-to-Family Conflict |
| title_fullStr | The Effect of Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours on Employee Psychological Distress: The Role of Leader Workaholism and Work-to-Family Conflict |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effect of Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours on Employee Psychological Distress: The Role of Leader Workaholism and Work-to-Family Conflict |
| title_short | The Effect of Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours on Employee Psychological Distress: The Role of Leader Workaholism and Work-to-Family Conflict |
| title_sort | effect of work connectivity behavior after hours on employee psychological distress the role of leader workaholism and work to family conflict |
| topic | work connectivity behavior after-hours work-to-family conflict leader workaholism psychological distress mental health |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.722679/full |
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