Harsh words hurt, especially when it comes from the boss. Unknown to most, that can also lead to employees skiving online, also known as cyberloafing.
Organisations care about cyberloafing because it leads to lost productivity. Recent research suggests that employees spend two to three working hours on non-work-related activities daily, and that cyberloafing can cost companies up to US$85 billion per year. What’s worse, cyberloafing may also put the companies’s systems at risk, when employees access illegal sites or engage in online gambling using the organisation’s resources.
Hostile behaviour from a supervisor worsens the situation. Throwing tempers, hurling humiliating criticisms, silent treatment, deception, abusive supervision includes any verbal and non-verbal hostile behaviour that falls short of direct physical contact.
In turn, the abused employee, who cannot retaliate openly for fear of losing his/her job, retaliates by cyberloafing. This is evidenced in our new study published in the journal Information & Management.
My co-authors Koay, Soh, Ong, Ho, Lim and I surveyed 243 employees in Malaysia on their cyberloafing behaviours, perceptions of how their boss treats them, their stance on following moral standards, as well as how much they believe in a tit-for-tat approach.
We found that the higher the level of abusive supervision, the greater the level of cyberloafing. This relationship is stronger for employees who believe in tit-for-tat. It is also stronger among employees who believe that such retaliation is not morally wrong.
What can organisations do? There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but reducing supervisory abuse at all levels is one step they can take. Employees should be allowed to safely report their abusive supervisors without a fear of retribution. Organisations should take all reports seriously.
Organisations also need to note that people have different perceptions of what constitutes abusive supervision, and would have to make appropriate judgments on whether the reported behaviour is indeed abusive. It is important to develop a culture of mutual respect in the workplace. Regardless of the position one holds, abusive behaviour by the supervisor does not pay. The “nut rage” incident by Korean Air’s heiress years ago is a stark reminder.
Organisations need to send a clear message that abusive supervision in the workplace is undesirable. They can also educate employees in behavioural strategies, including negotiation, mediation and clarity seeking, in dealing with their supervisors.
As the strength of the relationship between abusive supervision and cyberloafing hinges on the levels of both employees’ moral disengagement and negative reciprocity beliefs, organisations may want to exercise care in their hiring process. For instance, potential candidates can be tested through various methods such as questionnaires and scenarios simulation to filter out those who demonstrate high levels of moral disengagement and negative reciprocity beliefs.
The act of cyberloafing may seem trivial, but its consequences are certainly not. We may not be able to avoid conflict in the workplace, but kind words, especially from the bosses, do go a longer distance than harsh ones.
The article is an abridged version of the one first published in SCMP.