Navigating the digital distraction: Unravelling the impact of cyberloafing on employee performance

Abstract

The study examined the impact of cyberloafing on employee performance in the Ghanaian banking industry and was grounded in the conservation of resources theory. This study adopted the quantitative research approach using an explanatory research design. The population of the study constituted 1,300 employees from the five largest banks in Ghana, namely Ghana Commercial Bank PLC, Ecobank Ghana PLC, ABSA Bank Ghana Limited, Access Bank Ghana PLC, and Agricultural Development Bank PLC. A sample size of 646 employees was selected using cluster sampling and simple random sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents and the data was analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts and percentages) and structural equation modeling using SPSS version 27 and Smart PLS version 4.1.1.4. The bootstrapping results indicated that all the dimensions of cyberloafing behaviour have a statistically significant positive influence on employee performance. The study concluded that cyberloafing is not inherently detrimental to organizational outcomes, as commonly perceived, but may serve important psychological, cognitive, and emotional functions that support employees in meeting workplace demands. It is recommended that management of banks in Ghana should adopt balanced and realistic internet-use policies that regulate excessive cyberloafing without completely restricting employees’ access to non-work-related online activities.