Prevalence, perceived seriousness, justification and regulation of cyberloafing in Singapore: An exploratory study

The Internet has made a significant impact on work and the personal lives of people around the world. While access to the Internet has changed the ways work can be carried out, it has also increased the opportunities for people to cyberloaf, while under the guise of doing work. Cyberloafing is the act of employees using their companies’ Internet access for personal purposes during work hours. Our study examined the perceived prevalence and seriousness of various cyberloafing activities through a survey of 226 working adults. We examined how employees justify cyberloafing and the organizational regulation of personal Web usage at their workplace. Results suggest that cyberloafing activities that are perceived to be more serious tend to be less prevalent. We also found that the Internet has made the boundary between work and non-work (home) less distinct, facilitating the intrusion of work into home and personal activities into the work domain. Implications of the results are discussed.