INVESTIGATING THE ROLES OF WORKPLACE BOREDOM, SOCIAL INFLUENCE, AND ORGANISATIONAL JUSTICE IN CYBERLOAFING AMONG CIVIL SERVANTS IN LAGOS STATE

Abstract

Cyberloafing refers to employees intentionally utilising their work time and
the company's internet access for personal activities during working hours. Existing reports
indicate that cyberloafing contributes to the diminished productivity of civil servants in
Nigeria. Prior research has investigated the impacts of personality traits, work engagement,
and work/family conflict on cyberloafing, but there has been a limited focus on workplace
boredom and social influence. Hence, this study examined workplace boredom, social
influence, and organisational justice as determinants of cyberloafing. The theory of planned
behaviour guides this study and employs a cross-sectional survey design. A convenience
sampling technique was used to select Lagos state civil servants. Each respondent completed
a 16-item Cyberloafing Scale (α = .73), a 6-item Workplace Boredom Scale (α = .75), a
Social-Norm Espousal Scale (α = .80), and an Organisational Justice Scale (α = .80). The
respondents’ age was 25.60±6.05 years, and 53.2% were male. Results revealed that
workplace boredom had an independent significant influence on cyberloafing (β = .21, t =
3.31, P < .01), social influence significantly influenced cyberloafing independently (β = .16, t
= 2.56, P < .01), and organisational justice had a significant independent influence on
cyberloafing (β = -.29, t = -4.83, P < .01). Workplace boredom, social influence and
perceptions of organisational justice lead to cyberloafing at work. Hence, employers should
ensure that employees’ job descriptions are redesigned to avoid monotonous work, that work-
related social interaction should be encouraged, and that organisation practices should be fair
enough to discourage cyberloafing.