Constant Connectivity and its Impact on Employee Well-being: A Mediating Role of Cognitive Overload and Mobile Work Device Anxiety

Abstract

The advent and integration of mobile information and communication technology (MICT), high bandwidth cellular services, laptops and mobile phones have created a boundaryless workspace where employees are expected to remain constantly connected for work purposes even after-hours. This study intends to measure the conditional direct and indirect impact of constant connectivity after work hours on employee well-being and the mediating role of cognitive overload and mobile work device anxiety. Based on online panel data, a pilot study was performed to test the measurement model by assessing the convergent validity and reliability. Discriminant validity was also tested using a heterotrait-monotrait ratio. After a pilot study, data collection was relaunched, and all the data was collected in two periods with a minimum gap of two weeks. Based on 218 complete responses, a preliminary analysis was performed.

Keywords: constant connectivity, employee well-being, cognitive overload, mobile device anxiety