AI Insight
This study of 200 Korean office workers examined how enterprise social media (ESM) use affects employee well-being and work engagement through the lens of conservation of resources theory. Results showed that increased ESM usage was associated with higher levels of overload and boundary management stress, with interruption overload reducing work engagement and boundary management stress lowering well-being. However, customized use of ESM features and perceived organizational support were found to reduce the negative impact of ESM on boundary management stress.
Why it matters
The findings provide evidence-based guidance for organizations implementing social media platforms, suggesting that allowing employees to customize their ESM usage and fostering supportive work environments can mitigate the psychological costs of constant digital connectivity. This research addresses the growing concern about technostress and digital overload in modern workplaces.
IntroductionThe rapid proliferation of digital technologies such as enterprise social media (ESM) has improved workplace collaboration by enabling seamless connectivity and real-time interaction across organizations. At the same time, it has introduced digital interruptions that demand constant responsiveness and digital presence from employees, which may be linked to adverse psychological and behavioral outcomes. Thus, a systematic examination of the negative effects of ESM on employee outcomes is needed.MethodsGrounded in the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study used partial least squares structural equation modeling with a sample of 200 office workers in Korea to investigate how increased ESM usage is associated with multiple forms of overload and boundary management stress, and which specific forms were most directly related to employee outcomes such as well-being and work engagement. We also examined two variables—customized use of ESM features and perceived organization/team support—to test whether they moderate different forms of overload.ResultsESM usage was positively associated with higher levels of overload and boundary management stress. Interruption overload was significantly associated with lower work engagement, and boundary management stress was significantly associated with lower well-being. Customized use of ESM features and perceived organization/team support negatively moderated the relationship between ESM usage and boundary management stress.ConclusionThis study advances the technostress literature and offers practical implications for leveraging ESM to support sustainable digital work environments and mitigate adverse outcomes.