Navigating the Dark Side of Digital Leadership in Higher Education

Exploring the Mediating Role of Technostress and the Moderating Role of Resilience on Cyberloafing

Abstract

Purpose: Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, this study investigates the direct effect of digital leadership on cyberloafing, the mediating role of technostress, and the moderating role of resilience in the relationship between technostress and cyberloafing among university faculty members.

Methods: Data were collected from 303 faculty members employed at private universities in Bangladesh using a survey questionnaire. The proposed relationships among digital leadership, technostress, resilience, and cyberloafing were examined using SPSS version 27 and AMOS version 24.

Results: The results reveal that digital leadership positively influences both technostress and cyberloafing. Technostress also has a significant positive effect on cyberloafing and partially mediates the relationship between digital leadership and cyberloafing. Furthermore, resilience moderates the relationship between technostress and cyberloafing, attenuating the positive association between the two.

Implications: The findings suggest that educational institutions should be cautious when implementing technology-driven leadership practices, as these practices may unintentionally increase employees’ technological stress and cyberloafing. Universities should also promote resilience-building initiatives to help faculty members effectively cope with technology-related demands.

Originality: This study extends the digital leadership literature by uncovering its potential negative consequences through the mechanism of technostress. It further contributes to COR theory by demonstrating how resource depletion resulting from technology-related stress can foster cyberloafing, while resilience serves as a valuable personal resource that mitigates this effect.