Impact of social media addiction on librarians' performance: mediating role of task distraction, moderating role of effective self-control
| Date | 30 May 2023 |
| Pages | 1722-1739 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-01-2022-0078 |
| Published date | 30 May 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information user studies,Metadata,Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
| Author | Asad Javed,Samar Hayat Khan,Muhammad Aamir Shafique Khan,Hassan Ahmed Shah |
Impact of social media addiction on
librarians’performance: mediating
role of task distraction, moderating
role of effective self-control
Asad Javed
Department of Management Sciences, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
Samar Hayat Khan
Culture, Tourism, Archeology, Museum and Youth Affairs Department, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, Galiyat Development Authority, Abbottabad, Abbottabad, Pakistan
Muhammad Aamir Shafique Khan
School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China and
Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore, Sargodha, Pakistan, and
Hassan Ahmed Shah
Department of Management Sciences, Khushal Khan Khattak University Karak,
Karak, Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose –The study was initiated to test the relationship of social media site addiction on librarians’
performance. Furthermore, the study also tested the mediating role of task distraction and moderating role of
effective self-control in aforesaid relationship.
Design/methodology/approach –This was an empirical study, and data for the research were collected
through a standardized questionnaire from 503 librarians who were having Facebook accounts and are
questionnaire developed through “Google Forms”and the link of the questionnaire was distributed using
Facebook groups. Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, correlation, Baron and Kenny’s approach, and
Normal Test Theory.
Findings –Results indicate that social media addiction is an important factor for that is reducing librarians’
performance. At the same time task distraction also adds to negative impact of social media addiction on
librarians’performance. However, effective self-control can reduce the negative impact of social media
addiction on their performance.
Research limitations/implications –This research has some important theoretical as well as practical
implications for librarians, library management, and well as for policy makers and government.
Originality/value –Social media is commonly used forcommunication but when it becomes addiction, it can
reduce the employees’performance. Most of existing researched focused on positive aspects of social media;
only few researches explored the negative impacts of social media. The proposed relationship was never tested
on librarians. This study filled this literature gap and proposed as well as empirically tested a model for
evaluating negative impact of social media on librarians’performance.
Keywords Mediation, Moderation, Social media addiction, Effective self-control, Librarian’s performance,
Task distraction
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
There has been enormous progress in science and technology over the previous years (Das et al.,
2016). Technology-based innovations have dramatically improved the quality of life of all
humankind by supplying them with the gadgets and tools for every possible need. This is the
reason that humans are becoming increasingly dependent on technology-based gadgets for
performing their day-to-day activities (Lavikka et al., 2018). Social media and the Internet are
LHT
42,6
1722
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0737-8831.htm
Received 29 January 2022
Revised 15 July 2022
5 October 2022
21 January 2023
Accepted 23 April 2023
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 42 No. 6, 2024
pp. 1722-1739
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/LHT-01-2022-0078
among the most readily accepted and widely used products based on technological innovations
(Maskeli
unas et al., 2019;Mnzava, 2021;Rafi et al., 2020). People use social media sites including
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Googleþand others to connect and socialize. These social media
sites have significantly altered the social landscape and modes of connection among individuals.
These sites bring masses from all across the world together to share ideas, communicate and
discuss various topics of mutual interest. However, while social media is bringing ease in
communication and socialization, it is also causing addiction to its use (Draho
sov
aandBalco,
2017). Peopleuse social mediaat home, at work,while traveling,and elsewhere,and cannot even
imagine living their lives without its use. Despite several advantages of social media, addiction to
itsuse is having negativeeffectson people’s health and well-being. Social media addiction (SMA)
also damages the performance of organizations (Rao and Prasad, 2018). People working for
organizations spend a huge amount of their work time accessing social media sites hence
compromising their productivity and performance on the job (Yu et al.,2018). They would
communicate with their buddies, watch their posts and like or share social media posts while on
the job, which adversely affects their job performance (Zivnuska et al.,2019). Thus, i tcould b e
inferred that using social media at work has a negative impact on employee performance.
In places such as libraries where greater concentration at work is required, task
distractions triggered by the use of social media cause more adverse effects. Therefore,
considering the significance of increased attention to their effective job performance, the
current research is taking librarians as the target population. Librarians are in charge of
gathering, arranging and issuing library resources such as books, films and audio recordings
(Ewing, 1994); in public libraries, school libraries and museums. They are responsible for
issuing resources, classifying books and performing routine audits (Brophy, 2006). However,
they are facing several job-related challenges including inadequate funds (Khan and Bhatti,
2012), lack of bibliographic resources (Anyaoku et al., 2015), shortage of librarian skills (Baro
et al., 2013) and irresponsible behavior of readers (Ross, 2009).
Libraries,as the organizations providingcustomer service, need to ensure smartutilization
of their resources (especially human resources) to generate learning opportunities, encourage
literacy and education, as well as contribute to the generation of fresh ideas and views.
However, with the widespread use of smartphones and the introduction of 4G and 5G
technology, SMA among professionals is becoming more common. SMA has a significant
negative impact on librarians’performance as it causes task distraction and decreases their
productivity.However, with effective self-control,librarians can minimize the negativeeffects
of SMA on their task performance.
Some of the existing studies found both negative and positive impacts of social media (like see:
Akram and Kumar, 2017;Chukwuere and Chukwuere, 2017;Siddiqui and Singh, 2016;Venegas-
Vera et al., 2020).Whereassomeotherstudiesfoundapositive impact of social media (Like see:
Jones et al., 2015;Kim et al.,2016;Zulqurnain et al.,2016). However, most of the literature found a
negative impact of social media (Like see: Corstjens and Umblijs, 2012;Kaur et al., 2022;Sahebi
and Formosa, 2022). Various studies, such as Perera and Samaraweera (2019) and Zivnuska et al.
(2019), looked into the impact of SMA on employee performance. Researchers such as Javed et al.
(2019) and Maher and Von Hippel (2005), looked at the impact of task distraction on employee
performance. However, the mediating role of task distraction in the association between SMA
and employee performance taking the case of librarians has been relatively less explored. As in
other industries, SMA might cause lowered performance for the librarian. Thus, a research gap
exists, particularly involving the population of librarians. In addition, some individual
characteristics may act as moderators in defining the impact of SMA. Therefore, effective self-
control is anticipated to have a moderating role in the relationship between SMA and librarians’
performance. As per the knowledge of researchers, this relationship has never been examined in
the literature. Furthermore, there has not been any SMA research done on librarians.The current
study is addressing this empirical research gap.
Impact
of social media
addiction
1723
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