Journal Title/Source

International Journal of Business Administration

Publication Date

4-2014

Volume

5

Issue (if applicable)

3

Page Numbers

1-18

DOI (if applicable)

10.5430/ijba.v5n3p1

Document Type

Journal Article

Department

Walker L. Cisler College of Business

Abstract

Over the last decade, Personal Web Use (PWU) in the workplace has received considerable attention. This study examined factors that both inhibit and encourage PWU behaviors. The context was a municipal government agency in the U.S. with strong policy and electronic restrictions on PWU. Our study builds on extant research byinvestigating both self-reported PWU (from an online survey of 116 users atthe agency) and objective reports fromthe agency’s electronic monitoring (EM) of PWU. Results of our hypothesis tests indicated that group norms,individual moral norms, and perceived time availability had an effect on PWU while boredom had no effect. Group norms moderated individual moral norms’ effect on PWU. Discrepancies between individuals’ self-reports and the agency’s electronic reports of PWU are explained in terms of differing perceptions of what defines PWU. We describe implications important to both scholars and practitioners.

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