Social Media Usage, Burnout and Work Performance among University Employees

Abstract

The current study investigated the association between Social Media Usage, Burnout and Work Performance among university employees. The sample size consisted of university employees, ranging within the age 25 – 60 years, from various universities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The data was collected through convenience sampling. The study variables were measured using three scales i.e., Work-related Social Media Questionnaire (WSMQ) for assessing social media usage , Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) to measure burnout , and Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) to indicate work performance. Results indicate that positive social media usage enhanced employees’ contextual performance and counter productive work behavior. While negative social networking had a positive relation with burnout and counter productive work behaviors and negatively related to task performance among employees. Also, negative social media usage decreased task performance, whereas positive social media usage promoted contextual work performance among employees. Meanwhile, mental distancing and cognitive impairment positively predicted contextual performance and counter productive work behavior. Further, exhaustion negatively impacted counter productive work behavior. It was also found that task performance and contextual performance was also higher in male employees in administration rather than in faculty. The study can be used in universities to conduct stress management workshops, introduce technology that assesses social media usage and ensure determined work production. In addition to the practical implications, the study also discussed potential limitations of current findings and recommendations for future research