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The Influence of Perceived Overqualification on Cyberloafing: A Moderated Mediation Model of Frustration and Opportunities for Development

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Perceived overqualification represents a persistent structural challenge in contemporary labor markets and has garnered increasing scholarly attention in organizational behavior research. Informed by COR theory, we examine the psychological mechanism through which perceived overqualification leads to cyberloafing, introducing frustration as a mediator in this relationship. Furthermore, the moderating effect of opportunities for development on this indirect relationship is investigated. A two-stage questionnaire survey was conducted at a two-week interval, using a sample of 301 employees from ten companies in Guangdong and Guangxi, China. The results indicate that employees who view themselves as overqualified adopt cyberloafing by heightening the feeling of frustration. Notably, opportunities for development attenuate the indirect effect of perceived overqualification on cyberloafing via frustration. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of resource dynamics among overqualified employees and offer practical implications for the effective deployment and engagement of surplus talent in organizations.

Source: Behavioral Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/bs15121598

Authors: Po-Chien Chang, Qingzi Jiang

Institution: Macau University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Cyberloafing and Workplace Behavior

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,654