Why and how social media addiction affects employee outcomes: role of sleep deprivation in the hospitality industry

Abstract

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of social media addiction, such as sleep deprivation, employee productivity, and engagement among hospitality industry workers. Method Using a time-lagged, three-waive survey, this study collected data from 298 employees at international food chain restaurants in Pakistan. Two-step path modelling tested the direct and indirect hypotheses using partial least squares (PLS). Results The results revealed that social media addiction negatively influences employee productivity in the hospitality industry. However, the relationship between social media addiction and employee engagement in the hospitality industry was insignificant. Nonetheless, concerning mediated relationships, sleep deprivation was found to be an underlying psychological mechanism in the association between social media addiction, employee productivity, and employee engagement. Conclusion Theoretically, this research draws the attention of scholars towards relatively rarely studied variables, such as social media addiction and sleep deprivation, in the hospitality literature. Our findings will also help managers address employee engagement and productivity issues, while understanding the impact of social media addiction and sleep deprivation among hospitality workers.