The impacts of supervisory information communication technology (ICT) demands after hours on employee proactive behavior and unethical behavior at work: An attribution perspective

Abstract

It is not unusual that employees are required by their supervisors to stay accessible and responsive to work during nonwork time in the digitalized workplace. Yet, we know little about how and when supervisory information communication technology (ICT) demands after hours influence employee behavior at work. Drawing on attribution theory, our research aims to unpack the underlying mechanisms that transmit the effects of supervisory ICT demands after hours on employee proactive behavior and unethical behavior at work. We collected data from 397 employees in a media company (Study 1) and 493 employees in a retail corporation (Study 2) in East China, both using a three-wave time-lagged design. Results showed that supervisory ICT demands after hours positively related to employee proactive behavior through employees' performance-promotion attribution. Employees' self-serving attribution mediated the positive association between such demands and employee unethical behavior. Moreover, ICT centrality strengthened the indirect relationship between supervisory ICT demands after hours and employee proactive behavior. Specifically, this indirect relationship was stronger (vs. weaker) when employees perceived higher (vs. lower) ICT centrality. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.