The mediating role of psychological capital in the relationship between LMX and cyberloafing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct impact of leader-member exchange (LMX) quality on cyberloafing as well as its indirect impact through psychological capital. Design/methodology/approach Using a two-wave time-lagged design, data were collected from 417 full-time employees of 15 information technology service organizations in the Mumbai metropolis area of India. Findings Results indicate that LMX quality is negatively related to cyberloafing and psychological capital partially mediates this association. Even though data were collected at two points in time, the self-reported nature of the data is a limitation. Practical implications Results of the study have practical implications. Designing interventions to help managers enhance the quality of their relationship with their followers will directly and indirectly reduce cyberloafing by enhancing psychological capital. Originality/value This study is among the first to examine the impact of LMX quality on cyberloafing. In addition, the reliance on psychological capital theory to predict cyberloafing is a novel contribution. This study explores why and when LMX quality inhibits workplace cyberloafing.