The Mediating and Moderating Role of Time Management Strain in the Relationship between Social Media Usage and Employee Performance

Abstract

Social media is now embedded in day-to-day work especially in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) yet its effects on employee performance (EP) remain unclear. This study argues that impacts of Social media Use (SMU) are indirect and conditional operating through self-regulatory costs. Using multi-stage sampling across six HEIs in Punjab (India), this study surveyed 707 employees and estimated structural equation modelling with parallel mediation and latent interaction of time-management strain (TMS) and workplace distractions (WD). The study finds that greater social media use reliably increases both strain and distractions which in turn reduce employee performance. The direct link from social media usage to employee performance is found to be negligible. The time-management and high strain further amplifies the negative association between SMU and employee performance. For stakeholders the takeaway is practical, rather than restricting platforms, HEIs should focus on better time management and reducing workplace distractions. As complete bans on social media use are unlikely to help employee performance. Employee Performance risks from Social media arise chiefly from time management strain and secondarily, cue-driven distractions in workplace. Leaders should prioritize time-management standards (protecting focused time-blocks, meeting hygiene’s, clear response-time expectations) and distraction’s hygiene during work-hours.