How and when does enterprise social media usage threaten employees’ thriving at work? An affective perspective

Purpose The impact of enterprise social media (ESM) on employees is not always beneficial. The constant connectivity of ESM can trigger emotional issues, threatening employees' psychological states. This study aims to explore the potential risks of ESM usage on thriving at work by examining how ESM usage affects thriving and for whom this relationship is amplified. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on Affect Event Theory, this study proposes a research model for investigating the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of the negative impacts of different ESM usage patterns on employees' thriving at work. This study employed Smart-PLS 4.0 with structural equation modeling to analyze multi-wave survey data from 255 employees, testing the proposed model. Findings The results indicate the following: (1) ESM usage triggers employees' workplace fear of missing out (WFoMO), increasing their online vigilance and consequently hindering their thriving at work. (2) The impact of ESM usage on employees' WFoMO and thriving at work varies with their ambition levels, with high-ambition employees being more susceptible to negative effects and (3) Different types of ESM usage exert distinct effects on employees. Originality/value This study substantiates the potential negative impact of ESM usage on employees' thriving at work, contributing to the literature on the “dark side” of ESM usage and thriving at work. This study confirms the critical mediating role of emotion, offering a novel theoretical perspective on understanding the mechanisms linking ESM usage and its outcomes. Additionally, this study identifies the moderating role of employee ambition, complementing the boundary conditions of ESM usage.