Employees’ Internet addiction and work burnout: the mediating effect of state hope and perceived stress

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating effect of hope and stress on the relationship between Internet addiction and work burnout. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted to collect responses from 180 full-time and part-time employees, and the research model was analyzed with SPSS PROCESS macro model 6. Findings The results indicated that Internet caddiction decreased employees’ state of hope and increased their perceived stress, which in turn had significant impacts on work burnout. The results also showed that employees’ state of hope was negatively associated with their perceived stress. Originality/value Work burnout is becoming a more common and serious problem in organizations. Built upon the hope theory, this study extends the literature on employees’ health and well-being. It elucidates the significance of Internet addiction, hope and stress on their work burnout. This study provides practical implications for attenuating employees’ work burnout by increasing the state of hope and reducing stress associated with their Internet addiction.