How and when workplace incivility drives cyberloafing: the moderating roles of negative reciprocity beliefs and political skill

Purpose Although it is established that mistreatment in the workplace contributes to negative workplace behaviours, there is still a notable lack of research exploring how workplace incivility specifically influences cyberloafing. This study seeks to address that gap by introducing a model that explains the link between workplace incivility and cyberloafing, with moral disengagement as the mediating factor, drawing on social exchange theory and social cognitive theory. The moderating roles of negative reciprocity beliefs and political skill on this mediating relationship are also explored. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 353 respondents using a survey methodology to test the proposed research model. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for data analysis. Findings The results reveal that workplace incivility does not have a direct effect on cyberloafing. Instead, it fosters moral disengagement, which in turn promotes cyberloafing. Moral disengagement significantly mediates the relationship between workplace incivility and cyberloafing. Additionally, negative reciprocity beliefs strengthen this mediating effect, whereas political skill does not exert a moderating influence. Originality/value While prior research has established that workplace mistreatment can reduce employee effort, this study is the first to examine moral disengagement as the psychological mechanism through which workplace incivility contributes to cyberloafing. The study also examines boundary conditions of this mediating mechanism, finding negative reciprocity beliefs to be significant, whereas political skills were not.