Does staying connected enhance well-being or undermine it? A resource-based inquiry

Purpose The primacy of resource loss in conservation of resources (COR) theory suggests that resource loss exerts a greater psychological impact than resource gain, which may account for the literature's predominant focus on the negative consequences of constant connectivity. To address this imbalance, this study examines both the negative (techno-overload) and positive (employee work-related well-being- EWWB) outcomes of constant connectivity. Furthermore, supervisor support and a confrontational coping approach (CCA) are investigated as potential buffers against its adverse effects. Design/methodology/approach A survey-based research design was employed. Data were collected from 205 participants recruited through an online panel at two time points (T1 and T2), with a two-week time lag between the surveys. Findings Constant connectivity was positively associated with both techno-overload and EWWB. Techno-overload partially mediated the relationship between constant connectivity and EWWB. Higher levels of supervisor support were associated with greater EWWB, whereas no significant moderating effect of CCA was observed for the negative association between techno-overload and EWWB after controlling for age and work experience. Originality/value This study extends the constant connectivity literature by examining its gain–loss dynamics, which are theoretically consistent with COR theory and research on the dual effects of technology. It also advances COR theory by highlighting supervisor support as a potential resource that may help employees maintain their EWWB, while showing that the moderating role of CCA was sensitive to the inclusion of age and work experience as control variables.