http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gmsr.2025(X-IV).07
10.31703/gmsr.2025(X-IV).07
Published : Dec 2025
The Hidden Cost of Connectivity: Examining the Impact of Off-Hours Work-Related Social Media Usage on Employee Exhaustion through Work–Family Conflict
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<p style="text-align: justify;">The increasing digitalization of work has intensified expectations of constant employee availability, extending job demands beyond formal working hours through work-related social media use. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model and Boundary Theory, this study examines the direct and indirect effects of off-hours work-related social media use on employee engagement and exhaustion, with work–family conflict as a mediating mechanism. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 430 lecturers and professors in public and private universities in Rawalpindi–Islamabad, Pakistan. Structural equation modeling using SmartPLS shows that off-hours work-related social media use is positively associated with both engagement and exhaustion, reflecting its dual motivational and strain-inducing role. Furthermore, work–family conflict partially mediates these relationships by weakening engagement and intensifying exhaustion. The findings underscore the need for organizations to manage “always-on” digital expectations to safeguard employee well-being.</p>
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Work-Related Social Media Usage, Off-Hours Digital Connectivity, Job Demands–Resources Model, Work–Family Conflict, Employee Engagement, Exhaustion, Boundary Theory, Digital Job Demands.
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(1) Rimsha Zafran
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
(2) Rahim Ullah
Lecturer, MEW School of Leadership.
Cite this article
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APA : Zafran, R., & Ullah, R. (2025). The Hidden Cost of Connectivity: Examining the Impact of Off-Hours Work-Related Social Media Usage on Employee Exhaustion through Work–Family Conflict. Global Management Sciences Review, X(IV), 96-115. https://doi.org/10.31703/gmsr.2025(X-IV).07
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CHICAGO : Zafran, Rimsha, and Rahim Ullah. 2025. "The Hidden Cost of Connectivity: Examining the Impact of Off-Hours Work-Related Social Media Usage on Employee Exhaustion through Work–Family Conflict." Global Management Sciences Review, X (IV): 96-115 doi: 10.31703/gmsr.2025(X-IV).07
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HARVARD : ZAFRAN, R. & ULLAH, R. 2025. The Hidden Cost of Connectivity: Examining the Impact of Off-Hours Work-Related Social Media Usage on Employee Exhaustion through Work–Family Conflict. Global Management Sciences Review, X, 96-115.
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MHRA : Zafran, Rimsha, and Rahim Ullah. 2025. "The Hidden Cost of Connectivity: Examining the Impact of Off-Hours Work-Related Social Media Usage on Employee Exhaustion through Work–Family Conflict." Global Management Sciences Review, X: 96-115
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MLA : Zafran, Rimsha, and Rahim Ullah. "The Hidden Cost of Connectivity: Examining the Impact of Off-Hours Work-Related Social Media Usage on Employee Exhaustion through Work–Family Conflict." Global Management Sciences Review, X.IV (2025): 96-115 Print.
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OXFORD : Zafran, Rimsha and Ullah, Rahim (2025), "The Hidden Cost of Connectivity: Examining the Impact of Off-Hours Work-Related Social Media Usage on Employee Exhaustion through Work–Family Conflict", Global Management Sciences Review, X (IV), 96-115
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TURABIAN : Zafran, Rimsha, and Rahim Ullah. "The Hidden Cost of Connectivity: Examining the Impact of Off-Hours Work-Related Social Media Usage on Employee Exhaustion through Work–Family Conflict." Global Management Sciences Review X, no. IV (2025): 96-115. https://doi.org/10.31703/gmsr.2025(X-IV).07