Cyberloafing Among Government Employees: A Perspective from the Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

The advancement of information technology has introduced new challenges in the workplace, particularly in the public sector. One prominent phenomenon is cyberloafing, which refers to employees using the internet for personal purposes during working hours. This study aims to analyze the influence of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on behavioral intention and cyberloafing among employees, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. The study was conducted with 190 regional government employees of Indragiri Hulu Regency using a quantitative survey approach. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using path analysis (SEM-PLS 4). The findings reveal that both attitude and subjective norms have a significant positive influence on the intention to engage in cyberloafing, whereas perceived behavioral control does not have a significant effect. Furthermore, behavioral intention is proven to significantly influence cyberloafing behavior. Mediation analysis indicates that behavioral intention mediates the effects of attitude and subjective norms on cyberloafing, but not the effect of perceived behavioral control. These findings reinforce the relevance of TPB in explaining cyberloafing behavior among government employees. The practical implications emphasize the importance of fostering positive work attitudes and norms, as well as strengthening monitoring and control systems to reduce cyberloafing and enhance employee productivity.