Limited empirical research has examined the impact of enterprise social media (ESM) use in the workplace on employees’ well-being and job satisfaction. Moreover, there remains a notable gap in effective management strategies to fully leverage the benefits of ESM while mitigating its potential drawbacks. This study employs the theories of self-depletion and resource conservation to investigate the mechanisms through which ESM use influences employees’ work flourishing, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of fatigue and the moderating roles of work autonomy and psychological detachment.
This study collected data from Chinese employees in two waves via an online survey platform. After two rounds of data collection, a total of 304 matched responses were obtained for analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using Mplus, and multi-level linear regression analysis was employed to examine the relationships between corporate enterprise media use, fatigue, job autonomy, psychological detachment and job prosperity.
Social ESM use in the workplace increases employee fatigue (β = 0.258, p < 0.001), with fatigue negatively impacting thriving at work (β = −0.362, p < 0.001). Job autonomy mitigates the adverse relationship between social ESM use and fatigue, whereas psychological detachment moderates the negative impact of fatigue on thriving at work. The mediating effect of fatigue is most pronounced when both job autonomy and psychological detachment are low.
The findings of this study enhance our understanding of the psychological impacts of using ESM in the workplace and underscore the critical role of job autonomy and psychological detachment in mitigating the effects of social ESM use on employee well-being and performance.
This study provides guidance for the use of ESM in the workplace. Management should pay attention to improving the functionality of ESM, effectively managing employees’ social ESM use in the workplace, and clearly defining the boundaries between work and social activities. It is also beneficial for organizations to provide employees with autonomy and create opportunities for psychological detachment to mitigate the potential negative effects of social ESM use on employees.
This research contributes to the literature by identifying fatigue as a key mediator and job autonomy and psychological detachment as important moderators in the relationship between social-related ESM use and thriving at work.
