Intellectual Structure of Cyberloafing Studies in Workplace Setting

OpenAlex İngilizce

This study offers a comprehensive bibliometric examination of cyberloafing research within the social sciences, aiming to map the intellectual, conceptual, and social structure of the field. Using data retrieved from the Web of Science database, a total of 315 peer-reviewed articles published between 2001 and 2025 were analyzed through the bibliometrix and Biblioshiny packages in R. The analysis was conducted across seven dimensions, including sources, authors, documents, conceptual structure, intellectual structure, and collaboration networks. The findings reveal a rapidly expanding research domain, characterized by a high annual growth rate, and increasing citation impact, particularly after 2020. Scholarly contributions are geographically concentrated, with China, the United States, and India emerging as the most influential countries in terms of productivity and collaboration. Co-occurrence and thematic analyses identify three dominant research clusters: cyberloafing’s antecedents, consequences, and well-being; workplace internet use and organizational impact; and resources, engagement, and performance. The thematic map highlights motor themes such as internet use, leadership, and emotional exhaustion as the intellectual core of the field, while niche themes (e.g., deterrence theory and psychological detachment) reflect theoretically mature but specialized research lines. Emerging themes, including meaningful work, justice, gamification, personality, and remote work, indicate developing research fronts with growing scholarly attention. By systematically synthesizing the evolution, key contributors, and thematic orientations of cyberloafing research, this study advances a holistic understanding of the field and highlights underexplored areas that may inform future theoretical development and empirical inquiry. The findings also offer practical insights for organizations seeking to balance productivity concerns with the potential restorative and social functions of non-work-related internet use in contemporary work environments.