Nomophobia in today’s overlapping work and family domains: The influences on organizational identification

Abstract

Drawing on attentional control theory, this study addresses the influences of nomophobia (no-mobile-phone-phobia) on organizational identification and work-family conflict. It also examines the mediation role of work-family conflict in the relationship between nomophobia and organizational identification. Its hypotheses were tested using data from 398 teachers employed in public and private schools. The results revealed that by disrupting cognitive and perceptual processes, nomophobia contributes to conflicts between employees’ roles in their work and family domains, and eventually prevents them from identifying with organizational goals and values. The results also confirmed the mediation role of work-family conflict. By adopting a pure psychological approach (i.e., attentional control theory), as a new and different perspective for the organizational behavior and work-family conflict literatures, the findings are expected to contribute to increasing the awareness of organizations about negative attitudes and behaviors of nomophobic employees and highlight the needs of nomophobic employees for appropriate social and psychological supports.