Emotional intelligence as the first line of self-defence: mitigating cyber fatigue and boosting employee productivity

Emotional response and cyber fatigue are increasing alarmingly globally. Cyber fatigue is a significant issue that impacts employee productivity, particularly in hybrid work cultures. The purpose of this study is to propose a theoretical framework that explains the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), self-efficacy and cyber fatigue. It also posits that combating cyber fatigue can improve employee productivity. The study further explores the moderating effect of cyber awareness in the relationship between emotional response and cyber fatigue. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using SmartPLS was employed to analyse data collected from 357 participants via a survey. The study validated the proposed hypotheses, and findings revealed a significant impact of EI and self-efficacy in mitigating cyber fatigue. The study also unveils that cyber awareness plays a moderating role in handling emotional reactions and enhances employee productivity. The amalgamation of EI and self-efficacy theory makes this proposed framework a unique proposition in explaining the contemporary issue of technology-induced fatigue. The findings of this study highlight the need for skill upgradation and EI interventions to prepare the workforce for the future jobs. The insights from this study can help policymakers and organisational leaders devise policies to combat cyber fatigue.