The Influence of Persistent Receipt of Job-Related Instant Messages After Work on Employees' Intention to Quit: An Empirical Study in China

Instant messaging (IM) is becoming an increasingly important component of our work. However, little is known regarding the association between employees’ persistent receipt of job-related instant messages after work and their intention to quit. This is one of the early investigations of this relationship. The purpose of this study is to determine how IM applications, such as WeChat and QQ, are used outside of work hours in China, as well as its link to IM-related pressure, work-home conflict, and intention to quit the organisation. The results should shed light on whether it is prudent for businesses to communicate with their employees via IM after working hours. The study’s model comprises four primary constructs: perceived abusive use of IM after work, IM-related pressure, work-home conflict, and intention to quit. A questionnaire containing the above constructs was developed. The frequency and average time of receiving information were used to quantify abusive use of IM after work. In contrast, IM-related pressure, work-home conflict, and intention to quit were measured based on validated measurement items from literature and adjusted according to this study’s focus. A total of 42 valid responses were obtained from the survey and were used for data analysis. A partial least squares structural equation modelling approach was employed for parameter estimation and model testing using SmartPLS. The empirical results showed that perceived abusive use of IM after work influenced work-home conflict via IM-related pressure. However, there was no significant relationship between work-home conflict and intention to quit.