Manhal Z. S. The Effect of Social Media Addiction on the Performance of Knowledge Employees: A Survey Study on Employees at Korek Mobile Telecommunications Company in Iraq

Abstract

This study aims to identify the impact of social media addiction on the performance of knowledge employees. A conceptual model was proposed, comprising two main variables: the first representing the dimensions of social media addiction behavior, and the second representing the dimensions of knowledge worker performance. The study problem stemmed from a central question regarding the extent of social media addiction's impact on knowledge worker performance. Using a survey methodology, a questionnaire was specifically designed to collect data from a sample of employees at Korek Telecom in Iraq. The questionnaire was distributed both manually and electronically. Data was collected from a field sample of 225 employees, and statistical analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS4 and SPSS version 21 software. The results showed no impact of social media addiction on any of the dimensions of the dependent variable, except for productivity, which was found to be negatively affected. The study reached several conclusions, most notably that increased addictive engagement with social media leads to a significant decline in the individual’s productivity, whether through wasting time, distracting attention, or mental fatigue.