# Exploring the effect of digital hoarding in the workplace on employee work performance

## TL;DR

This study explores how digital hoarding in the workplace affects employee performance and finds that it can have both positive and negative effects depending on individual factors.

## Contribution

The study introduces new insights into how digital hoarding influences job performance through mediating factors like job burnout and thriving.

## Key findings

- Digital hoarding positively predicts job performance.
- Job burnout negatively mediates the relationship between digital hoarding and performance.
- Thriving positively mediates the relationship, while prevention focus weakens the positive effect.

## Abstract

Academic viewpoints on the psychological impact of digital hoarding remain fragmented, and there is a lack of literature exploring the mechanism through which digital hoarding affects job performance in the workplace context.

This research draws on three quantitative studies—a primary study (N = 211) and two robustness checks (N = 114; N = 259)—to examine the effects of digital hoarding in the workplace on employee work performance. Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling, bootstrap procedures, and simple slope analysis.

The findings show that digital hoarding in the workplace positively predicts job performance. Meanwhile, Job burnout exerts a negative mediating effect in this relationship, whereas thriving serves as a positive mediator. Besides, prevention focus significantly attenuates the positive association between digital hoarding and job performance, while the moderating role of promotion focus is not statistically significant.

These results contribute meaningfully to both theory and practice by advancing our understanding of how digital hoarding interacts with individual emotional states and work outcomes. Furthermore, they offer actionable insights for promoting employee wellbeing through health-oriented media use practices and for enhancing organizational effectiveness via performance-driven media management strategies.