Title: The allowable threshold and preventive strategies for mobile phone use at workplace - an experimental study

Authors: Muhammad Irfan; Shahira Suman; Shiza Zainab; Sundus Khalid

Addresses: Project Management Unit, Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation – Regions Improving Border Services (PMU – CAREC-RIBS), Islamabad, Pakistan ' International Islamic Medical College, Riphah International University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan ' Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan ' COMSATS University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract: The underlying mechanisms propagating the influence of compulsive and repetitive use of mobile phone on job performance have been investigated by this study using quasi-experimental design. Replicating a previous study, the boundary conditions of the Nomophobia-induced mobile phone usage have been analysed to determine the threshold beyond which mobile phone use can be declared excessive and counter-productive. A sample of 162 employees from six services sector organisations was tested with the three refined experimental techniques and the impact of mobile phone was determined by recording reactions to sequentially enhanced interruptions simulating mobile phone activities. This study affirms that five inter-related cognitive mechanisms, triggered by excessive mobile phone use, deplete performance at workplace. In addition to regulatory preventive strategies, this study proposes that allowing use of mobile phones at workplace within the threshold of 2-3 times in an hour adequately addresses needs of employees without affecting their job performance.

Keywords: job performance; anxiety; stress; cognition; Nomophobia; mechanism; dual-processing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWOE.2025.148615

International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 2025 Vol.16 No.3, pp.309 - 336

Received: 12 Aug 2024
Accepted: 04 Dec 2024
Published online: 15 Sep 2025 *

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