Leisure internet usage and individual work performance in freight forwarding: The moderating role of artificial intelligence attitudes

The study evaluated the effect of leisure internet usage on individual work performance and the possible moderating role of attitudes toward artificial intelligence in this relationship. Data from 206 freight forwarders’ responses were analyzed using the PROCESS macro (v.5.0) to implement the Johnson-Neyman (JN) approach for probing regions of significance. Findings indicated that while there appears to be an initial direct negative effect of leisure internet usage on individual work performance, the moderation analysis indicated there was a statistically significant and positive interaction term for leisure internet usage and artificial intelligence attitudes. The negative effect of leisure internet usage on individual work performance diminished as artificial intelligence attitudes increased. The JN analysis revealed a critical point of artificial intelligence attitudes (6.02 on a 10-point scale), beyond which leisure internet usage no longer had a statistically significant negative effect on individual work performance. To protect productivity, organizations should develop strategies that create a more positive technology orientation to AI in employees, shifting focus away from merely restrictive internet policies. The boundary condition of these specific findings is defined by the freight forwarders’ sample, making it necessary to be cautious when making any generalizations about the greater industrial context.