WBS Distinguished Seminar Series: Prof Manju Ahuja, 11 May 2022

'Excessive Mobile Use and Family-Work Conflict: A Resource Drain Theory Approach to Examine Their Effect on Productivity and Well-Being'

Abstract:

While acknowledging the many benefits of anytime-anywhere connectivity, recent research has called for further investigation into the maladaptive side of mobile technology use in the work-family interface realm. By relying on Resource Drain Theory, we investigate how family-work conflict (FWC) leads to the excessive use of mobile devices for work purposes during non-work hours, which, in turn, affects individual productivity and well-being. Further, we examine the role of competitive climate as a boundary condition. We conducted a field study across two measurement periods involving 324 individuals and their partners. Our results suggest that FWC affects productivity and well-being through excessive mobile use, and that competitive climate amplifies these effects. The study contributes by providing a better understanding of excessive mobile use phenomenon in terms of its determinants and consequences. We discuss the implications of our findings both for theory and for practice, and outline directions for future research.

Bio

Manju Ahuja is the Frazier Family Professor of Information Systems at the College of Business, University of Louisville, Kentucky. She has previously held faculty positions at the Kelley School of Business (Indiana University), Florida State University, and Pennsylvania State University. Her publications have appeared in journals such as MIS Quarterly, Management Science, Information Systems Research, Journal of MIS, Journal of AIS, Organization Science, Journal of Management, European Journal of Information Systems, and many other outlets. Manju has been ranked among the top 50 researchers in the field of Information Systems worldwide by a variety of sources. She appears on the Stanford University’s list of top 2% scientists in the world.

Manju serves as Senior Editor at Information Systems Research. She was a Senior Editor at the MIS Quarterly during 2014-2017 and the Journal of AIS during 2017-2019. Manju was named a Fellow of the Association of Information Systems in 2021. She is also the recipient of a Lifelong Service Award from Academy of Management’s OCIS division for 2020. In 2022, she was selected for the University of Louisville’s Presidential Distinguished Faculty Award for Research in social sciences. She is actively involved in research on issues related to IT workforce, AI Ethics, innovation and entrepreneurship related to IT, digital transformation, and Future of Work.

Manju has held visiting scholar appointments at premier institutions across the world, including HEC (Paris), University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia), Bocconi University (Milan, Italy), National University of Singapore, University of California (Irvine), and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has received four National Science Foundation grants totaling over two million dollars for her research on IT workforce issues. Her research has been cited by publications such as Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, Times of India, London School of Economics Business Review, INSEAD Knowledge, Strategy+Business, Computerworld, and others.