Djessali, SouadORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9468-6466, Diallo, Mbaye FallORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8556-4985, Osburg, Victoria-SophieORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6762-510X and Collin-Lachaud, IsabelleORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4783-6652 (2025) The Double-Edged-Sword Effect of Constant Connectivity on Work Performance: Roles of Perceived Value, Work–Life Balance, and Work–Family Conflict. Journal of Management Studies. pp. 1-31.

Abstract

Constant connectivity through smartphone use represents a major societal challenge,particularly in relation to work performance and work–nonwork boundaries. This researchleverages an interdisciplinary theoretical framework, crisis settings, and a cross-cultural ap-proach (France and the United Kingdom) to specify the impacts of smartphone use on workperformance and work–life interfaces, before and during the COVID-19 crisis, among largesamples of employees (NPilot = 229; N 1 = 938; N 2 = 1042). An empirical test of this integrativemodel shows that smartphone use influences work performance directly, work–life balance nega-tively mediates this relationship, and work–family conflict moderates it. It advances knowledgeby considering both dimensions of work performance, generic task performance and adap-tive performance, which is crucial for adapting to technologies and crises. This research alsoemphasizes the need to consider the context in which smartphone use affects work performance,notably in situations marked by high pressure, such as crises that become chronic. By introduc-ing the marketing concept of perceived value as a mediator, this research shows that utilitarianvalue improves work performance while hedonic value decreases it, thus advancing the scholarlyconversation and helping to manage constant connectivity.