The Spillover Effect of Internet usage on Job Satisfaction in the Digital Era: Evidence From Chinese Individual Survey Data

Digitalization has fundamentally reshaped work modes and changed employees’ attitudes toward their job, a trend that was markedly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sheds light on how digitalization-induced work changed levels of job satisfaction at the height of the pandemic by jointly exploring the mediating mechanisms and contextual factors affecting these relationships based on the spillover theory. Using an ordered probit model with data on 26,752 individuals from the 2020 China Family Panel Study, this study confirms the significant impact of Internet usage on job satisfaction. We found that time pressure not only mediated but also strengthened the effect of Internet usage on job satisfaction, whereas time flexibility did not play a moderating role in this relationship in China. The Sobel–Goodman mediation test confirms the robustness of the results. Moreover, the digital divide across socio-demographic groups is revealed. We find that Internet use can significantly improve urban residents’ job satisfaction, while the degree of influence is lower for rural populations. Similarly, female employees’ feelings of job satisfaction are more significantly affected than those of male employees. People who are employed in Information and Communications Technology–related occupations usually enjoy greater satisfaction from Internet use at work than those who are not. In general, by highlighting the critical role of Internet usage at work in promoting job satisfaction mediated by time pressure, this study confirms shifts in job satisfaction amid the rapid digital transformation, particularly during the pandemic.