Fairness after hours: Fairness in Technology-assisted supplemental work, employee energy, personal initiative, and work withdrawal

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between technology-assisted supplemental work (TASW) fairness and resource investment strategies in the workplace, namely personal initiative and work withdrawal behaviors, with energy as a mediating factor and conscientiousness and neuroticism as moderators. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 728 USA employees was collected to test the proposed model using mediation and moderated-mediation analyses. Findings The study finds support for the mediation hypotheses, indicating that when employees perceive TASW as fair (unfair), they report higher (lower) energy levels and are thus likely to engage in personal initiative (work withdrawal) behaviors. Additionally, conscientiousness strengthens the positive relationship between TASW-fairness and personal initiative, while the negative relationship between TASW-fairness and work withdrawal appears consistent across neuroticism levels. Originality/value This study introduces the concept of TASW within a fairness framework and relates it to resource investment strategies in the workplace, providing novel insights into the role of fairness perceptions and individual differences in shaping employee behaviors.