Digital technologies represented by Enterprise Social Networking Platform (ESNP) have become indispensable in modern enterprise operations and management. ESNP have profoundly reshaped employees’ work environments, enabling them to respond more flexibly to increasingly dynamic external conditions. However, many organizations are frustrated that, despite significant investments in deploying ESNP to enhance employee agility, the outcomes are often underwhelming, and sometimes even counterproductive. This paradox has made it a pressing challenge for managers in the digital economy to determine how to fully leverage ESNP to strengthen employee agility. Although scholars have examined the relation between ESNP usage and employee agility, their findings remain inconsistent. To address these contradictions and guide more effective ESNP utilization, it is essential to theoretically and empirically unpack the mechanisms through which ESNP usage influences employee agility.

Drawing on the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory, this study develops a dual-path model to explain the “double-edged sword” effect of ESNP usage on employee agility through two mediating mechanisms: social support and work overload. It also examines the moderating role of employees’ information technology (IT) competence. To test this theoretical framework, a three-wave questionnaire survey was conducted within a large hotel group, yielding 305 valid responses analyzed using structural equation modeling. The empirical findings reveal that: (1) ESNP usage promotes employee agility by facilitating social support, yet simultaneously hinders agility by inducing work overload; (2) Employees’ IT competence amplifies the positive impact of ESNP usage on social support and strengthens the mediating role of social support in fostering agility; and (3) Employees’ IT competence mitigates the adverse impact of ESNP usage on work overload and weakens its mediating effect on employee agility.

This study makes several important contributions. First, it uncovers the dual nature of ESNP usage in shaping employee agility and elucidates its underlying mechanisms. By reconciling conflicting findings in prior literature, it offers a more integrated theoretical framework and robust empirical evidence for understanding how ESNPs affect employee agility. Second, by revealing the contrasting influences of social support and work overload on agility, this research expands and enhances the exising literature on these two critical factors. Third, by incorporating employee IT competence as a boundary condition, the study enriches the understanding of how individual technological capabilities shape the outcomes of digital platform use. In doing so, it expands the boundary conditions of ESNP research and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of employee IT competence within digital work environments.

Beyond its theoretical contributions, this study offers several practical insights. First, organizations should actively encourage employees to use ESNP to build internal social networks and obtain social support, which can help them adapt quickly to external uncertainties. Second, firms should be mindful of the potential for ESNP-induced work overload and take proactive measures—such as setting reasonable communication norms and workload expectations—to minimize its negative effects on agility. Third, when deploying and managing ESNP, organizations should account for differences in employees’ IT competence and provide appropriate training to enhance their ability to use digital tools effectively.

Despite these contributions, this study has several limitations. First, data were collected through self-reported questionnaires from a single source, which may raise concerns about common method bias; future studies should incorporate multi-source or longitudinal data to enhance robustness. Second, because this study was conducted in China, the generalizability of the findings to other cultural or organizational contexts warrants further examination. Future research could validate the proposed model across different regions and industries. Third, this study focused on employees’ IT competence as a moderator; future work may explore additional boundary conditions, such as organizational culture, leadership style, and digital transformation maturity, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of ESNP’s influence on employee agility.