Individual Perceptions of Boundary Control Mitigate the Effect of (in) Congruence Between Workers’ Preferred Work/Non-Work Boundaries and their Enacted Boundary Management on Work-Life Conflict

• Purpose: Rapid development of boundary-transcending ICTs have led to more flexible forms of work organization, marking a fundamental shift in the flexibility and permeability of employees’ work-nonwork boundaries. This study investigates the inter-relationships between employees’ boundary management types, representing boundary (in)congruence between their preferred and enacted boundary management, and work-life conflict, and the potential moderating role of perceived boundary control herein.Design/Methodology: Data comprised 3,154 Swedish professional workers in different occupations within both the public and private sector. Correlations, t-tests, Chi square tests and univariate general linear model analyses (ANCOVA) were performed.Findings: Enacted integration as well as boundary incongruence were both positively associated with work-life-conflict. Moreover, incongruence accompanied by a high degree of enacted integration increased work-life conflict. Finally, boundary control mitigated work-life conflict. This was especially the case among employees preferring segmentation but enacting integration, i.e., boundary incongruence, but also among employees both preferring and enacting integration, i.e., boundary congruence.Practical implications: This study provides new and valuable knowledge on different boundary management types, reflecting boundary (in)congruence, that are associated with increased work-life conflict depending on the specific type of (in)congruence in question, and the role of boundary control herein as an important factor to combat work-life conflict. This kind of knowledge is of high relevance in contemporary working life characterized by an ever-increased blurring of work-nonwork boundaries. Organizations play an important role in creating new legitimate beliefs and as such, leisure norms could be implemented that promote employees’ boundary control, and subsequent reduced work-life conflict.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

boundary control

work boundaries

work-life conflict

Psychology

psykologi

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)