Affiliations: [a] Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| [b] Gothenburg Research Institute, School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: David Jostell, MSc, Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Box 500, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden. Tel.: +46 (0) 737 01 31 73; E-mail: david.jostell@gmail.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:There is a need for a better understanding of how the use of technology to complete work outside regular office hours is related to work-life outcomes. Few studies have also investigated how individual differences in work-nonwork boundary management relate to work-life outcomes. OBJECTIVE:This study was conducted to examine how teleworking outside regular office hours and individual boundary management relate to work-family conflict. METHODS:A web survey was sent to fulltime employees at the headquarters of a multinational high-tech firm in Sweden. A total of 71 answers were obtained and analyzed using regression analysis. RESULTS:The extent of teleworking after hours was unrelated to work-family conflict. However, as previous research has shown, having more permeable boundaries and allowing work to interrupt nonwork behavior was related to higher levels of conflict. CONCLUSIONS:The findings suggest that teleworking after hours is not as problematic in terms of work-family conflict as has been reported in previous studies. Furthermore, in order to prevent high levels of work-family conflict, it is seemingly beneficial to avoid work interruptions during nonwork behavior.
Keywords: Boundary permeability, role conflict, telecommuting, work-nonwork boundaries
