Limitless work or working to the limit? A quantitative study on the implications of boundary management strategies on employee work-life balance

Sammanfattning: A frequent debate is how people are affected by working from home, especially as more workers emphasize optionality in terms of flexible work arrangements. But flexibility is a challenge in the boundaryless interface between work and life where work intensification becomes evident. Previous research looks past some dimensions of the relationship between work-life balance and boundary management, particularly in the context of optional hybrid remote work. Guided by Boundary Theory, this cross-sectional study examines individual boundary management with associated factors and the effects on work-life balance. Through multiple OLS regression based on a sample of 117 employees in knowledge-based organizations with flexible work arrangements, it was found that high perceived control in creating boundaries and to enact the preferred boundary strategy are most importantly related to work-life balance. Furthermore, an interaction effect between boundary strategy and perceived control entailed that the effect of perceived control on work-life balance is larger for individuals who enact separation strategies.