Styrning och gränsdragningar i det flexibla arbetet för HR-anställda : En kvalitativ studie om gränsdragning och styrning i det flexibla arbetet

Sammanfattning: Flexible work is not a new phenomenon; it has existed for decades for certain office employees. With the Covid-19 pandemic, an increasing number of office workers were introduced to flexible work as a way of working. Governance and boundary management remain highly relevant for HR professionals who have a flexible work arrangement. Our study investigated how HR professionals perceive their governance and boundary management within flexible work. The study serves as a complement to previous research and provides a better understanding of the work situation of HR professionals in flexible work. The aim of the study was to examine how employees experience governance in flexible work and how boundary management is conducted. The study focuses on HR professionals working in the private sector and does not include organizations from the public sector. Data for the study were gathered through 10 semi-structured interviews with HR professionals in five different private companies. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results were analyzed using the theories of remote control, informal control, and Work/Family Border Theory. The study's results show that informal governance based on trust and empathy primarily serves as the guiding force. More formal governance was evident in HR employees needing to relate to some form of documentation, written rules, and manuals. Some experienced documentation as too directive, with supervisors controlling in detail. The majority felt that documentation and rules did not have a governing nature. Furthermore, the study revealed that most HR employees in flexible work arrangements struggle with delineating boundaries between their personal and professional lives. Generally, it is a matter of individual choice and many actively strive to set clear boundaries.   Keywords: Boundary management, flexible work and governance