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Managing work–life boundaries with information and communication technologies: the case of independent contractors
Author(s) -
Sayah Shiva
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
new technology, work and employment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.889
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1468-005X
pISSN - 0268-1072
DOI - 10.1111/ntwe.12016
Subject(s) - information and communications technology , icts , work (physics) , boundary (topology) , dimension (graph theory) , work–life balance , knowledge management , sociology , public relations , business , psychology , computer science , political science , engineering , world wide web , mathematics , pure mathematics , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis
In the light of the increasing use of information and communication technologies ( ICTs ), it is important to gain a better understanding of their influence on work–life boundaries. This study examines how individuals manage their work–life boundaries by using ICTs . The findings of a qualitative study with independent contractors show that individuals actively use multiple ICT ‐mediated tactics to shape their temporal, spatial and psychological work–life boundaries. Furthermore, findings suggest that individuals cannot simply be classified as ‘integrators’ or ‘segmentors’, as they may have diverse preferences with regard to both the dimension (temporal, spatial or psychological) and direction (work‐to‐life or life‐to‐work) of boundary permeability. A framework that takes account of these aspects is derived based on the empirical results.