Predicting Work-Life Conflict: Types and Levels of Enacted and Preferred Work-Nonwork Boundary (In)Congruence and Perceived Boundary Control

In 2020, everyday life changed dramatically for employees worldwide as a result of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, where an estimated 558 million employees started working from home. The pandemic, therefore, marks a fundamental shift of individuals’ work-nonwork boundaries, which can impact work-life conflict. In particular, the interplay between individuals’ enacted boundaries (degree to which they separate/segment or blend/integrate work-nonwork), preferred boundaries (degree of preferred segmentation or integration of work-nonwork), and perceived control over work-nonwork boundaries, may relate to work-life conflict. This study, the first to the best of our knowledge, examines whether different types and levels of work-nonwork boundary (in)congruence matter for work-life conflict, and whether perceived boundary control moderates these relationships. Boundary (in)congruence represents the degree of (mis)fit between enacted and preferred segmentation or integration. Several types of (in)congruence are distinguished: “segmentation congruence” (enacting and preferring segmentation); “integration congruence” (enacting and preferring integration); “intrusion” (enacting integration but preferring segmentation) and “distance” (enacting segmentation but preferring integration). Data from 1,229 managers working in public and private organizations in Sweden was analyzed using polynomial regression analysis with response surface modeling and moderation analysis in SPSS Process. Findings showed that “integration congruence” was related with higher work-life conflict than “segmentation congruence.” Moreover, a U-shaped relationship between incongruence and work-life conflict was found: the more incongruence, the more work-life conflict. Specifically, “intrusion” was related to higher work-life conflict than “distance.” Finally, boundary control mitigated the effect of incongruence (especially “intrusion”) on work-life conflict. From our findings, we may conclude that work-life conflict is impacted differently depending on the type and level of boundary (in)congruence. Particularly enacted and/or preferred integration may be problematic when it comes to work-life conflict, rather than just (in)congruence per se. Moreover, boundary control can be viewed as a key factor in combating work-life conflict, especially among individuals who enact integration, but prefer segmentation. Taken together, our study contributes new and substantial knowledge by showing the importance for research and HRM-policies that take into account different types and levels of boundary (in)congruence, as these are associated with different levels of work-life conflict, which, in turn, are moderated by boundary control.

Reconciling Home and Work During Lockdown: The Role of Organisational Segmentation Supplies for Psychological Detachment and Work-Home Conflict

When the lockdown was introduced to limit the spread of the coronavirus, many employees were forced to work from home, thus facing challenges to detach from work and balance work and home responsibilities. As physical boundaries between work and non-work became non-existent, organisational norms supporting segmentation between the two domains became more important than ever before. This study aimed to examine the effect of organisational segmentation supplies for psychological detachment and work-home conflict among employees with different boundary management preferences. A sample of 172 employees from one private sector organisation responded to a questionnaire measuring segmentation supplies, segmentation preferences, psychological detachment and work-home conflict. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that segmentation supplies had a protective effect on the work-home conflict, which was partly mediated by psychological detachment. Employees’ segmentation preferences did not moderate this effect. Results show segmentation supplies by the organisation to be a valuable resource when working from home that helps to psychologically detach from work and balance work and home responsibilities even for employees who prefer to integrate work and home life.

Life management of the quantity surveyors working for contractors at sites: female vs male

Purpose The construction industry (CI) is known for heavy workloads and long working hours. Consequently, quantity surveyors (QSs) find it difficult to integrate work with life. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the causes and consequences of poor life management (LM) in both female and male QSs working for contractors at construction sites and strategies that would improve the LM of the QSs. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a mixed research approach by conducting semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey to identify the significant causes and consequences of poor LM in QSs and strategies that would improve the LM of the QSs. Manual content analysis and mean weighted rating (MWR) were used to analyze the collected data. Findings Heavy workloads are the most significant cause of poor LM in QSs. The study found that male QSs are highly addicted to substance use and that female QSs lose sleep because of poor LM. Teamwork is the most significant strategy that would enhance the LM of both female and male QSs working at sites. Originality/value The traditional work–life balance refers to the harmony between work and non-work lives of an individual. LM is associated with five spheres of life: work, family life, health, social life and spiritual life. Given that, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous studies have focused on LM, this study becomes significant because it identifies the causes and consequences of poor LM of QSs working in the CI and the strategies that would enhance the LM of the QSs.

Psychology Education and Work Readiness Integration: A Call for Research in Australia

Supporting students to develop transferable skills and gain employment is a vital function of Universities in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. A key area is work readiness, which has steadily grown in importance over the last 2 decades as tertiary institutions increasingly aim to produce graduates who perceive and are perceived as work ready. However, a large majority of graduates report a lack of skills and confidence needed for the effective transition from study to work. This may be particularly problematic for disciplines that impart both discipline-specific and transferrable skills, such as psychology. The aim of this paper is to addresses the concept of work readiness within Australian psychological training and explores the need to shed light on and integrate work readiness within the pedagogy of psychology within Australia. Specifically, this paper calls for a review of work readiness skills developed in psychological courses to ensure industry needs are met. Beyond such a review, it is suggested that tertiary centres need to facilitate students in capturing and reflecting upon the transferable skills that they develop; and build assessments that allow students to demonstrate transferable skills in a meaningful way. Further, this paper proposes that work readiness skills be routinely mapped onto graduate attributes and course learning outcomes to be readily available by students so as to increase students’ potential to articulate their learnt work readiness skills once in the workplace.

Coparenting Interventions and Shared Physical Custody: Insights and Challenges

This chapter focuses on the issue of shared physical custody (SPC) in the broader context of coparenting interventions. To identify if and how these interventions address the issue of SPC, we provide a systematic overview of the currently available types of coparenting interventions after marital dissolution. To be selected, the interventions had to be published in peer-reviewed journals, target separated or divorced parents, integrate work on coparenting, and include a custody focus within the intervention curriculum or as a targeted outcome. Finally, they had to be subject to empirical evaluation.As a second step, using a case study, we investigate how the issue of SPC may be addressed before divorce, during couple therapy. We describe the therapy sessions to highlight the factors that may protect or undermine the development of a cooperative coparenting relationship while separating, and eventually create a positive shared-custody scenario after divorce. We also analyse the couple’s progress regarding individual symptomatology and coparenting satisfaction based on self-reported questionnaires and on the quality of their observed coparenting interactions.From a therapeutic perspective, this chapter aims to deepen our understanding of the challenges and opportunities of coparenting during and after separation and its intertwinement with the issue of SPC.

Exploring the Link Between the Hazards and Value of Work, and Overcoming Risk for Community-Based Health Interventions for Immigrant Latinx Low-Wage Workers

Few studies integrate work and immigration as intersecting social determinants of health. We synthesize data from 12 focus groups ( N = 97) originating from two separate community-engaged studies that originally centered on exploring barriers to health and hazards of work among immigrant Latinx women and men to explore the role of work in their overall health and well-being. The three major interrelated themes we drew from this research—hazards of work, value of work, and building agency to overcome risk—provide insights that can help to reframe and begin to operationalize how community-based health promotion practice might better incorporate workplace issues for Latinx low-wage workers. The value of work, and its subtheme, pride in performing well specifically, could be engaged by workers to actively change conditions for themselves and others. We discuss findings in light of previous occupational health research and implications for community-based intervention design and practice.

Daily Smartphone Use for Work and Its Effect on Work-Life Conflict among Integrators

This daily diary study investigates the effects of daily smartphone use for work during off-work hours on work-life conflict. Drawing on role theory which supports the notion that segmentation is a boundary management strategy, the moderating effect of individual’s segmentation preference is proposed. Results of multilevel regression analyses showed that smartphone use for work was positively related to work-life conflict. The result also shows that the preference to integrate work and personal life rather than separate these domains strengthened the relation between smartphone use for work and work-life conflict. The results of this study may help human resource practitioners to better understand the impact of staying connected to work during off-work hours. Keywords: Daily smartphone use; Work-life conflict; Segmentation preference; Diary study

Making Workplace Flexibility Work

Chapter 6 focuses on the topic of flexible work arrangements. Workplace flexibility is often romanticized as an answer to all the challenges working mothers face. While flexibility can be particularly helpful to working mothers as they integrate work and family, it also introduces new complexities working mothers need to consider. This chapter helps women develop a more comprehensive understanding of workplace flexibility. We start with an overview of the different types of flexibility and some of the benefits and challenges women have experienced with these varied work arrangements. We go on to introduce strategies women can put in place to take advantage of a flexible work arrangement and to ensure they are negotiating workplace flexibility in such a way that they don’t trade flexibility for compensation.

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Digitized Work Environment – Review of Technological Solutions Supporting Integration

The aim of the article is to examine the opportunities for employees with ASD, arising from assistive technology in order to integrate work environment. The possible solution to a communication problem is replacing the interpersonal communication between employees with electronic forms of communication, communicators, chats, chatbots. Furthermore, there is the implementation of wearable electronic systems monitoring stress level and facilitating effective stress control. In the future, developing the work environment according to ‘smart workplace concept’ is expected, by connecting sensors recording human body parameters in a network with sensors recording ambient physical parameters and also with the controllers of its values, adjusting it dynamically. As a result, distracting factors influencing work performance could be eliminated, improving the work comfort of people with ASD and their collaborators.