Working from Home with Flexible and Permeable Boundaries

Authors

Isabella Seeber, Updated - AISFollow
Johannes Erhardt, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced information workers across the world to work from home. This situation removes the physical boundary between work and home, impacting their work-life balance. How information workers configure the digital workplace (DWP) to manage their workplace boundaries and what effect this has on their individual job satisfaction remains unclear. To close this gap in the literature, 202 information workers completed an online survey. The findings partially confirm existing theory that more work flexibility increases job satisfaction while more work permeability decreases job satisfaction. However, depending on the flexibility and permeability of their work-home boundaries, the frequency with which information workers use DWP tools has cross-over effects on job satisfaction. The findings contribute to boundary theory and the new stream of digital workplace literature.

Recommended Citation

Seeber, Isabella and Erhardt, Johannes (2023) "Working from Home with Flexible and Permeable Boundaries," Business & Information Systems Engineering: Vol. 65: Iss. 3, 277-292.
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/bise/vol65/iss3/4