The Structuration of Information and Communication Technologies and Work–Life Interrelationships: Shared Organizational and Family Rules and Resources and Implications for Work in a High-Technology Organization

Voluntary Work‐related Technology Use during Non‐work Time: A Narrative Synthesis of Empirical Research and Research Agenda

“…Since ICTs have removed many time-and space-related constraints of non-manual work, flexibility and control regarding when and where work takes place is a frequent theme in research. In numerous qualitative studies, employees have expressed how ICTs have increased (or are assumed to increase) their work-related flexibility and control (Alexander et al 2010;Allen and Shoard 2005;Cavazotte et al 2014;Currie and Eveline 2011;Funtasz 2012;Golden 2013;Lowry and Moskos 2008;Mazmanian 2010;Middleton 2007;Middleton and Cukier 2006;Quesenberry and Trauth 2005;Stoner et al 2009;Towers et al 2006). However, the decrease in perceived flexibility and control has also been reported by employees (Crowe and Middleton 2012;Quesenberry and Trauth 2005).…”

“…Closely related to perceived flexibility and control, performance and productivity was another dominant theme, with increases in self-reported efficiency and performance having been expressed in numerous qualitative studies (Allen and Shoard 2005;Funtasz 2012;Golden 2013;Golden and Geisler 2007;Lowry and Moskos 2008;Mazmanian 2013;Middleton 2007;Towers et al 2006). These increases have been attributed by employees to being able to use time more efficiently (Mazmanian 2010), for instance by using formerly unproductive time to do work (e.g.…”

“…One such cue is the distribution of ICTs by employers, which is positively associated with ICT use (Richardson 2010;Richardson and Benbunan-Fich 2011). Furthermore, employees in qualitative studies have reflected that voluntary ICT use takes place in particular organizational cultures that value aspects such as long work hours (Maliszewski 2013;Towers et al 2006), immediacy (Funtasz 2012;Golden 2013;Middleton 2007) and strong dedication to one's job (Maliszewski 2013). In line with Maliszewski (2013), a quantitative study also reported organizational expectations of high dedication to work, in terms of integrating work into one's private life, to be positively associated with voluntary ICT use .…”

“…In qualitative research, employees have frequently expressed the perceived pressure exerted by their organizational context to be constantly available and to engage in work-related ICT use during non-work time (Barley et al 2011;Cavazotte et al 2014;Currie and Eveline 2011;Crowe and Middleton 2012;Golden 2013;Harmer et al 2008;Ladner 2008;Lowry and Moskos 2008;Maliszewski 2013;Matusik and Mickel 2011;Mazmanian 2010Mazmanian , 2013Mazmanian et al 2006Middleton 2007;Porter and Kakabadse 2006;Quesenberry and Trauth 2005;Schlosser 2002;Stoner et al 2009;Towers et al 2006). Matusik and Mickel (2011) further outlined that perceived pressure to be responsive is more frequently reported with a high number of different expectation sources (e.g.…”

“…Particularly within qualitative studies, employees have stressed that voluntary ICT use is a conscious personal choice that can be actively regulated (Allen and Shoard 2005; Barley et al 2011;Cavazotte et al 2014;Currie and Eveline 2011;Golden 2013;Golden and Geisler 2007;Harmer et al 2008;Mazmanian et al 2006;Noble and Lupton 1998;Schlosser 2002;Stoner et al 2009), but which depends on individual preferences. For instance, qualitative research indicated that employees with a preference for integrating work and private life tend to perform voluntary ICT use to a higher extent than those with a segmentation preference (Crowe and Middleton 2012;Golden 2013;Golden and Geisler 2007;Mazmanian 2010;Noble and Lupton 1998). Quantitative studies support the role of boundary preferences, where a segmentation preference has been associated with less voluntary ICT use (Adkins and Premeaux 2014;Olson-Buchanan and Boswell 2006;Richardson 2010;Richardson and Benbunan-Fich 2011;Senarathne Tennakoon et al 2013).…”