Work–leisure blending: An integrative conceptual review and framework to guide future research.

Abstract

Since the industrial revolution, work and leisure have largely been considered opposing domains. A growing number of organizations, however, enable and/or promote blending leisure activities into the workplace. Similarly, several conceptualizations across different disciplines examine how work and leisure can coexist. These different conceptualizations have yielded a rich but fragmented theoretical account of work-leisure blending. To address this problem, we provide a comprehensive theoretical integration of multiple literature streams where research has explored work-leisure blending. Further, we develop a tripartite dimensional framework designed to elucidate the central dimensions of work-leisure blending (i.e., segmentationintegration, unstructured-structured, and independent-interactive) undergirding this phenomenon. Using this framework as a theoretical foundation, we then discuss important contextual considerations and future research directions related to work-leisure blending.

Social Networks in the Work-Nonwork Borderland: Developing an Integrative Model of Cross-Domain Multiplex Relationships

“…Importantly, employees manage boundaries between-and make sense of and create meaning from-their work and nonwork roles by interacting with others. This suggests that the boundaries between domains are "socially constructed" (Ashforth et al, 2001a(Ashforth et al, , 2001b and that blended experiences may at times be interpersonal in nature (Clark, 2002;Kirby & Buzzanell, 2014;Smith et al, 2022). For example, the industrial revolution "resulted in a major segregation of roles between workers and non-workers, with 'work' being spatially, temporally and, to some extent, socially distinct from 'non-work' (e.g., family, community, religion, politics and education)" (Geurts & Demerouti, 2002, p. 279).…”

“…Segmentation and integration tactics can be employed to help simplify and order individuals' environments to prevent conflict between potentially competing domains (Greenhaus & Powell, 2003), or to enhance enrichment between potentially complementary domains (Greenhaus & Powell, 2006). Along these lines, recent work drawing from boundary theory considers a high degree of integration between work and nonwork domains as "blending" (Smith et al, 2022).…”

Winning applicants and influencing job seekers: An introduction to the special issue on employer branding and talent acquisition

“…In addition to these new approaches, future research should consider how modern technology is continuing to change the practice of talent acquisition and employer branding in today's workplace. In particular, researchers should strive to keep up with the use of techniques like virtual reality, gamification, and artificial intelligence by carefully studying these novel approaches with scientific rigor (Bigné et al, 2016; Meißner et al, 2017; Smith et al, 2022).…”

Travel While Working Remotely: A Topological Data Analysis of Well-Being in Remote Work Trip Experiences

“…When work and leisure travel experiences become undistinguishable, remote work trips can be used to improve workers' well-being (T. A. Smith et al, 2022).…”

“…In order to improve the well-being of employees, organizations have thus recognized the need for a deeper understanding of employees’ experiences and have started to co-design ideal experiences (Gheidar & ShamiZanjani, 2020; Plaskoff, 2017; Shipman et al, 2021). When work and leisure travel experiences become undistinguishable, remote work trips can be used to improve workers’ well-being (T. A. Smith et al, 2022).…”