ICT and work–family balance: context of Indian software services

Abstract

While advances in information and communication technology (ICT) have diminished the constraint of location, created new outsourced models and show a promise of employee flexibility, it is not very clear how implementation of ICT affects the work–family balance for employees working in these new industries. In this conceptual paper, we explore the effect of ICT on employees in the context of the software services industry in India. We unpack the role of characteristics of service interaction in determining whether the use of ICT leads to improved or deterioration in work–family balance by investigating factors such as frequency and duration of interaction, and the temporal and cultural distance between the service provider employees and client. We argue that while the ICT media, geographical and temporal distance may enhance the need for longer customer interaction and work time, employee autonomy can potentially help harness the flexibility of the ICT advances to mitigate the detrimental impact on employee work–family balance and well-being.