Abstract
Background: The relationship between technology-assisted supplemental work and well-being outcomes is a recent issue in scientific literature. Whether the use of technology for work purpose in off-work time may have a positive or negative impact on work-family balance remains an open question and the role of gender in this relationship is poorly understood.Aim: According to the JD-R theory, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between off-work hours technology assisted job demand (off-TAJD) and both work-family conflict (WFC) and work-family enrichment (WFE). Moreover, it considered two general job demands, workload and emotional dissonance, and one job resource, supervisory coaching.Method: The hypotheses were tested with a convenience sample of 671 workers. Data were collected with a self-report questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS 23 and through multi-group structural equation model (SEM) (Mplus 7).Results: The estimated SEM [Chi-square (510) = 1041.29; p < 0.01; CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.06 (0.05, 0.06); SRMR = 0.05. M = 319/F = 352] showed that off-TAJD was positively related to WFC in both subsamples; off-TAJD was positively related also to WFE only in the Male group. Workload was positively related to WFC in both Male and Female subsamples. Emotional dissonance was positively related to WFC in both subsamples and was negatively related to WFE. Supervisory coaching was strongly, positively related to WFE in both groups, and only in the Male subsample presented a low negative relationship with WFC.Conclusion: This study contributes to the literature on new challenges in work-life interface by analyzing the association between off-TAJD and WFC and Enrichment. Our findings suggest it is important to pay attention to gender differences in the study of the impact of supplemental work carried out during off-work hours using technology on the work-life interface. In fact, employee perception of Company demands of being available during off-work time, with the use of technology, may have different consequences for men and women, indicating potential differences in the centrality of the working role. Practical implications, at both cultural and organizational levels, should address the use of technology during leisure time.
Highlights
Since January 2017, the Loi Travail No 2016-1088 (Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi, de la Formation Professionnelle et du Dialogue Social, 2016) has come into effect in France and, among other things, obligates Companies with more than 50 employees to regulate the use of smartphones and emails in off-work time
Several German Companies (e.g., Deutsche Telekom, Bayer, Volkswagen) have implemented regulatory policies on the use of emails for work purposes during off-work or leisure time, consistent with some studies, which showed that the intrusion of work in personal life may be a source of stress, impede the necessary recovery, and lead to consequences in terms of work-family conflict (Derks and Bakker, 2014; Derks et al, 2015)
Using the Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R Model, Bakker and Demerouti, 2007, 2014, 2016; Schaufeli and Taris, 2014), this study aims to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between supplemental work during off-work hours assisted by technology and work-family conflict (WFC) and enrichment (WFE), controlling for other traditional job demands and job resources and paying particular attention to gender differences
Summary
Since January 2017, the Loi Travail No 2016-1088 (Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi, de la Formation Professionnelle et du Dialogue Social, 2016) has come into effect in France and, among other things, obligates Companies with more than 50 employees to regulate the use of smartphones and emails in off-work time. An Australian Research outlined that more than half of the respondents believed that the mobile helps them to balance their family and working lives (Wajcman et al, 2008). It is still an open issue whether the impact of technology-assisted supplemental work (TASW) on work-family balance is positive or negative (Fenner and Renn, 2004; Derks et al, 2015). Whether the use of technology for work purpose in off-work time may have a positive or negative impact on work-family balance remains an open question and the role of gender in this relationship is poorly understood
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
