Technology-assisted supplemental work: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Due to the increasing digitalization and connectivity of work, more and more employees engage in technology-assisted supplemental work (TASW). TASW refers to the performance of work-related tasks after regular work hours with the aid of technological tools. Based on a conceptual model of TASW, we present a comprehensive meta-analysis of potential antecedents and outcomes of TASW (K = 89 independent samples, N = 39,085 employees). Results showed that TASW is associated with social normative work context characteristics, such as availability expectations after work (ρ¯ = 0.45), and work characteristics, such as job demands (ρ¯ = 0.32). Associations were also found between TASW and person characteristics, such as work identity (ρ¯ = 0.35) and segmentation preference (ρ¯ = −0.20). Moreover, TASW is related to important employee outcomes, including recovery-related outcomes, such as psychological detachment (ρ¯ = −0.38); well-being outcomes, such as job strain (ρ¯ = 0.12); nonwork-related outcomes, such as work nonwork conflict (ρ¯ = 0.32); as well as attitudinal and performance-related outcomes, such as organizational commitment (ρ¯ = 0.16) and work performance (ρ¯ = 0.27). We also found TASW to be related to certain demographic characteristics, such as male gender (ρ¯ = 0.11) and job-level (ρ¯ = 0.23). Exploratory moderator analyses further revealed that gender moderated the relationship between job demands and TASW, such that the relationship was stronger for samples with a higher percentage of females. We conclude by discussing potential directions for future research to advance the understanding of TASW.