W6: Hartner-Tiefenthaler et al. (2023)

Question 1

Paper’s purpose

Answer 1

Investigates the nuanced impacts of employees’ online access to work tools (OAWT) outside traditional work hours, exploring its dual role in enhancing flexibility while potentially compromising work-life balance and employee well-being. It delineates how OAWT correlates with both positive aspects of flexibility, like available temporal and spatial flexibility, and negative outcomes, such as required temporal flexibility leading to work intruding on nonwork behaviours. Findings indicate that OAWT may buffer against the adverse effects of required flexibility on job satisfaction by offering employees discretionary control over their work

Question 2

Online access to work tools (OAWT)

Answer 2

Phenomenon caused by the proliferation of digital technologies, which has revolutionised traditional notions of workplace boundaries. It presents a double-edged sword for organisations and employees. On the one hand, it offers unparalleled flexibility, enabling individuals to manage their tasks and responsibilities remotely, enhancing productivity and work-life balance. However, this constant connectivity also blurs the lines between professional and personal life, potentially encroaching on leisure time and exacerbating feelings of burnout and stress

Question 3

Available flexibility

Answer 3

Portrayed as a beneficial aspect of OAWT, where employees are empowered to tailor their work schedules around personal commitments, thus potentially improving work-life balance and enhancing overall job satisfaction. It consists of temporal and spatial flexibility. It is positively related to job satisfaction

Question 4

Required flexibility

Answer 4

Characterised by the expectation or obligation for employees to remain accessible and responsive to work-related demands outside standard working hours. This form of flexibility is associated with negative outcomes, including increased stress, diminished job satisfaction, and a greater likelihood of work tasks interrupting nonwork time

Question 5

Work interrupting nonwork behaviours

Answer 5

The permeation of work-related tasks into personal time, facilitated by OAWT, disrupts individuals’ ability to detach from work. This intrusion is closely linked to required flexibility, underscoring the challenges faced by employees in establishing clear boundaries between their professional and personal lives. The study suggests that they contribute to a cycle of stress and emotional exhaustion that can undermine job satisfaction and well-being

Question 6

Job satisfaction

Answer 6

Serves as the ultimate metric for assessing the impact of OAWT and flexible working arrangements. The study explores how it influenced by the interplay between available and required flexibility, mediated by the presence of OAWT. While available flexibility increases job satisfaction, required flexibility, especially when it leads to work encroaching on personal time, pose significant challenges to maintaining high levels of job satisfaction

Question 7

Temporal flexibility

Answer 7

E.g. choosing when to work

Question 8

Spatial flexibility

Answer 8

E.g. working from home

Question 9

Autonomy paradox

Answer 9

Feeling obliged to be available, reducing actual autonomy

Question 10

Required temporal flexibility

Answer 10

Negatively related to job satisfaction and positively to work interruptions

Question 11

Jobs-Demands-Resources model

Answer 11

Autonomy boosts satisfaction, demands reduce it