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Are you a segmenter or an integrator with your work life balance?
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AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza
Do you attempt to keep your work and personal calendar on one calendar? Do you bring items in from home to help your office look and feel more homelike? Do you check your emails during off hours? Do you tend to socialize outside of work with coworkers? If you answered yes to some or all of these questions, you may prefer more integration of your work-home life.
Do you keep your work and personal calendar completely separate? At the end of the work day and/or on the weekends, do you shut off your computer or blackberry? Do you tend to socialize outside of work with coworkers? If you answered yes to some or all of these questions, you may prefer more segmentation of your work-home life.
Glen Kreiner, assistant professor of management at Penn State, Elain Hollensbe of the University of Cincinnati and Mathew Sheep of Illinois State University (2009) conducted a study to examine how people manage boundaries between work and life. The subjects in the study were 60 Episcopal priests whom they interviewed to find out what work life balance challenges they face as well as how they attempt to overcome these challenges.
The findings in this study are applicable in many situations across professions. To create your individual level and style of work- life segmentation or integration the researchers suggest taking a look at boundaries. Four types of boundary work tactics were identified as behavioral, temporal, physical and communicative.
Behavioral Tactics
• Using other people: Ask people in your support network to help you with boundary work.
• Leveraging technology: Keep boundaries intact. Use technology to your advantage when negotiating boundaries.
• Invoking triage: Flexibility is key. Be able to change priority on tasks as needed.
• Allowing differential permeability: Be open to a rare occasion where boundary can be permeated.
Temporal Tactics
• Controlling work time: If you have flexibility for give and take with your schedule, leaving early for a personal reason, then perhaps staying later/coming in early another time, can work.
• Finding respite: Make a conscious effort to have time away from work for the purpose of relaxing.
Physical Tactics
• Adapting physical boundaries: Physical boundaries play an important role in how we work. Pay attention to what is within your control and make adjustments accordingly.
• Manipulating physical space: If you work close to where you live or have a home office, define boundaries to ensure space between.
• Managing physical artifacts: You may want to either separate or integrate your calendar or other physical things potentially used at both home and work.
Communicative Tactics
• Setting expectations: Be transparent with your coworkers on your preferences as far as either being in contact or no contact when you have days off.
• Confronting violators: Be a clear communicator if someone ignores your boundaries to avoid future issues.
Kreiner, Hollensbe and Sheep said that boundary work tactics can reduce the effects of work-home challenges.
Reference
Kreiner, G., Hollensbe, E., Sheep, M. 2009. Balancing borders and bridges: negotiating the work-home interface via boundary work tactics. Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 52, No. 4, 1-000
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