Work Life / Privat LifeWhere do you draw the boundaries?

Leila J. GisinUniversity of Applied Sciences and Arts LucerneWork and organizational psychologistResearch Associate and lecturer

Swisscom Dialogue Experience 2019

AgendaWork life / private life – where do you draw the boundaries?

1Embedding:Digitalrevolution

2Input:Work-Life-Balance

4Input:DigitalDetox

3Input:Boundary-Management

5Intercommunication: Questions and Input from the audience

Digital revolutionFrom a psychological perspective

Digital Revolution (1/2)Social impact

> Detraditionalization

> Optioning

> Individualization

> Networking

(Kauffeld, 2014)

Digital Revolution (2/2)Individual impact

> “Workforce entrepreneurship”

> Personal responsibility

> Self-realization

> Individual managing of work and private life

(Pongratz & Voss, 2003)

Folge: Die Grenzen zwischen den Lebensdomänen Arbeit und Privat

lösen sich auf.

Consequence: The artificial boundaries between the life domains “work” and

“private” are dissolving.

Work-Life-BalanceA critical analysis

Work-Life-BalanceWhy this construct falls short in the age of digitalization.

> It rests upon the industrial age (location and time of work are a given)

> The simple balancing of time doesn’t work (private life can be as straining as work life)

> Unidirectional concept (Assumption: work has an impact on private life – the impact of private life on work is neglected)

> Assumes little autonomy (work cannot be organized autonomously)

(Gisin & Meissner, in Press)

Folge: Die Grenzen zwischen den Lebensdomänen Arbeit und Privat

lösen sich auf.

Folge: Die künstlich gezogenenGrenzen zwischen den Lebensdomänen

Arbeit und Privat lösen sich auf.

«So how do I find my balance in a boundless/dynamic World?»

Boundary-ManagementWhy boundary-management is the better approach for a balanced life.

Boundary-ManagementTheoretical Foundation

>Boundary Theory

>Boundary Types

>Boundary Tactics

(Nippert-Eng, 1996Kreiner, Hollensbe & Sheep, 2009

Gisin, Schulze & Degenhardt, 2016)

Folge: Die Grenzen zwischen den Lebensdomänen Arbeit und Privat

lösen sich auf.

Folge: Die Grenzen zwischen den Lebensdomänen Arbeit und Privat

lösen sich auf.

«The greatest debates and ethical dilemmasof our time are about drawing boundaries.»

(Nippert-Eng, 1996)

Boundary-ManagementBoundary types

> Strict demarcation of work life and private life

> Impermeable boundaries

> Needs loads of structures and rituals

Segmentors> Partially strict demarcation,

then again integration of the two life domains (W/P)

> Driven by identity

> Needs to know his/her boundary needs and communicate accordingly

> Work life and private life are integrated fluently

> Permeable boundaries, if at all

> Needs loads of autonomy

Mixed types Integrators

Boundary-ManagementWhich boundary type measures up to you?

a) Segmentor b) Mixed-Types c) Integrator

Boundary-ManagementBoundary Types: The boundary continuum

(Gisin, 2014Kreiner, Hollensbe & Sheep, 2009

Nippert-Eng, 1996)

«Depending on your personal boundary type you need to implement

various tactics to realize your individual need for segmentation

and/or integration.»(Gisin, 2014)

Behaviour-basedtactics

Timely tactics

Communicativetactics

Physical tactics

Boundarytactics

(Kreiner, Hollensbe & Sheep, 2009,Gisin, 2014,

Gisin, Schulze & Degenhardt, 2016)

Data ManagementFrom the boundary management perspective

Frage:

Besitzen Sie IhrSmartphone, oderbesitzt es Sie?

Question:

Do you own yoursmartphone, or doesit owns you?

a) I own mysmartphone

b) My smartphone owns me

Digital Data DetoxFacts & Figures

25% According to the job-stress-index 2016 ¼ of the Swiss workforce feels dangerously exhausted and stressed. Further 46% are in the sensitive area (at risk).

5.7 Mrd This results in an economical potential of CHF 5,7 billion (Loss in productivity per year caused by stress)

Data ManagementYou need to develop tactics which correspond with your boundary needs when it comes to data consumption

> Get aware of your INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR: When/where do you unnecessarily doodle with your smartphone? How often do you consult your smartphone and why? Is each interaction productive?

> Develop BOUNDARY TACTICS which correspond with your boundary type and information needs

> Set up RULES concerning when and which Data you will consume.

> Make sure that YOU decide on when using your smartphone and when not – not vice versa. OWN YOUR DEVICE!

Data driven Business. Area of conflict between wanting “to be informed” and “having an information overload”. – Be smart about it!

Being informed Having too much information> Being able to make the right

decisions on basis of the right/useful information, which have been reflectedcarefully

> Having difficulties to come to conclusions and decisions on basis of

too much and often contradicting information, which are not reflected

carefully because of lack of time

Swisscom Dialog Arena 2019

«Anyone who knows their boundaries is already half-wise»(John Galsworthy, 1867-1933)

Leila J. GisinWork and Organizational PsychologistResearch Associate and Lecturer

Phone 041 228 99 41leila.gisin@hslu.ch

University of Applied Sciences and ArtsInstitute of Business and Regional Economics (IBR)CC General ManagementFrankenstrasse 9CH-6003 Luzern

www.hslu.ch

LiteratureGisin, L. & Meissner, J. (in Press). Auswirkungen des digitaler Wandel auf Wissensarbeitende aus arbeits- und

organisationspsychologischer Perspektive. In: Dröge und Glauser (Eds.), Digitaler Wandel der Wissensarbeit, Lehrbuch.

Gisin, L., Schulze, H., & Degenhardt, B. (2016). Boundary Management as a Crucial Success Factor for Flexible-Mobile Work, Demonstrated in the Case of Home Office. In B. Deml, P. Stock, R. Bruder, & C. M. Schlick (Eds.), Advances in ErgonomicDesign of Systems, Products and Processes (pp. 375–394). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Gisin, L. (2014). Boundary-Typen, Boundary Management und Boundary Taktiken im Home Office. Untersuchung des Einflusses der "Boundary Theorie" auf das mobile Telearbeiten, insbesondere der Arbeit im Home Office. Master Thesis, S.178. Olten: Hochschule für Angewandte Psychologie FHNW.

Kauffeld, S. (2014): Arbeits-, Organisations- und Personalpsychologie für Bachelor, 2. Auflage. Heidelberg: Springer Verlag.

Kreiner, G. E., Hollensbe, E. C, & Sheep, M. L. (2009). Balancing borders and bridges: negotiating the work-home interface via boundary work tactics, Academy of Management Journal, 52(4), 704-730.

Nippert-Eng, C. E. (1996). Home and work: Negotiating boundaries through everyday life. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Pongratz, H., J., & Voss, G., G. (2003). Arbeitskraftunternehmer: Erwerbsorientierung in entgrenzten Arbeitsformen, Berlin: Edition Sigma Verlag.

Schulze, H., Weichbrodt, J., & Meissner J. (2015). Gestaltung mobil-flexibler Arbeit. Gastherausgabe. Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftspsychologie.

Weichbrodt, J., Schulze, H., Gisin, L., Tanner, A. & Welge, K. (2015). Forschungsbericht «GeMobAU»: Gestaltung mobil-flexibler Arbeit in grossen und mittleren Unternehmen. Olten: Hochschule für Angewandte Psychologie FHNW.