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Scientific Article details

Title The new nowhere land? A research and practice agenda for the "always on" culture
ID_Doc 69141
Authors McDowall, A; Kinman, G
Title The new nowhere land? A research and practice agenda for the "always on" culture
Year 2017
Published Journal Of Organizational Effectiveness-People And Performance, 4, 3
DOI 10.1108/JOEPP-05-2017-0045
Abstract Purpose - Rapid developments in the field of information communication technology (ICT) mean that e-working has become increasingly common and prolonged - the "always-on-culture" potential to enhance work-life balance via increased flexibility in terms of time and location, as well as posing the risk of being "always on" has been identified with potentially serious implications for the health and performance of employees. The authors identify a research agenda as a starting point for reviewing current organisational practice. Design/methodology/approach - The authors discuss current technological developments as well as prevalent research frameworks and terminology in the domain of work-life balance and beyond to evaluate their fitness for purpose. They also report findings from a survey of 374 employees working within UK businesses about current organisational practice. Findings - Over half of the organisations sampled do not have clear policies, guidance or training in place regarding work-life balance and supporting employees with regards to technology enabled working and communications. The authors identify as key challenges the sheer volume of e-mail traffic, lack of training and infrastructure to support ICT-enabled working and an absence of appropriate support. Practical implications - Organisations need to develop clear policies regarding the psychosocial aspects of technology use and provide evidence-based guidance to managers and employees. Social implications - Managers and individuals require support to engage with technology in a healthy and sustainable way. Originality/value - This is one of the first papers to survey organisational practice and support on the topic.
Author Keywords Work-life balance; Job design; Always-on-culture; Information-and-communications-technology; Organizational policy; Remote working
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)
EID WOS:000410819600005
WoS Category Management
Research Area Business & Economics
PDF https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/19520/1/for%20BIRON_JOEPP_McDowall.PDF
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