Lost in Autonomy – Temporal Structures and Their Implications for Employees’ Autonomy and Well-Being among Knowledge Workers

Abstract

Conceptual models based on the importance of work autonomy for employees’ health represent important cornerstones in the occupational well-being and work stress literature. The objectives of this study were to 1) explore and understand the temporal conditions framing work among autonomous knowledge professionals, 2) describe how autonomy is experienced in knowledge work jobs, and 3) analyze the implications of current autonomy for well-being in knowledge work. The interview study consisted of 21 women and 13 men who worked in knowledge-intensive jobs in Finland. Analysis of the material shows that knowledge work is structured by different levels of transverse temporal structures: individual and social structures, and organizational and macrolevel structures. This creates a paradoxical nature of autonomy among knowledge workers, characterized by high task autonomy and intense socio-temporal interdependence. One can have strong autonomy and be tied at the same time. Unsynchronized time structures can lead to fragmented work, overwhelming work burden, and higher risk of mental health symptoms. It would therefore be advisable to establish collective temporal structures in organizations that create manageability and predictability. We conclude that models of occupational well-being and work stress should pay more attention to the social structure and temporal interdependencies that characterize knowledge work.