Boundary Work Tactics and Their Effects on Information and Communication Technology Use After Hours and Recovery: Taking Action When Boundaries Are Blurring

Abstract

With an increasing use of work-related technologies after hours and mobile working, boundaries between work and personal life domains blur more andmore, impairing recovery. Qualitative studies have shown that individuals use various boundary work tactics to activelymanage their work-nonwork boundaries. However, it remains largely unknown how the use of such tactics contributes to recovery. This research differentiates types of availability-related boundary work tactics and organizes them according to their underlying motives: preventive, restrictive, and rejecting tactics. The results of a cross-sectional study (N = 249) and a validation study (N = 175) support the proposed motive-oriented structure of tactics and show differential prediction of psychological detachment and relaxation. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.