Worker well-being and digital boundaries : exploring the effect of leader ICT expectations and behaviours

Abstract

Although ICT use enables flexibility and autonomy for workers, it also contributes to blurred boundaries between work and life domains and can result in impaired well-being (e.g., Day et al., 2012). This study explores the influence of leader ICT availability/response expectations and initiation behaviour outside of traditional work hours and the relationships with stress and burnout. Subordinates reported more stress, but not burnout when perceived leader expectations and initiation was higher. However, leaders reported more stress, emotional exhaustion, and cynicism in relation to having higher expectations for subordinates and higher instance of initiating ICT messages after-hours. Furthermore, when subordinates preferred work-home integration, this moderated the relationship between leader expectations and cynicism, such that cynicism was lower when subordinates preferred more role integration and believed their leaders expected them to use work ICT during off-hours. Avenues for future studies and practical implications for accommodating individual preferences are suggested.