An Episodic Process Model of After-Hour ICT-Related Interruptions at Home

Abstract

As remote and hybrid work become mainstream, after-hour interruptions from work into personal life (i.e., boundary violations) via information communicative technology will become even more prevalent. These interruptions trigger employees to suddenly disengage from their nonwork roles and reengage in work (i.e., interrole transitions), which can translate into adverse work and well-being outcomes for employees. It is critical to study after-hour ICT-related interruptions to ensure employees can effectively perform in both their work and nonwork spheres. Although there is a substantial knowledge base for boundary violations and interrole transitions, we have limited understanding of the mechanisms through which these experiences affect individuals on a daily basis. The present study builds on boundary theory with a comprehensive qualitative investigation of the boundary violation-interrole transition process and development of an episodic process model grounded in data. Using the event reconstruction method, employee experiences with after-hour ICT-related interruptions were deeply explored. Content analysis revealed defining features and underlying mechanisms of the boundary violation-interrole transition process and the interrelationships of these mechanisms, facilitating the development of an episodic model with testable propositions for future boundary research. The results suggest that after-hour ICT-related interruptions are a particular type of perceived work-family incompatibility that can be problematic for employees, thereby advancing work-family theory. As these interruptions cannot be eliminated and will increase as more employees work remotely, the results and proposed model can inform the design of organizational interventions intended to mitigate the negative effects of interruptions on employees’ daily lives.