Influence of professional mobile device usage on Work/Family Border Theory

Abstract

The development of mobile communication technologies and their associated professional usage within the domestic (nonwork) sphere proves challenging to understand and to establish work–life balance. To understand the foundational decisions to incorporate technology (mobile devices) within our domestic time and space, this study explores how individuals use their mobile device for professional or work-oriented communication within the nonwork or domestic sphere. Using Domestication Theory as an important guide, the research explored how the border between the two domains (spheres) were managed. From 32 semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study uncovered 2 overarching themes: Control of Time and Influences. These themes provide understanding of the role mobile devices play in professional communication decisions, what control participants have, and how individuals manage work permeations into the domestic sphere. This research makes a theoretical contribution in the spirit of Clark’s Work/Family Border Theory. With the infusion of mobile devices, a model is proposed offering a fresh perspective of how borders are conceptualized in organizational and familial communication in this context.