Coping with Boundaries (Paperback)

The increase of women's labor force participation, the diversity of family constellations, many men's increased participation in childcare, and the development of flexible working arrangements have stimulated research on the relationship between work and non-work. In this thesis, the interaction between work and non-work is examined in the case of home-based telework, an example of flexible working arrangement. Because of the disappearance or blurring of the traditional boundaries in time and space, the consequences of these working conditions for individuals need to be analyzed. The overall aim of this thesis was to study the interaction between work and non-work in home-based telework and to analyze the following issues: - conflict versus facilitation as related to the segmentation and integration of work/non-work domains - the nature and role of boundaries - the physical and mental aspects of work activities within the domains. The results show the importance of boundaries, as they are needed in order to bring structure and legitimacy to the work (carried out in the home/private domain) and to detach from work.