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Journal ArticleDOI

Work/Family Border Theory: A New Theory of Work/Family Balance

01 Jun 2000-Human Relations (SAGE Publications)-Vol. 53, Iss: 6, pp 747-770
TL;DR: Work/family border theory as mentioned in this paper is a new theory about work/family balance that addresses how domain integration and segmentation, border creation and management, border-crosser participation, and relationships between bordercrossers and others at work and home influence work and family balance.
Abstract: This article introduces work/family border theory - a new theory about work/family balance. According to the theory, people are daily border-crossers between the domains of work and family. The theory addresses how domain integration and segmentation, border creation and management, border-crosser participation, and relationships between border-crossers and others at work and home influence work/family balance. Propositions are given to guide future research.
Citations
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Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: Work-family balance is a hot topic in the field of psychology as discussed by the authors, with a large body of work and non-work related work-family work-self-definitional boundaries.
Abstract: Social roles play important functions in the lives of all individuals (e.g., Ashforth, Kreiner, & Fugate, 2000; Clark, 2000). They help to define who we are-imposing self-definitional boundaries. They influence what we do-imposing behavioral boundaries. They influence how and with whom we interact-imposing relational boundaries. They influence what we think about-imposing cognitive boundaries. They influence how we feel about things-imposing affective boundaries. They structure our use of timeimposing temporal boundaries. Finally, they structure our physical location-imposing spatial boundaries. The primary social roles that make up the lives of most adults are depicted in Figure 7.1. As shown in this figure, one can make a broad distinction between work and nonwork domains of life (e.g., Rice, McFarlin, Hunt, & Near, 1985). Within the nonwork domain, several subdomains of social roles exist-family, religious, community, leisure, and student. Because social roles provide meaning and structure in people’s lives, researchers from many disciplines are interested in the notion of balance between social roles. This interest partly derives from the understanding that despite the various types of boundaries fostered by social roles, these boundaries differ in permeability and flexibility, and transitions across boundaries occur often (e.g., Ashforth et al., 2000; Clark, 2000). It also derives from the expectation that imbalance between social roles may be an important stressor that can influence outcomes in the affected life domains and can influence the overall health and well-being of individuals exposed to the imbalance. The overall goal of this chapter, therefore, is to provide an overview of the literature on work-family balance. Toward this end, I will (a) define work-family balance, (b) review early and contemporary models of workfamily balance, (c) review the major causes and outcomes of work-family balance, and (d) explore strategies for promoting work-family balance. Because of the extensive work-family literature that has developed, I cannot provide an exhaustive review of each of these issues in a short chapter. Nonetheless, while being selective, I will try to provide a broad overview. The focus of this review is on the relationship between work and family roles for three reasons. First, in contrast to other nonwork roles, conceptual interest in the relationship between work and family has been much stronger, with a research history that dates back to at least the 1930s

1,420 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The meaning of work literature is the product of a long tradition of rich inquiry spanning many disciplines as discussed by the authors, and the field lacks overarching structures that would facilitate greater integration, consistency, and understanding of this body of research.

1,409 citations


Cites background from "Work/Family Border Theory: A New Th..."

  • ...The boundaries between work and family domains can be difficult to navigate (see Clark, 2000; Edwards & Rothbard, 1999, 2000; Greenhaus & Powell, 2003; Kreiner, Hollensbe, & Sheep, 2006; Nippert-Eng, 1996; Rothbard, 2001), and work demands can affect spousal relationships (e.g., Bailyn, 1971;…...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relation between work-family balance and quality of life among professionals employed in public accounting and found that those who invested substantial time in their combined work and family roles, those who spent more time on family than work experienced a higher quality-of-life than balanced individuals.

1,348 citations


Cites background or methods from "Work/Family Border Theory: A New Th..."

  • ...One outcome frequently included in definitions of balance is satisfaction (Clark, 2000; Kirchmeyer, 2000; Kofodimos, 1993)....

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  • ...Clark (2000), Kirchmeyer (2000), and Kofodimos (1993) imply similarly high levels of satisfaction, functioning, health, or effectiveness across multiple roles....

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  • ...In a similar vein, Clark views work–family balance as ‘‘satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home with a minimum of role conflict’’ (Clark, 2000, p. 349)....

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  • ...In a similar vein, Clark views work–family balance as ‘‘satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home with a minimum of role conflict’’ (Clark, 2000, p. 349). According toKofodimos, balance refers to ‘‘a satisfying, healthy, and productive life that includes work, play, and love. . . ’’ (Kofodimos, 1993; p. xiii). These definitions of balance share a number of common elements. First is the notion of equality, or near-equality, between experiences in the work role and experiences in the family role. Clark (2000), Kirchmeyer (2000), and Kofodimos (1993) imply similarly high levels of satisfaction, functioning, health, or effectiveness across multiple roles. Perhaps, Marks and MacDermid s (1996) notion of ‘‘evenhanded alertness’’ as a characteristic of positive balance is most explicit with regard to equality of role commitments. Even negative balance, to use Marks and MacDermid s (1996) term, implies an evenhanded lack of alertness in different roles....

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  • ...Balanced satisfaction across work and family roles (Clark, 2000; Kirchmeyer, 2000; Kofodimos, 1993) is also likely to be associated with a high quality of life....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine professionals' use of telecommuting, perceptions of psychological job control, and boundary management strategies, and argue that work-family research should distinguish between descriptions of Xexibility use and how the individual psychologically experiences XExibility (perceived).

747 citations


Cites background from "Work/Family Border Theory: A New Th..."

  • ...Recent developments in boundary theory (Ashforth, Kreiner, & Fugate, 2000; Clark, 2000), highlight the fact that integrating work and family in time and space, as in Xextime and Xexplace job designs, means that borders between the two domains are permeable; work may be more interrupted by family inXuences and vice versa....

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  • ...Recent developments in boundary theory (Ashforth, Kreiner, & Fugate, 2000; Clark, 2000), highlight the fact that integrating work and family in time and space, as in Xextime and Xexplace job designs, means that borders between the two domains are permeable; work may be more interrupted by family…...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated how people manage boundaries to negotiate the demands between work and home life and discovered and classified four types of boundary work tactics (behavioral, temporal, physical and communicative) that individuals utilized to help create their ideal level and style of work-home segmentation or integration.
Abstract: We investigated how people manage boundaries to negotiate the demands between work and home life. We discovered and classified four types of boundary work tactics (behavioral, temporal, physical, and communicative) that individuals utilized to help create their ideal level and style of work-home segmentation or integration. We also found important differences between the generalized state of work-home conflict and “boundary violations,” which we define as behaviors, events, or episodes that either breach or neglect the desired work-home boundary. We present a model based on two qualitative studies that demonstrates how boundary work tactics reduce the negative effects of work-home challenges. “Balance” between work and home lives is a much sought after but rarely claimed state of being. Work-family researchers have successfully encouraged organizations, families, and individuals to recognize the importance of tending to their needs for balance. Over 30 years ago, Kanter (1977) spoke of the “myth of separate worlds” and called attention to the reality that work and home are inexorably linked. Yet, she argued, organizations are often structured in such a way that their leadership forgets or ignores employees’ outside lives. Although organizational leaders and managers generally tend more to employees’ nonwork needs than they did when Kanter wrote her landmark work, struggles to balance work and home demands are still common

738 citations


Cites background from "Work/Family Border Theory: A New Th..."

  • ...This approach offered considerable promise, as it identifies tactics individuals can utilize; it provides actionable knowledge that can empower individuals by acknowledging the control they have over how they experience, interpret, and shape the world (Clark, 2000; Nippert-Eng, 1996)....

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  • ...Further, work and home cultures can create strong expectations about rules, attitudes, and behaviors that are often quite different from one another (Clark, 2000)....

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  • ...Specifically, Clark (2000) highlighted the role of “border-keepers”—the other individuals who either help or hinder an employee’s attempts at work-home balance, such as spouses, children, coworkers, and supervisors....

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References
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TL;DR: This work has shown that legitimate peripheral participation in communities of practice is not confined to midwives, tailors, quartermasters, butchers, non-drinking alcoholics and the like.
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