Managing work-life boundaries with information and communication technologies: the case of independent contractors

In the light of the increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), it is important to gain a better understanding of their influence on work-life boundaries. This study examines how individuals manage their work-life boundaries by using ICTs. The findings of a qualitative study with independent contractors show that individuals actively use multiple ICT-mediated tactics to shape their temporal, spatial and psychological work-life boundaries. Furthermore, findings suggest that individuals cannot simply be classified as integrators' or segmentors', as they may have diverse preferences with regard to both the dimension (temporal, spatial or psychological) and direction (work-to-life or life-to-work) of boundary permeability. A framework that takes account of these aspects is derived based on the empirical results.