Background
Family-supportive cultures and supervisor behaviors are known to reduce
work-life conflict (He et al., 2023). Conversely, destructive leadership
styles increase expectations of connectivity and work outside regular
hours, heightening work-life conflict (Dong et al., 2022; Cho et al., 2020).
This study, conducted in the general working population of two countries,
applies the job demands-resources model (Demerouti & Bakker, 2023;
Kinnunen et al., 2011) and work-home interface framework (Ten
Brummelhuis & Bakker, 2012) to examine how work-family culture
(Thompson et al., 1999) and micromanagement (Shaw et al., 2011) jointly
influence Off-work hours Technology-Assisted Job Demand (Off-TAJD)
and Work-Life Conflict (WLC).
Method
We are conducting a longitudinal study across three time points, with
three-month intervals between each assessment. Participants are filling
out a questionnaire based on self-reported validated measures. At T1, we
reached 327 participants (56.3% women, mean age 39.6). Cultural
variables concerning collectivism and humane orientation will be included
to account for possible differences between countries. The relationship
between the evaluated variables will be tested through a cross-lagged
structural equation model.
Results
We expect that family-friendly culture will predict lower levels of Off-TAJD
at T2 and of WLC at T3, while micromanagement will predict higher levels
of off-TAJD at T2 and of WLC at T3. We expect off-TAJD to be a partial
mediator in these relationships, with a positive relationship with WLC.
Conclusion
This study is part of the debate on always-on cultures, highlighting the
complex interplay between culture and leadership styles. Understanding
these processes at both the organisational and individual level is a
necessary condition for activating appropriate training and development
policies. Encouraging trust-based, supportive leadership practices that
balance organizational demands with employee well-being is essential for
reducing unnecessary connectivity and promoting sustainable work
environments.