Always available – the role of perceived advantages and legitimacy

Abstract

Purpose

Studies have shown that availability for work during non-work hours can impair well-being. However, there are significant inter-individual differences regarding these effects. Referring to the “effort–reward–imbalance” model and the “stress-as-offense-to-self” model, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role that perceived advantages as well as the illegitimacy of extended availability plays in explaining the inter-individual differences.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 310 participants completed an online questionnaire that measured extended availability, illegitimacy of extended availability, advantages of availability and two strain indicators. The authors conducted regression analyses to analyze the effects of extended availability on strain and the moderating role of perceived illegitimacy and advantages of extended availability.

Findings

Extended availability and – beyond this effect – perceived illegitimacy of extended availability were positively correlated with strain, whereas perceived advantages showed the opposite effect. Furthermore, perceived advantages had a moderating effect in that high advantages buffered the detrimental effects of extended availability.

Research limitations/implications

The results are based on cross-sectional data. However, the findings confirm previous research indicating that the detrimental effects of extended availability are dependent on specific boundary conditions. In this study, the authors provided evidence for the moderating effect of perceived advantages regarding extended availability.

Practical implications

The results provided indications to designing availability in a risk-reducing way by accounting for boundary conditions that may increase or decrease the detrimental effects.

Originality/value

By focusing on perceived illegitimacy and flexibility advantages as boundary conditions for the effects of extended availability, the study introduces two established concepts into the research on increasingly flexible work–home boundaries.

Citation

Dettmers, J. and Biemelt, J. (2018), "Always available – the role of perceived advantages and legitimacy", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 33 No. 7/8, pp. 497-510. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-02-2018-0095