The resources to balance – Exploring remote employees’ work-life balance through the lens of conservation of resources

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate how employees’ work-life balance (WLB) can be supported by various resources, and what mechanisms steer the use of these resources to achieve WLB. The research is based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and a multidimensional balance construct by Casper et al. (2018). Through thematic analysis of 89 semi-structured interviews with remote workers, the study identified three key resources that support employees’ ability to maintain WLB: flexible work arrangements, autonomous work, and time saving. More importantly, the results revealed that employees’ use of these resources is steered by their self-efficacy, as well as experiences of trust from their supervisors. The study contributes to work-family research by providing a comprehensive understanding of the balance construct and how it can be supported in the remote working context. The findings emphasize the importance of promoting employees’ agency in building WLB with enhancement of individuals’ self-efficacy. It is suggested that employers should ensure that supervisors facilitate rather than hinder this process. Therefore, it is important to establish common principles for work-life support to avoid discrepancies in support based on individual supervisors’ judgments and personal preferences.