Sustainable Work Performance in Digitally Connected Workplaces: Leisure Literacy, Work–Leisure Boundary Management, and a From Flow to Friction Perspective

This study examines how different dimensions of leisure literacy relate to work–leisure boundary management and work performance in digitally connected workplaces, addressing the problem that leisure may function as either a restorative resource or a source of boundary conflict. Drawing on boundary theory, the study adopts an exploratory case-based survey design using data from 75 employees in a Taiwanese fire safety enterprise, combining self-reports, supervisor evaluations, and organizational records, with findings analyzed through correlation, subgroup comparison, and regression-based analyses. The results indicate differentiated pathways: positive leisure attitude is associated with work–leisure balance and higher self-rated performance, whereas excessive leisure involvement is associated with increased boundary conflict. These performance-related patterns were more consistently observed for self-rated than for supervisor-rated performance, so performance implications should be interpreted with appropriate caution. Leisure knowledge shows a regulatory role primarily in reducing conflict rather than directly enhancing balance. The results further suggest that comparative leisure/work importance conditions these relationships: when work and leisure are valued more equally, leisure literacy relates more directly to performance, whereas under value imbalance, boundary management becomes more salient, linking leisure literacy to work outcomes. Family life-cycle differences were also observed, although these are treated as contextual. Overall, the study suggests that leisure literacy may support sustainable work performance by shaping whether leisure functions more as a resource or as a source of friction. By extending boundary theory to the work–leisure interface, the study highlights boundary regulation as a relevant issue for sustainable human resource management in digitally connected environments, particularly under conditions of blurred work–leisure boundaries.