Managing the Work-Nonwork Boundary: An Assessment of Organizational Responses

Three types of organizational responses to nonwork were identified according to orientations toward the work-nonwork relationship and toward the employer-worker relationship. The attitudes and experiences of 221 managers active in multiple domains were used to assess the effectiveness of the types. The type that enhanced the flexibility of the work-nonwork boundary, and involved the employer providing resources for workers to fulfill nonwork responsibilities themselves, proved most effective. This framework serves to shift the thinking about work-nonwork programs from a practice-by-practice focus to a more strategic level.