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Abstract:

The current study aims to understand why employees’ use of home- based telework and part-time work is not consistently linked to intended employee outcomes, in particular lower work-life conflict, lower life-work conflict, more job satisfaction and work attitudes and better job performance. We propose an approach wherein the focus lies on motivational conditions under which employees do or do not make use of work-life practices. Specifically, we argue that two motivational dimensions explain outcome variability within both the group of users and the group of non-users, namely (1) preferences for a certain practice (i.e., the extent to which employees prefer to use or to not use that practice) and (2) perceived pressures (i.e., the extent to which employees experience pressures from the work environment or from their private life to use or to not use a practice). The relevance of these two dimensions is examined using survey data with 382 Flemish employees. We contribute to the literature by challenging the dichotomy between users and non-users and by highlighting the importance of preferences and pressures from two different life spheres. By taking preferences for and pressures affecting practice use into account, the potential difference between employees’ wants and needs is emphasized. Considering this nuance, scholars might gain a more comprehensive understanding of how work-life practices are linked to outcomes.