The Work Design Puzzle: Untangling its Relationship with Work-Life Balance across Different Forms of Work

Abstract

Designing work across different forms of work is a comprehensive yet understudied topic, despite the uptake of alternative work arrangements in recent years. This study aims to identify the most beneficial job design configurations in terms of fostering employees' work-life balance (WLB) across different forms of work (FOW). Data were collected from 605 respondents in France between November and December 2022. By applying the Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), our study takes a holistic approach to job design configurations. This research contributes to a comprehensive work design framework that promotes WLB in different work arrangements. By considering both traditional work design elements and information and communication technology-related factors, organizations can optimize work design to meet the evolving needs of employees in technologically advanced work environments. These findings have practical implications for practitioners and advance the understanding of future work design.