Flex-IT: A mixed-method study of cross-domain information technology use in everyday life

The emergence of new technology has increasingly blurred the boundaries between work and family domains, and the consequences for the health and productivity of the labor force remains unknown. These contradictory perspectives make it important to understand to what extent, when and for who cross-domain IT use is healthy and/or unhealthy.

Cross-domain Information Technology (IT) use offers flexibility that can increase the balance between work and family domains and thus promote health. On the other hand, cross-domain IT use might increase the conflict between work and family life by decreasing restitution, and may increase occupational stress. 

Previous investigations of cross-domain IT use are limited by the use single-method and single-source approaches, a failure to consider both negative and positive impacts and the lack of an overarching multilevel perspective integrating individual, familial and organizational factors.

Integrated mixed-method

In order to move beyond this current impasse, we proposal an integrated mixed-method and multilevel approach, organized in five work packages (WPs). We will:

1. perform a systematic review to ensure a robust foundation on the best available empirical knowledge 
2. conduct semi-structured narrative interviews to map dual-worker couples' experiences with cross-domain IT use in depth 
3. conduct a well-powered longitudinal survey with state-of-the-art statistical methods to delineate temporal pathways and test causal models  
4. replicate and extend the main results from WP3 in a smaller but more detailed "diary study" including objective measures of sleep quality, exercise and health 
5. synthesize main findings together with key stakeholders in order to develop a "toolkit for healthy cross-domain IT-use".

Flex-IT thus utilizes state-of-the-art integrated mixed-method methodology to generate new knowledge on healthy and unhealthy cross-domain IT use.