Social Media and Boundary Management in Global Work (GloBound)

The objectives of this research project are related to information sharing and the management of work-life boundaries in global work. The first goal is to explore global workers’ information sharing boundaries through various communication media: how much and what type of information global workers’ share (and are expected to share), with whom and when. The focus is on information sharing at work, but also at the work-life interface, particularly through social media.

The second goal is to investigate the negotiations of work-life boundaries of global workers’ as they navigate the tensions related to time differences and cultural expectations regarding working time in global organizations. The use of communication technologies may increase or challenge these negotiations through constant connectivity and by enabling access to work-related information also outside working hours. The third goal of the project is to examine what strategies employees utilize in global work to manage their professional and personal boundaries. The crossing of these boundaries may either improve or weaken individuals’ ability to disconnect from one domain and be available and engaged in another domain.

In this research project data will be collected through interviews, surveys and analysis of social media data. The results can be applied to and beyond the studied organizations in supporting global employees, their work-life balance, well-being and work efficiency.

The research is funded by the Finnish Work Environment Fund for the years 2019 – 2021.

Project report (in Finnish)

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