Gender differences in remote work: a study on the boundary management tactics of women and men

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify potential differences in experiences and their causes from a gender-based perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

We use secondary data, and we conduct a thematic analysis, to identify whether and how women and men negotiate differently.

Findings

Despite remote work being considered as creating a level-playing field for both genders, women are still vulnerable to work and life demands, and pre-existing stereotypes become exacerbated. In addition, we show how technology might be used to manage physical and temporal boundaries, through integration or segmentation tactics.

Originality/value

There is a growing body of literature that focuses on work-life conflict among teleworkers. Yet, there is limited research that explores such conflicts from a gender perspective, specifically whether and how different genders manage boundaries between work and life differently.

Citation

Shen, M. and Zamani, E.D. (2024), "Gender differences in remote work: a study on the boundary management tactics of women and men", Information Technology & People, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-06-2023-0547