ABSTRACT

Working time arrangements that match employees’ preferences have been proposed as determinants of employees’ well-being, an assumption rooted in person-environment fit theory. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of fit and misfit between actual and preferred working time arrangements (length of working hours, control over the beginning and end of workdays, and workplace segmentation) for employees’ satisfaction with work-life balance. We analyzed data from 8,580 employees from the BAuA-working time survey – a representative study among the working population in Germany – by means of polynomial regression and response surface analyses. Analyses did not point toward congruence effects but revealed significant main effects: Satisfaction with work-life balance was higher in case of shorter actual and longer preferred weekly working hours, and it was decreased if employees worked longer than they preferred. Moreover, more supplies and lower preferences in terms of control over the beginning and end of workdays, more workplace segmentation supplies, and lower workplace segmentation preferences were related to higher satisfaction with work-life balance. Overall, this study sheds light on the roles of fit and misfit between actual and preferred working time arrangements for employees’ work-home interface. Findings suggest that while employees’ preferences should find entrance into the design of work schedules, congruence is not a precondition for achieving a good work-life balance. Most importantly, for a good work-life balance, working hours should not be longer than preferred, and employees should have some control over their scheduling and possibilities to segment work and private life.

摘要

已经提出了与员工的喜好相匹配的工作时间安排，作为员工福祉的决定因素，这一假设源于人与环境的适应理论。这项研究的目的是调查实际和首选工作时间安排（工作时间的长短，对工作日的开始和结束的控制以及工作场所的分割）之间的适合与不适合的作用，以使员工对工作与生活的平衡感到满意。我们通过多项式回归和响应面分析，对来自BAuA工作时间调查的8,580名员工的数据进行了分析，该调查是德国工作人口中的一项代表性研究。分析并未指出一致性的影响，但显示出显着的主要影响：在实际工作时间较短且每周的首选工作时间较长的情况下，对工作与生活平衡的满意度较高，如果员工的工作时间超出了他们的期望，则可以减少这种情况。此外，在工作日开始和结束时的控制方面更多的供应和更低的偏好，更多的工作场所细分供应以及更低的工作场所细分偏好与更高的工作生活平衡满意度有关。总体而言，这项研究揭示了员工在家工作界面的实际工作时间和首选工作时间安排之间的适合和不适合的作用。调查结果表明，虽然员工的喜好应该加入工作计划的设计中，但一致性并不是实现良好的工作与生活平衡的前提。最重要的是，为了达到良好的工作与生活平衡，工作时间不应长于首选时间，